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"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power..." (Revelation 20:6).

         In order to properly understand and evaluate the process and purpose of the "second death," obviously we must first grasp, at least in a measure, what happened and caused the first death.
         In regards to our physical body, death speaks of the separation of our spirit from our body by which life on earth is ended. Thus in a very real sense, DEATH IS A TRANSITION, a passing from one realm to another-- we become dead to one realm, and alive to another. As Paul states, "to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8). And conversely, to leave the realm of the celestial, and awaken on this earth plane, is also a death--a spiritual death. It is leaving the realm of light to enter a realm of darkness; leaving the realm of harmony and peace in the Divine will and entering into the discord and strife of self-will; leaving the glory of the celestial and descending into the grossly material of this world.
         This is the working of the first death-- descending from the purity of the realm of the spiritual, to awaken to the realms of the flesh, to mind the things of the flesh. As long as we remain carnally minded, we remain in a state of this death, for "to be carnally minded IS DEATH, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6). Bluntly spoken, in the first death, we die out to God and His righteousness, and come alive to self and its corruption. That is why Paul said, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." (1 Timothy 5:6). When one dies out to the spiritual, and is alive on a worldly plane; they, while physically  alive, are spiritually dead. And given time, the physical body also will go into corruption, and then, in a manner of speaking, they are "twice dead, plucked up by the roots." (Jude 12).
         It was a real spiritual death when Adam and Eve turned from obedience to God, and entered into a state of disobedient self-will. And so "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12). Through the offence of the first Adam death reigns over every man, and is manifested in two stages: the first is a transition from the spiritual realm to the carnal realm, and the second stage carries that transition into the physical realm as the body goes into corruption and decay.
         The offence of the first Adam brought all men under the sentence of death, for it released the mystery of iniquity into the Adamic race. We do not die because of Adam's sin, but because of our own, for we "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). And "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23). The harvest is sure, we shall reap what we have sown. But this working of the first death can be stopped, it can be conquered. How? By the operation of the SECOND DEATH.
         There are some who think that the second death is the same kind of death as the first, that it is a repetition of the first, and that the results are the same, while its action is more severe, cruel and destructive, being by fire. And they suppose that from the second death there is no resurrection, that it is an endless torment in agony. BUT NOT SO! For in the outworking of God's glorious purpose the seconds are not duplicates of the first, they are always better, higher, more powerful than the firsts, and in many cases they un-do the work of the firsts-- yes, and MUCH MORE, for He always saves the best until last.
         "For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Two Adams, each the beginning of a race. "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven." The first brought mankind into death, the second brings us into life.
         All Bible statements prove that the two deaths are absolutely UNLIKE. The second death undoes all the work of the first death, in the same manner that the last Adam undid all the work of the first Adam. Not to nullify the purpose being wrought out by the plan of God in the firsts, but to bring a release from all the negative aspects of the first, into the MUCH MORE-- the glory and victory of His positives. In so many ways "He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second." (Hebrews 10:9).
         Creation was made subject to vanity for a purpose. Sin was allowed to exist for wise ends, and when those ends have been secured it will have to cease to exist. The PURPOSE is not nullified, but the "means" whereby the purpose has been executed shall be done away. Discipline is a means to an end, but not an end in itself, for it leads us into the "afterwards, yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:11).
         The first Adam died to God and righteousness, and became alive unto sin. The last Adam died unto sin-- "For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God," (Romans 6:10), and so fulfills all righteousness. The first Adam made all men sinners, the last Adam makes all men righteous. The lives and deaths of the two Adams are thus greatly contrasting the one to the other.
        The second death is a transition from corruption to incorruption, from present mortality to immortality. Transformed from the carnal mind to the spiritual mind. It is a transformation wrought by DYING out to the one realm, to come alive to the higher realm. The SECOND DEATH IS PREPARED TO PURGE OUT AND BURN AWAY ALL SIN AND ITS RESULTS, and in so doing cleanse all of God's universe.
         Death came as an enemy, the fruitage of an act of disobedience that turned man away from God, and into the minding of the flesh. Now, GOD MAKES DEATH OVERCOME ITSELF. It is by death that death is rendered powerless, and there arises the bursting forth of new life. It took the death of Christ to destroy death, and thus He did "taste death for every man. -That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:9, 14-15). In that He tasted (experienced) death for, in behalf of, every man, this was not to absolve us from dying, but to make sure, guarantee that every man would die one more time-- in a second death that would end all the work of the first death in us. Paul caught a glimpse of this precious truth when he said, "Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. " (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Calvary guarantees that ultimately every man will die out to self. Thus Paul's desire to be "made conformable to His death," for in that DYING PROCESS he would be brought to the threshold of resurrection life. The Christ-life is not to be lived instead of us, but freely given INTO us that we might live. Thus we experience both His death and His life. Through the first Adam we experienced natural, self-life, and ended in death. Through the last Adam we experience death to the self-life, and end up by LIVING--living in His more abundant life. Wonderful!
         "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. " (Hebrews 9:27). This does not mean that we must all die physically, for Paul clearly taught, "We shall not all sleep (physical death), but we shall all be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51). Since every man has already tasted of the first death when they are born into this earth realm, it is now APPOINTED UNTO ALL MEN TO DIE ONCE MORE-- die out to the realm of the first death, that they might come alive unto God. After this, there must come the judgment, namely, that process of correction, purging, training, development, a bringing into maturity into the new life of God.
         It may be that God uses our "physical death," which is the last visible outworking of the first death, to also become part of HIS PROCESS of the "second death," to loose us from the bonds of the carnal mind, to where we surrender to the will of God. "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living. " (Romans 14:9). The KEYS are in His hand, and He may use any part of the process to accomplish any part of His purpose that He desires. He now holds the key to the "first death," so that even our natural life is in His hand, and He also holds the key to the "second death," and the outworking of its process in us all.
         In the measure that we are identified with the cross of Christ, and made conformable to His death, in that measure we are dying out to the first death, via the process of the second death, that we might then be partakers of His resurrection.
         "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." (Revelation 2:11). There is a yielding to the Spirit now, when He draws us. There is a participation in His cross now. There is a DAILY OVERCOMING all of the carnal desires of the flesh, and then we shall not be "hurt" 'when the second death processes are manifested in their more severe forms, as portrayed in the terms of being "cast into outer darkness," or being in "a lake of fire."
         There are those who build with wood, hay, and stubble (flesh works), which shall all be burned, and then "he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:10). In fact it was said to the slothful servant, "Take therefore the talent from him... and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:28, 30). That will hurt-- for it means that such are apart of "the dead which live not again until the thousand years are ended." Not until the inward purgings are complete will they be released into the fullness of His life-- thus they have suffered the loss of "living and reigning with Him" during the age when others are yet being purified.
         Numbers are symbolic of ideas and concepts. It is not a literal "thousand year death span," for the issue is not that of "time" but of the FULLNESS OF MEASURE-- a completed work. It is a multiple of ten, which number signifies a complete cycle. The thought is that while others are enjoying the fullness of His life, "living and reigning with Him," these are still being brought to the fullness of their purification through the second death process.
         Jesus made this very clear-- there are those who "shall go away into age-abiding correction, but the righteous into age-abiding life." (Matthew 25:46, Rotherham). For the time is coming when ALL shall hear His voice, "and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (judgment)." (John 5:29).
         But the overcomer shall suffer no loss, no injury, as do those who only mind the flesh, for they build aright, so that "an entrance shall be ministered unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. " (2 Peter 1:11).  And then their Lord shall say, "Well done, thou good  and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will, make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:21).
         Yes, of the overcomer it can be said, "On such the second death hath no power." (Revelation 20:6). Once they have fully DIED OUT to the flesh, to self, etc. and come alive to God, there is no more need for the second death process, of God, and thus it is only hence it has of no more authority over them. Truly, the second death must give way to the LIFE a means to an end. There is an "AFTER" the second death process-- when God shall be all in all.
         "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which was the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. -And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:12, 15).
         The books are opened out of which men shall be judged, "by what they have done, their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors, in accordance with that was recorded in the books." (Amplified). Full well God knows what is in our heart-- for He is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:12-13).
         Methinks that in the final analysis it will be found that all sin originates in the mind, but when all the imaginations and intents are exposed to the light, they can be dealt with. Hence the need to "Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).
         There are those whose names are written in the book of life, that is, they are partaking of His life NOW-- experiencing the beginning processes of resurrection NOW. "And this is life age-abiding, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:3). Praise God, "He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:12). His book-- HIS MESSAGE IS LIFE!
         Yet all those who are not presently partaking of Him, who are yet "dead in trespasses and sins," they await the purifying processes which will condition and prepare them to receive Him as Lord. "The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8).
         The phrase, "The lake of fire and brimstone," is only spoken of three times. Revelation 19:20,20:10, 21:8. The word "brimstone" (sulphur) defines the character of the fire. The Greek word is "theion," from the same root as "theos," meaning: divine. Among the ancient Greeks, sulphur was considered as divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and toward contagion. Thus it was used to fumigate, purify, cleanse, and to consecrate to a deity.
         Therefore a "lake of fire burning with brimstone," means: A LAKE OF DIVINE PURIFICATION. No wonder it is called "the second death," for it symbolizes the process of DYING OUT to all evil, all self-willed rebellion, etc. "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29). "He will thoroughly purge His floor... He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12).
         The Word also states that they "shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 19:10). Day and night bespeak of cycles of time. The phrase "for ever and ever" is literally, from the Greek text, "to the age of the ages." It clearly signifies that this process will only need to continue until all evil has been burnt out, and when we come to the climactic age of all ages, the Age of Jubilee, when "He has put all enemies under His feet," then God shall be "ALL IN ALL -that is, be everything to everyone, supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of life." (1 Corinthians 15:28, Amplified). Then day and night will have ceased, "for there shall be no night there." (Revelation 21:25). Then even the second death process will be ended, for all will have entered into His life.
         But there is another key word to be noted, for it also speaks of blessed victory-- "shall be tormented." The Greek word for "tormented" is "basanizo" and means: to put to the test by rubbing on a touchstone. It speaks of being tested to see if there has been a change in the one being purified, if not, the processes will become more severe; if there has been a change, there can be an advancing into more of His life. The same word is translated as "pained" in the phrase, "pained to be delivered," (Revelation 12:2), in reference to her birth pangs. Through the loving mercy of God every pang of torment will become a birth-pang, to further along the process of becoming a new creation, as His grace steadily draws every one to Christ.
         It is also significant that we read, "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." (Revelation 14:10). This is not a process that is wrought in some far distant place, cut off from the presence of God. Nay! "Whither shall I flee from Thy presence ? - If l make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there." (Psalm 139:7-8). What love, what tenderness, what mercy shall flow from the holy messengers, and from the Lamb, for "He will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (For) He gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:4, 6). It will be TESTIFIED-- witnessed to-- confessed by every man in due time. Yes, "I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. -To Him shall men come: and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed." (Isaiah 45:23-24). Every one that was "incensed against Him," that was rebellious against Him, that despised and rejected Him, every one of them shall be ashamed, shall bow before Him, and confess that He is Lord. Repentance shall bring forth its fruit, and His love shall reach out and draw them all to Himself. This is the glorious VICTORY --AFTER the second death process.
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  (1)  Prinzing, Ray and Doris . REVELATION A POSITIVE BOOK.   Boise, Idaho, 83705  P.O. Box 5822