What Is The Second Death In The Bible?

The first death is physical death that every person will experience. The second death refers to spiritual death. All those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will experience the second death, which includes the lake of fire. They are spiritually dead to God, and they will be part of the second resurrection. This is where all those in hell, and those who are still alive who rejected Jesus, will be raised up at the very end of the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. They will all be judged according to their works, found guilty, and cast into the lake of fire.

There are four verses that mention the second death:

Revelation 2:11:
“To the church of Smyrna… He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

An overcomer is one who has repented of sin and trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They do not deny Jesus even if their life is threatened, and they do not live in sin.

Revelation 20:5–6:
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:12–15:
“I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21:8:
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 2035:
“Scripture teaches two kinds of resurrection: the ‘resurrection of life’ and ‘the resurrection of condemnation’ (John 5:29; Daniel 12:2; Acts 24:15). The first kind of resurrection is described as ‘the resurrection of the just’ (Luke 14:14), the resurrection of ‘those who are Christ’s at His coming’ (First Corinthians 15:23)…

The second kind of resurrection, then, will be the resurrection of the unconverted who will receive their final bodies suited for torment in hell… The first death is only physical; the second is spiritual and eternal in the lake of fire, the final, eternal hell.”

Nelson’s Bible Commentary, page 1763:
“The first resurrection is assured for all believers… The second death is the everlasting death of torment in the lake of fire for unbelievers who face the Great White Throne Judgment.”

Believer’s Bible Commentary, page 2378:
“The second death, when all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary, page 2483:
“The second death… it is the death of the soul, eternal separation from God… Those who have had experience of a spiritual resurrection are saved from the power of the second death.”

GotQuestions.org:
“The second death is an eternal existence of separation from God, who is the Giver of life. It is called the ‘second’ one because it follows physical death. The second death is only for those who have rejected Christ.”

We must be certain that we are a part of the first resurrection. We must be born again, as Jesus said in John 3:3. If you are not, be assured that you will appear before Almighty God to stand trial. You will be found guilty of sin and held accountable for your thoughts, intents, and actions. You will then have to endure the consequences of eternal damnation in the lake of fire.

Christians who overcome, who do not practice sin, and who do not deny the Lord are the ones who will take part in the first resurrection and will not experience the second death.