Revelation 20: Two Deaths

Today’s reading is Revelation 20.

The Promise to Smyrna

References to the oracles to the seven churches of Asia are actually all over Revelation 19-20. One of the clearest comes in Revelation 20:6, 14. In Revelation 2:10, Jesus essentially gave a summary of the entire apocalypse. He told the church in Smyrna not to fear the ten-day test Satan was going to bring against them. They would face tribulation. They would be imprisoned. They needed to be faithful even if it killed them. If they were, Jesus would give them a crown of life.

Then Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11, ESV). In the oracle to Smyrna, Jesus gave absolutely no indication what the second death is. Toward the end of the book we learn.

The Lake of Fire

The first death is not explicitly spelled out. I assume it is the death described in James 2:26 when the spirit departs from the body. The second death is spelled out in Revelation 20:14; 21:8: being thrown into the lake of fire.

Following the first death, there are two resurrections. The first is seen in Revelation 20:4-5. The second, though not spelled out as the second, is seen in Revelation 20:13-14. I may be misreading, however, it seems in the vision, the first resurrection has two parts. The martyrs are raised and reign for a thousand years and at the end of the thousand years the rest of the dead are raised. This is the first resurrection. Since those who share in this are blessed and holy, it seems to me both parts of this refer to resurrection of the faithful. They are blessed because they won’t share in the second death.

Those who are in the second resurrection are those given up when Death and Hades finally are completely defeated. They give up the rest of the dead that are in them. Those dead are judged. Their names not being found in the book of life, they are thrown into the lake of fire along with Death and Hades.

Once again, we need to recognize this is not trying to give us a timeline of events. After all, our same author recorded Jesus’s description of the resurrection this way in John 5:28-29: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (ESV).

Be More Concerned about the Second Death

As Revelation is essentially bookended with this notion of second death, the message is clear. The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet will threaten the Christians with death. Many, seeking to protect themselves from death, will compromise with the unholy trinity, taking the mark of the Beast, worshiping him. They may even prolong their lives in pleasantness and prosperity. However, there is a much more serious death coming.

The faithful and persevering disciples will suffer at the hands of the Beast, the False Prophet, and the kings who ally with them. They may even die the first death for their faith. However, in the resurrection, they will be rewarded with a crown of life and escape the second death, the lake of fire.

As Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (ESV). Don’t fear the first death. Fear the second. Don’t let the attempted escape from the first death govern your life. Rather, let escape from the second govern your life. Recall Jesus’s own call to seriousness about this in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:29-30, He taught:

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell (ESV).

Recall the Point of Revelation

Sadly, many people read these warnings and get wrapped up in the possibility of “going to hell,” of “being thrown into the lake of fire.” They simply can’t wrap their minds around a loving God providing such a punishment to rebellious enemies. However, let’s remember what the entire purpose of Revelation has been. God doesn’t want to throw anyone into the lake of fire. He wants to bring all to the springs of the water of life. If anyone is thrown into the lake of fire, it will be because they ignored all the warnings God sent to them. He is telling us how awful it will be if we ignore Him, disobey Him, rebel against Him. He warns us to save us from the judgment. Will you be saved from it? It’s up to you?

If we can help you escape the judgment and find the resurrection to life, let us know in the comments below.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 20 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Revelation 16: A Just and Holy God

Today’s reading is Revelation 16.

It’s a Bit Harsh, Isn’t it?

The judgments in Revelation seem a bit harsh, don’t they? I mean, turning the water to blood and giving them blood to drink? That sounds awful. How does that fit with the loving God of Exodus 34:6-7 who is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Not to mention, doesn’t the Bible say God is love? Yes, it does. Twice, in fact. In 1 John 4:8, 16.

As God gave John the apocalyptic vision, He clearly anticipated this objection. After pouring the two bowls of wrath on the water, turning them to blood, the Lord’s angel in charge of the waters declared:

Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!

The angel makes it clear. God’s judgments are not harsh. They fit the sins perfectly. The enemies shed the blood of God’s people, God gave the enemies blood to drink.

What Goes Around Comes Around

When God plagued Egypt leading up to the death of the firstborn, He explained it this way:

“Israel is my first born son, and I say to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son'” (Exodus 4:22-23, ESV).

Don’t forget Pharaoh’s planned execution of the Israelite infants. Pharaoh slaughtered the Lord’s firstborn. I admit, the tenth plague seems harsh until we discover it is God merely brining on Pharaoh and Egypt’s head their own sins.

This is very often the picture of God’s judgment. God brings our own sins back on our own heads.

Even the picture of hell as presented in the teaching of Jesus is anchored in this notion. The word translated “hell” most often in Jesus’s teachings is transliterated “Gehenna.” Literally, it means the valley of Hinnom. This picture comes from Jeremiah 7:30-34; 19:1-15. The people built altars in the valley of Hinnom and burned their children as sacrifices to their gods. The notion of being tossed into the the valley of Hinnom or Gehenna, meant having such consequences of idolatry brought back on their own heads. Whatever hell literally is, it is suffering the consequences of our actions and letting our sins come back upon our own heads. But keep in mind, lest you think, “Oh, my sins are no biggie, so Gehenna won’t be a big deal for me,” in Jesus’s teaching, Gehenna will be so awful it would be better to cut your hand off right now or pluck your eye out right now in order to have life than to enter Gehenna with your whole body (see Matthew 5:29-30).

Sin is Just that Bad

The reason we struggle today so much with God’s judgment, especially as pictured in Revelation or pictured as Hell, is because we don’t see sin as bad as it is. This is one of the reasons we need an apocalypse.

If we could see sin the way God sees sin, we would see judgment the way God sees judgment. According to Romans 3:23, sin is not simply falling short of God’s law or God’s rules (though it is that, 1 John 3:4). Sin is falling short of God’s glory. We have been created to be the very image of God. We have been created to display God’s manifold wisdom and glory. When we sin, we distort and pervert that image of God. We mar God’s glory.

That is not simply upsetting to God. It is a violation of the very nature of things. Such a violation needs to be disciplined, punished even. At the same time, the punishment is not arbitrary but natural. When we decide to twist the very image in which we have been created by sinning against it, let us not be surprised when we ourselves become twisted. Our very being within and without become a twisting, a distortion, a perversion of what we have been created to be. We become unfit for the perfect glory that is God and unfit to dwell in the perfect glory that is God’s heavenly kingdom. And, though we may find this hard to comprehend, we actually twist ourselves away from choosing God’s heavenly kingdom. Having become hellish, we freely choose hell.

Of course, none of us given the choice so starkly will choose the chute leading to torment, pain, and agony when the other chute will lead to pleasure, joy, and love. But, having chosen sin over God, having twisted our souls, we push God away. He warns us what being away from Him is like, but we don’t listen. We push farther and farther, twisting more and more. When we finally experience the full consequences of being separated from God and find them just as hellish as God warned, we get mad at God for giving us what we asked for. But be sure, we asked for it.

God Is just and Holy

I am thankful the angel in charge of the waters broke in and praised the Lord. Our God is Holy and Just. He gives what we deserve, unless we repent and let Jesus redeem us. Then He gives us glory.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 16 admonish you?