“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
No one can say with any certainty exactly what the second death is, what is best described as eternal death. We know that there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, that the worm does not die there, but if that means literal worms, such as those that people use to go fishing with or something similar, or if the people there are called worms.
“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.” (Psalm 22:6)
We know those there are in torments, physically and mentally suffering, but I know that no one is actually there yet, for all that die in their sins are today in hell, not the Lake of Fire.
And I know this, that there is hope in hell.
The rich man was desirous of just a single drop of water; he hoped that Abraham would help him with that request. We know that Satan will be bound with strong chains in hell for a thousand years, or very close to that amount of time, and we also know that he does not just hope to be released for a season, he knows he will be. Why he needs to be chained, I do not know, except perhaps that he knows the way out of hell. But that is only conjecture on my part, although, in a small way, it could be true, for hell is beneath us.
“And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” (Numb. 16:32-33)
There is at least one more verse that reveals the truth that there is hope in hell, a false hope, but hope nonetheless.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22)
Those people speaking there are at the Great White Throne of Judgment and have been in hell for at least a thousand years, some for much longer than that. And they have been hoping that the Judge of all mankind will hear their pleas, those thoughts of hope they have had for many centuries.
The verse is two-fold though, it speaks not only of that moment before those who have denied the Lord of Glory at the Great White Throne of Judgement, but of the moment before the Millennial period begins, when only those who have trusted in the Savior of all mankind will walk into that thousand year period of time, but when those who have not will be cast into hell.
“And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matt. 25:33)
There is no hope in the Lake of Fire, not one single vestige of it.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14)
We know there is pain in every form imaginable, and many we cannot even begin to envision, but really, in all honesty, all we really know about what eternal death means is this.
A complete and total separation from the love of the Living God. The realization of that truth will enfold every soul in the Lake of Fire, and it will never leave them.
“But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” (Prov. 8:36)
At its foundation my friends, at least in my humble opinion today, eternal life means knowing the love of the Almighty for all eternity. Impossible for us who are born again today to fully comprehend, but nevertheless that truth resides within us.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
Do you hope that you are saved, or do you know that as a fact? If you have that full assurance of salvation, then you know joy, you know happiness, you have something that very few people have received.
And you will never know hopelessness.
