3 Logical Steps to a Conditionalist Interpretation of the Second Death

A conditionalist is a person who believes in the doctrine of conditional immortality. The doctrine of conditional immortality states that people are only made immortal (i.e. they only have eternal life, they only live forever) on the condition that they are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone else is not given the gift of immortality and therefore they will perish (see John 3:16).

Many Christians, often called traditionalists, do not believe in the doctrine of conditional immortality. Instead, they believe that all people are immortal and that some will live forever with God while others will live forever separated from God while suffering eternal torment in hell. Traditionalists often appeal to the “second death” (a phrase found four times in the book of Revelation) to support their view. In this post I will briefly present three simple, logical steps that support interpreting the “second death” in a way that is compatible with conditional immortality but is not compatible with eternal torment.

Before we get started, please note that I am arguing for the meaning of “second death” that would be the most literal, plain, simple meaning of this phrase if it were being used in everyday language. Step #1 begins by recognizing that the phrase “second death” is first used early in the book of Revelation in the message to the church at Smyrna.

The phrase “second death” is first found in Revelation 2:11. One verse prior to this, in the same message to the church of Smyrna, we find the word “death.” Here it is:

ESV Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

What does the word “death” mean in this verse? Surely it cannot mean anything like “separation from God.” Jesus would not tell His faithful, persecuted followers to be faithful until they are separated from Him. Nor can it mean anything like “continue to be physically alive but in a state of eternal torment.” The thing that makes sense is that “death” here means simply the cessation of life. Does it include the loss of consciousness? Of course. If, like me, you believe that these martyrs have souls that will go to be with the Lord when they die, then you also believe that the part of them that was killed was their body. And their bodies will certainly no longer be capable of feeling, thinking, or knowing anything. I’m simply arguing here that “death” means what people everywhere understand it to mean in everyday language. If you think a possum on the side of the road is dead and you poke it with a stick and it squeals, then you know it wasn’t really dead.

Now let’s go to step 2.

In the very next verse (and there were no verse numbers in the original Greek), still speaking to the courageous Christians in Smyrna, the Lord says:

ESV Revelation 2:11 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.'

Why should the Christians in Smyrna think that the word “death” when used in verse 11 suddenly has a different (and very unusual) meaning than it had just one verse earlier. If you were sitting in Smyrna and heard this message, wouldn’t it be natural to think that death has the same meaning in both verses? You probably would not even think about it.

But what about that word “second.” It simply means what “second” usually means. Thus, the phrase “second death” simply means to die a second time. Actually, the word “second” creates a bit of a problem for traditionalists who want to define death as meaning “separation.” Haven’t the unsaved always been separated from God? How can you be separated from God a second time if you have never been with Him? The word “second” does not work well for traditionalists, but it works just fine for conditionalists.

Jesus is promising the Christians in Smyrna that while some of them may indeed die at the hands of their persecutors, He will give them “the crown of life” and therefore they will not die a second time. In other words, Jesus is reminding them of the same wonderful truth and glorious hope that is declared all throughout the New Testament. Those who have faith in Him, even though they die, they will be raised to new life and that new life will be an immortal life, it will be eternal life, and we will never die again. Jesus is applying this great promise to the immediate need of the Christians in Smyrna.

Having determined that “second death” in Revelation 2:11 is best translated as to mean, simply and literally, to die a second time, lets move on to step 3.

Later in Revelation, John uses the words for “second death” three more times. Here is the first one:

ESV Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The same meaning of second death used in Revelation 2:11 fits perfectly well here. In fact, the context is very similar as those who have suffered and even died for Jesus (Revelation 20:4) are promised a resurrection to eternal life.

The final two uses of “second death” both are being used to interpret an image John saw in his vision. This fits a pattern we find repeatedly in Revelation where some of the symbolic images are interpreted for John (and for us). When this pattern occurs, something seen in the vision (i.e., incense or fine linen) is explained to have a simple meaning which is already well known and understood from the rest of the Bible (incense = prayer, fine linen = righteous acts, see Revelation 5:8 and Revelation 19:8). In the same way, following the same consistent pattern, the meaning of the lake of fire is interpreted for John (and for us) two times:

ESV Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

ESV Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

There is no reason to think that John suddenly invents a new (and very strange) meaning for the phrase “second death” in these last two verses. It means the same thing in Revelation 20:14 and 21:8 as it meant in Revelation 2:11 and 20:6. It makes sense to interpret “second death” literally and to interpret the eternal torment seen in the lake of fire vision as being symbolic (specifically, an example of hyperbolic metaphor, a type of symbolism used elsewhere in Revelation). Revelation 20:14 and 21:8 are not redefining the phrase “second death.” Instead, they are using the already understood phrase second death with the same meaning it had earlier in order to explain a portion of John’s vision. Like much of John’s vision, the lake of fire includes shocking and bizarre imagery. That is the very reason it needs a simple, literal interpretation which is given twice for emphasis.

Is there anything different about the second death?

The second death differs from death in this life in two basic ways. But these differences do not require redefining “death” to mean anything other than the cessation of life or “second” to mean anything other than the literal meaning of “second.”

The first way the second death is different is that it will last forever. When someone dies in this life, they do not remain dead because all people will be raised, either to receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus or to be judged and sentenced to second death. The second death, however, will never be reversed. We know this not so much because of the phrase second death, but because elsewhere we are told that the unrighteous will receive a punishment that lasts forever (Matthew 25:46) and that they will experience “eternal destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

The second way the second death is different is that people (or viruses or sickness or catastrophes) can only kill our bodies, but God will destroy both body and soul in hell:

ESV Matthew 10:28 And 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.

Harmonious Conclusion

Understanding the second death as meaning to simply and literally die a second time brings this phrase and the book of Revelation into beautiful harmony with the rest of the Bible that teaches that the final fate of the unrighteous is to perish (John 3:16) and to be burned to ashes (2 Peter 2:6). It is also harmonious with the consistent biblical teaching that only those who have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus will have eternal life. In other words, it is consistent with the biblical doctrine of conditional immortality.

May God strengthen us to keep the faith to the end like the brave Christians in Smyrna and so gain the incredible gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For Further Study:

This blog post is a greatly simplified presentation of a much deeper and longer examination of the meaning of the second death found in a 7 part blog series I wrote which begins here:

What is the Second Death, part 1

The “second death” is only one small part of the biblical language and teaching that reveals the final fate of the unrighteous. I have collected my own blog posts and videos on this topic, as well as excellent resources from others, in one place:

Mark’s Resources on Hell

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .