A

'If we be dead (died) with Him,

we shall also Live with Him:

B

If we suffer, we shall also Reign with Him:

If we deny Him, He also will deny us:

A

If we  believe not, yet He abideth faithful:

He cannot deny Himself' (2 Tim. 2:11-13).

A similar discrimination is found in 1 Corinthians 3:12 -15.

A believer can

'suffer loss' but he himself cannot be Lost.

See Millennial Studies: 'The Book of Life'; 'Second Death'; 'Hurt of

the Second Death' (pages 96, 97, 98).

Let us turn to the exhortation given to the churches of Revelation 2

and 3.  Look at the church of Smyrna.  Not one word of rebuke or censure is

given, but an exhortation to remain faithful until death with the promise 'I

will give thee a crown of life'.  And in addition to the overcomer, the

Saviour adds:

'He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death' (Rev.

Can anyone who holds the generally accepted view of the Great White Throne,

explain how it is possible to bring together the assurance of the Crown of

life, and exemption from the Second Death?  They have no common ground.  The

writer of these lines is a believer in Christ.  He is saved and knows it, and

even though his Christian life and witness be of the poorest quality, he can

say as before the Lord, that he needs no assurance that he will not be hurt

of the second death.  The question does not arise.  This being so, we are

forced to believe that the second death here has been misunderstood.

Let us look at the church of Sardis (Rev. 3:1 -6).  Here there was

ground for reproof, their works were not found 'perfect before God'.

However, to those who were undefiled, promises were made, and we read:

'He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I

Will Not Blot His Name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess His

name before My Father, and before His angels' (Rev. 3:5).

Again, if the accepted view of the Great White Throne is true, then this

promise is gratuitous, the second death could never happen any way, while

Romans 8:38,39 remains.  However difficult it may be to harmonize with the

rest of Scripture, one fact emerges from these considerations, namely, that

the Millennial kingdom and the Great White Throne are two parts of one whole.

The Book of Life figures in the Revelation, six times, thus:

A

Promise to the overcomer

'I will not blot his name out of the book of life'.

B

These shall worship the beast.