THE SECOND DEATH

who stand before the great white throne die the second death, and secondly, having plunged this vast multitude into

the lake of fire, you have then entertained the unscriptural idea of a resurrection from it.

A. -- Is it possible then that only very few will be cast into the second death?

B. -- The question of the number of those who are thus judged hardly comes within the sphere of our enquiry, but I

should not like you to draw a false conclusion from my remarks. While the words `if any one' are very individual,

and set aside your idea that all who stand before the great white throne must necessarily be cast into the lake of fire,

nevertheless Scripture gives a very comprehensive list of those who merit this awful doom:

`The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and

idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the

second death' (Rev. 21:8).

Returning to the nature of the second death, perhaps you would say what death is, apart from resurrection.

A. -- Sleep.

B. -- No; death can only be called sleep with resurrection in view. If there be no resurrection, Paul says that they

which have fallen asleep in Christ have perished (1 Cor. 15:18). Throughout Scripture, fire is spoken of as a

destroyer, and often the agricultural figure of a fire for burning up weeds is used. Your theory would suggest that

the husbandman gathers the thistles and the weeds together to burn them, in the hope that by some weird alchemy

such weeds shall be transmuted into vines, figs, olives or wheat.

Let us summarize our findings before parting:

When once we have seen that Scripture deals with two conflicting lines of purpose, we can then see that the

words `all things' embrace all within the limits of the original purpose. Perhaps 2 Corinthians 5:17,18 expresses the

relation of `all things' to God and the new creation as clearly as any passage:

`If anyone be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; new things have come in; but

the all things are of God, Who has reconciled us' (Author's translation).

Scripture categorically declares that some things are `not of God' (1 John 3:8-12), and among them those things

which are `of the Devil'. Anyone therefore who teaches that the `all things' that are of God include the Devil and all

his works is not only unscriptural, but antichristian and must be rejected.

There is no formal system of Divinity to be found in Scripture. The great principles of faith are taught in the

recorded lives of men, and in the dealings of God with Israel. Israel's history furnishes a digest of the greater

purpose of the ages. The words `all in Adam' are to be understood by the parallel words `all Israel', and inasmuch

as they are not all Israel which are of Israel, so they are not all in Adam which are of Adam. In both cases there is in

operation the law that sets aside `Ishmael' and reckons only such as are `in Isaac' as children of the promise and the

true `seed'.