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A.--Is it possible then that only very few will be cast into the second death?
Who 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 idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev. 21: 8).
The Nature of the Second Death.
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
(I 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.
He may be misled by your doctrines, but he knows too much to believe such an
application in practical things.
Summary.
Let us summarize our findings before parting:--
All Things.
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 II Cor. 5: 17, 18 expresses the relation of "all things" to God and the
new creation as clearly as any passage:--
"If any one 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."
Scripture categorically declares that some things are "not of God" (I John 3: 8-12),
and among them those things which are "of the Devil". Anyone therefore who teaches