We must however be careful to note that this does not say "the book of life", and may

refer to other things. In Psa. 69: 28 we read:--

Rotherham in a footnote says, "Or list (or register) of the living", and it is by no means

certain that the Psalmist has "the book of life of the Lamb" in mind. The expression is

parallel with "the land of the living" (Psa. 52: 5 and Isa. 53: 8). It should be read with

Psa. 37: 29:--

We can be certain as to this, that those who worship the beast as recorded in

Rev. 13: 8 have not their names in the Lamb's book of life. Whether anyone whose

name is in that book can possibly commit such an act and so take the side of Satan, is

more than we can say. Enough for our present purpose to understand that the second

death is the end of those whose names are not in the book of life.

We do not read "the book of aionian life", neither do we read of "the book of glory",

or "blessing", or "peace", or "victory", or "holiness". All these other aspects of the

future will have been settled. One issue, and one issue only remains. Life or death. The

second death is the only alternative. It cannot mean purgatory, it cannot be a place of

reformation, it is not a place of torment. Where the lake of fire is used as a place of

torment is before the great white throne (Rev. 20: 10), and the lake of fire is described as

either a place of torment or second death, never both. The second death resembles the

first in this, that apart from resurrection it means destruction (I Cor. 15: 18).

Before the righteous can shine forth in the kingdom of the Father, the "tares",

"the children of the wicked one", the "false seed" must be destroyed. The figure used to

describe the end of the children of the wicked one is taken from agriculture. Every man

who cultivates the ground knows the necessity and the purpose of the annual bonfire.

The weeds are raked together into a heap, and a fire is kindled in order that he may rid of

them. If anyone should venture to suggest that he entertained a hope that by means of the

fire some of the thistles should reform and become figs, the gardener would rightly put

such a one down as mad. Now the figure taken from husbandry was taken by the Lord to

illustrate, and if the gathering of the bundles of tares (the children of the Devil) to be

burned is not to destroy them, then the Lord has misled us!:--

We have no warrant for believing that either Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet,

the Angels that fell with Satan, or his monstrous seed sown in the earth to corrupt the true