The Second Death

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NOTES

This is a fictional account of what it would be like to be damned: to die without salvation. It was written while I was an unbeliever searching for salvation with a motive to clearly comprehend the alternative. It is my hope that God will be pleased to use this as He quickens His elect to salvation, obedience, and deep sobriety. These things are real, more so than things now seen and felt. (2 Cor 4:18)

Every major element of this feeble story is based upon a text of the Bible, indicated by a reference to an endnote. Some subtle effects are purely, and hopefully naturally, contrived (hence not referenced). Others are inferred from the general nature of God and Man, though not specifically mentioned biblically in this context. Remaining effects directly describe the nature of damnation biblically.

Endnote references are formed as follows: [1.1] for the 1st endnote of part 1, [1.2] for the 2nd endnote in part 1, [2.7] for the 7th endnote in part 2, etc. Select the reference to navigate to the endnote; select back next to the end note to return to the location of the reference in the story. Endnotes are immediately below this introductory text, and may include explanatory text in addition to Scripture (also, key biblical phrases are often bold for emphasis and clarity).

If you would like to refer to endnotes without jumping between views, I recommend opening a second browser and just clicking "next" repeatedly in this view to move from note to note, prev to return to the previous note, or just scroll up and down if you prefer. To read the story undistracted, click here and begin. Enjoy!

First Endnote

END NOTES

[1.1]  Luke 16:  23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
         
          The following things may be induced from this passage:
          - The damned enter a place of torment, Hell, immediately upon death.
          - They perceive they have bodily members which are tormented by fire.
          - They seek for relief from their torment but find none.
          - The damned are able to think clearly.
          - They are able to recall their earthly existence and families.
          - They are able to reason carefully.
          - They can actually communicate with others in a place called Paradise.
          - Paradise is separated from Hell by an impassable gulf.
          - The damned are able to see water in Paradise.
          - The inhabitants of Paradise are deeply and lavishly comforted.

[1.2]  Matthew 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

[1.3]  It is somewhat evident that souls are no longer in Paradise, and that those who were in Paradise have been transported to Heaven: 
          Ephesians 4:8-9 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?) and
          2 Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 
          Evidently, Jesus went to Paradise when He died (Luke 23:43), which was in the center of the earth (Eph 4:9).  After His resurrection Jesus Christ apparently took these saints in Paradise to heaven (Eph 4:8), and all saints who have died or will die afterwards go to heaven above instead of to the old Paradise below. (2 Cor 5:8)

[1.4]  Revelation 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

[1.5]  It is reasonably conjectured that Adam never repented and that he is in Hell today.  His end cannot be certainly known, of course, but there is some indication that he never repented or sought the Lord.  A key text here is:
          Hebrews 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
           This "roll call" of the heroes of faith, elaborating upon notable instances of faith in the Scripture, does not begin with Adam as one might expect it to if he became faithful.  The conjecture is that the very first instance of faith would be appropriate to include in this text, which appears to be in Abel.
          Furthermore, nothing good is ever said about Adam after the Fall.  Job described him as a man who covered his sins:
          Job 31:33   If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
          Paul emphasizes the fact that when Adam sinned against God he was not under deception; Adam knew full well what he was doing:
          1 Timothy 2:14  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
          Adam sinned greviously and purposefully against God, plunging the vast bulk of the human race into eternal ruin and misery. It is therefore fitting that he was not elect unto salvation.  It would almost seem inappropriate to find him in heaven after such an act, but God is unspeakably gracious and it is certainly possible that he was later converted.
          Like Judas, the friend of Christ who knew God and walked with Him, who was honored by Him (John 13:26), and who consciously and deliberately betrayed Him, so it would appear to be the case with Adam.  Given the blatant wickedness of most of his descendents (Gen 6:5), and the striking contrast between Adam and the few righteous men who lived during his days, such as Enoch and Noah, and no mention being made of any rapport or fellowship between them, it is reasonable to tentatively conclude, having no other evidence to the contrary, that Adam continued in rebellion until death. 

[1.6]  Revelation 20:5   But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

[2.1]  Revelation 4:6a   And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.

[2.2]  Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses...
         Mark 4:22  For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

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[2.3]  Matthew 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

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[2.4]  Hebrews 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

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[2.5]  Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

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[2.6]  John 8:58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
          Acts 20:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

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[2.7]  Revelation 1:14-15  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

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[2.8]  Revelation 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

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[2.9]  Matthew 12:36  But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 
          Romans 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 
          Ecclesiastes 12:14   For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 
          Luke 8:17  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

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[2.10]  Romans 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

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[2.11]  John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I  have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

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[2.12]  Psalms 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

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[2.13]  Romans 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of  the righteous judgment of God.

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[2.14]  2 Timothy 3:2   For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.
           Philippians 2:21  For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

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[3.1]  Isaiah 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
         Romans 2:6-9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.

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[3.2]  Daniel 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
         Nahum 1:6  Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

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[3.3]  John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

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[3.4]  1 John 5:10  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a  liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

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[3.5]  Revelation 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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[3.6]  John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth  not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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[3.7]  Revelation 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

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[3.8]  Matthew 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

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[3.9]  Acts 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

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[3.10]   Isaiah 33:10-12  Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

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[3.11]  Psalms 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

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[3.12]  Romans 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

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[3.13]  2 Corinthians 5:11  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

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[3.14]  Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no  place for them.

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[3.15]  Revelation 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

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[3.16]  Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

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[3.17]  Philippians 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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[3.18]  Proverbs 1:28  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

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[3.19]  Matthew 25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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[4.1]  Jude 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

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[4.2]  Revelation 22:11a  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still.

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[4.3]  Revelation 21:8  But 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.
             Webster's New World Dictionary... brimstone: same as sulphur

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[4.4]  Matthew 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

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[4.5]  Psalms 21:9  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

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[4.6]  Revelation 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds..

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[4.7]  Mark 9:43-48  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

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[4.8]  Revelation 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.

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[4.9]  Matthew 25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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[4.10]  Revelation 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

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[4.11]  Revelation 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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[4.12]  Psalms 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

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[4.13]  Hebrews 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

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[5.1]  James 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

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[5.2]  2 Thessalonians 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

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[5.3]  Genesis 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

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[5.4]  Matthew 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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[5.5]  Isaiah 55:6-7  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

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[5.6]  Isaiah 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

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[5.7]  Hebrews 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

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[5.8]  Isaiah 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

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[5.9]  Jeremiah 10:10  But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

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[5.10]  2 Corinthians 5:11  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

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[5.11]  Revelation 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

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[5.12]  Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels .

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