Second death
The term " second death " comes from the Revelation of John , the last text of the New Testament of the Bible . There it designates the final irrevocable death . This final or eternal death will be pronounced in the final judgment by God as the end-time judge. In the pictorial language of Revelation , this final annihilation is brought about by a lake of fire (literally: "a lake of burning sulfur"; Luther Bible: "lake of fire") ( Rev. 20.14 LUT ; 21.8 LUT ).
Text finding
The expression appears four times in Revelation, where the following statements are made:
- The “second death” will not harm the faithful, the “overcomer” ( Rev 2.11 EU ).
- He has certainly no power over Christian martyrs ( Rev. 20.6 EU ).
- Death (Greek: thanatos ) together with the world of the dead (Greek: hadäs ) is thrown into the lake of fire ( Rev. 20,14 EU ).
- People who live wickedly come into the lake of fire ( Rev 21.8 EU ).
Meaning in the Revelation of John
Damnation of powers
In the representation of Revelation, powers hostile to God are first sent to their final death: "The beast and the false prophet" ( Rev 19.20 EU ), in the following the devil ( diabolos , Rev 20.10 EU ), followed by death and the World of the Dead ( Rev 20,14 EU ).
Condemnation of people
Finally - after the general resurrection from the dead ( Rev 20,13 EU ) - those people should suffer the second death whose names are not written in the book of life . According to Rev 21,8 EU these are the following persons:
- the “figs” - people who, out of fear, worshiped idols or the beast;
- Unbelievers - those who outwardly represent a belief but secretly reject it;
- Wicked - people who worship the idol of the oppressors;
- Murderers - those who destroy the lives of others through oppression;
- Fornicators - people who make others their objects of desire through money;
- Sorcerers (or: poisoners) - anyone who uses magical practices as a means of domination;
- Idolater - in the biblical sense anyone who substitutes other powers (money, power, market) in the place of God;
and in summary
- "All liars".
So are affected by widespread interpretation of the people "systematic" or principle of death have served and not to God vice versa are.
In the understanding of the Apocalypse, "eternal damnation" is by no means a place of eternal torment, but rather eternal annihilation, the "passage into non-being".
Complementary term
The "first death" - the expression appears in the Bible nowhere on - the earthly or physical death, the need to suffer all people, unless they are alive in the sky caught were, such as Enoch or the prophet Elijah .
reception
The motif of the second death has been taken up many times in Christian spirituality. Francis of Assisi presents the second death as a consequence of sin :
“Woe to those who die in grave sin.
Blessed are those who find themselves in your most holy will,
for the second death will do them no harm. "
Remarks
- ↑ David H. Stern: Commentary on the Jewish New Testament. Vol. 3, Holzgerlingen 1996, pp. 280-281, ISBN 978-3-7751-2592-5 .
- ↑ Cf. on the following Pablo Richard : Apocalypse. The book of hope and resistance. A comment. Edition Exodus, Luzern 1996, ISBN 3-905577-00-3 , p. 246.
- ↑ See 1 Cor 5.11 EU ; Eph 5.5 EU ; Kol 3.5 EU
- ↑ Cf. Isa 66,24 EU ; Mt 3 : 10-12 EU ; Mt 5.29-30 EU ; Mt 10.28 EU ; Mk 9.43–48 EU (quoting Isaiah passage); Lk 17.29-30 EU .
- ↑ Jesus promised eternal paradise to the felon condemned to death on the cross, when he asked him for mercy ( Lk 23,40–43 EU ).
- ↑ Pablo Richard: Apocalypse. The book of hope and resistance. A comment. Edition Exodus, Luzern 1996, ISBN 3-905577-00-3 , p. 224; P. 247.