Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I interpret the Bible as portraying a temporary abode (Hades) where the spirits of the unrighteous or unredeemed dead will continue to exist after temporal death, pending the final, eternal judgment at the close of the age that is described in the passage from Revelation cited in the question.

In the resurrection and judgment at the close of the age, the occupants of Hades, as well as the unsaved who are still alive at that time, will be judged based on the information contained in the "books", as well as "the Lamb's Book of Life", that are referred to in Revelation 20:12. Those who are condemned by that judgment (because of not having been saved through faith in Christ) will be eternally consigned (along with Death and Hades themselves) to the lake of fire (the fate described as "the second death"), which will be a place of punishment and confinement that will last forever. Thus, neither Death nor Hades will any longer exist in the "new heaven and new earth" mentioned in Revelation 21:1, where the redeemed will dwell eternally.

January 25 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe

To better understand Revelation 20:14, a little context might be useful. The saved who died in Christ will be raised in the first resurrection, during Jesus' Second Coming and they will reign with Christ a thousand years (Rev 20:6). 

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from prison and the second resurrection will take place – this is the resurrection of the wicked (Rev 20:5, 7)

The wicked under Satan’s leadership will make a final and desperate assault on God and His people (Rev 20:8, 9). At this point they will hear God’s judgment against them and experience the second death in the fire from heaven. The Bible describes the lake of fire, where Satan and the wicked are destroyed, as the second death (Rev 20:14, 15). The fire will destroy both body and soul. (Matt 10:28) 

Finally, death and hell are also cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed forever. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:4)

January 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report