What We Are Saved From

By Brad Baker

I think though that we who are Preterist need to take a second look at the second death, which is the Lake of Fire and the possibility that many who reject Christ after knowing the truth maybe alive in it, similar to us being alive in the New Jerusalem.

I believe this maybe be a missing key within Preterism and may bridge the divisions with in it. We really need to nail down what and how the second death may apply to people today

Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of Knowledge of good and evil all of mankind had suffer from separation from God, which causes spiritual death. Paul in his writings of the Epistles calls this sin and death. This death is known as the first death and this had infected all of mankind until Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
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Since the death of Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world the first death still had a hold on the first century people until the old covenantal system was destroyed in AD 70. Except for the few who accepted and received Jesus Christ as Paul stated in the scripture above.

However because they were living during the time in an era of transition when the old covenantal system was still in effect to those still under the law of sin and death, they still looked forward to a time when the separation from God and spiritual death were completely destroyed and cast into the Lake of Fire know as the second death.

This second death only applies those who rejected Jesus Christ. We could say that all of mankind has been saved already from the sin and death that existed from Adam to Jesus Christ, however that is where it would end because all of mankind will never be saved from the second death. Salvation was only for the first death and separation from God. All of mankind has been resurrected from that sin and first death which reigned from Adam to Christ.

Since AD 70 the resurrection of the unrighteous were punished in the presence of God where they are tormented in the spiritual realms, because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. This is the second death and along with it I believe the teachings of Paul concerning walking in the flesh after rejecting Christ has something to do with the second death. There maybe still ongoing truth in the spiritual realm to Hebrews 6 even though it was speaking concerning the state of some before AD 70. This could fall into the second death.

4For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put [Him] to an open shame.

The non-believers spiritual live while alive in the Lake of Fire known as the second death, which began in AD 70 right after the first death was cast into the second death.

Because of the everlasting gospel still being in effect, some escape and become saved as though by fire enter into the gates to the city of the New Jerusalem where believers live in the spiritual realm.

Jude 1:23 but others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Unlike the first death the second death may not be a separation from God because those in the Lake of Fire were being tormented there in the presence of the Lamb.

Even though the New Jerusalem has gates and walls to separate righteous people from wicked, does not mean the wicked are separated from God because the walls and gates to the city does not have a roof, therefore all are under God’s presence.

Revelation 14:10
"he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength in to the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

Those who do not repent and believe before they physically die, remain in an eternal state of spiritual death that unlike the first death which separated from God waiting for resurrection for judgment could be headed for perpetual sleep after they are judged.

Jeremiah 51:39
In their excitement I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, That they may rejoice, And sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 51:57
"And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the King, Whose name [is] the LORD of hosts.

The scriptures speak of no second chances after we physically die. Salvation is only given while a person is alive.

The second death kicked in at AD 70 to replace the first death “separation” which all have been saved from but those who remain outside of Jesus Christ go on to suffer life in the second death that is in God’s presence.

The second death the way I see it could also be the opposite to having life in Christ and having fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is in a sense being not made alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit. According to the way I see it, what we are saved from in the New Covenant age, is to live a life without the fullness of the Godhead living spiritually inside of us.

In the first death Adam died spiritually from being made in God’s image and became like the beasts God created. In the second death a non-believer remains like the beasts because of not receiving Jesus Christ and becoming conformed into His image. Rev.22:15 says they are as dogs or the beasts God created who were not created in His image. Being made into the image of God or Jesus Christ includes having the fruit of the Spirit, which is:

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Revelation 22
14 Blessed [are] those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15 out outside [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.


The nature of the animal kingdom is a lot like a man walking in the flesh and falling short of the glory of God, which is in Christ. If a person fails to receive Christ into their live during there life time on earth after knowing the truth there will be nothing for God to remember them as one who became a partaker in the things pertaining to Him. Another way to look at it is according to:

2 Peter 2:21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known [it,] to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit ," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

Conclusion

While it maybe true all man has been saved from the results of the sin and death Adam and Eve brought into the world, through the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Many see that non-believers are still under the first death, however the first death only reigned until Christ then Christ destroyed it at His coming in AD 70.

The only thing that can save a person from the second death is for them to return to Christ, believe in Him and walk in the Spirit while they are still physically alive on earth.

A perpetual sleep maybe the end results of the second death after a person physically dies who has rejected Christ without repentance, and has lived while alive, in the Lake of Fire while here on earth.

In other words the fire burns out for them and they are burnt to ash “spiritually speaking”, right after physical death.
 

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