The Second Death

God is leading human history toward its end-time climax. At the

end of the millennium all the wicked dead are raised from their graves

to receive their final punitive sentences (Rev. 20:5, 11–15). Then,

when the whole judging process is completed and nothing else can be

added to it, the wicked will acknowledge God’s justice. “With all the

facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal

and rebellious, with one accord declare: ‘Just and true are Thy ways,

Thou King of saints.’ ” And Satan himself “bows down and confesses

the justice of his sentence.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy,

pp. 670, 671.

Read Malachi 4:1; Revelation 20:14, 15; and Revelation 21:8. How

effective are the “lake of fire” and the “second death”?

The final destruction of Satan and his angels and all the wicked will

cleanse the universe from sin and its consequences. And yet, even the

final destruction of the wicked is an act of God’s love, not only for the

saints but also for the wicked themselves. They would rather die than

live in the presence of God who is a “consuming fire” for sin (Heb.

12:29).

“They [the lost] would long to flee from that holy place. They would

welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him

who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their

own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves,

and just and merciful on the part of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Great

Controversy, p. 543.

Thus, the final annihilation of sin and sinners—in contrast to the

unbiblical theory of their everlasting sufferings in hell—provides a just

and proportional punishment for whatever evil people had committed.

It also confirms that sin had a beginning and will have an end. Then

the whole universe will return to its original perfection, before sin, evil,

and disobedience arose mysteriously and without any justification.

Praise the Lord that He, as our “righteous Judge” (2 Tim. 4:8, NKJV),

will make the fair decision of granting immortality to the righteous and

eternal destruction to the wicked.

What would be wrong with the idea that God saves everyone in

the end? Why is that such a bad idea?