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Old 02-26-2009, 03:55 PM
Winman Winman is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 464
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I think of death as the ending of life, yet whatever has died can still exist on, it doesn't have to disappear, it just doesn't live, but God can bring it back to life again, just like our bodies in the rapture if we die beforehand! The second death is the eternal damnation of the soul, it's not annihilation. The damned will be wide awake and experiencing pain forever and ever, yet they are not alive, but dead.
Oh, I agree, the dead do not cease to exist. I have a family member who belongs to a group that believes the dead will be thrown into the lake of fire where they will be destroyed and cease to exist. I believe as you, that the dead will continue to exist in eternal punishment.

But notice death always involves separation.

Matt 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

And the account of the rich man:

Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 16:26 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.

In this world, the evil are not separated from God, and enjoy his blessings and mercies.

Matt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

So, in this life even the evil enjoy blessings from God, but in Hell they are completely separated from Him and his mercy and blessings.

The unsaved hate the true God, they do not want Him to rule over them. He simply gives them what they want. So, they spend the rest of eternity without Him.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Last edited by Winman; 02-26-2009 at 04:07 PM.