Thanks, dedication, for your patience and time to explain why you disagree with my interpretation. That's okay with me. I pray to Jesus that in His own time, He will reveal even more plainly what He intends to teach us from Revelation regarding the second death and the first death.

I want to move on to study what things are to happen at the second coming.

I learned five things will occur.
1) great fire
2) great earthquake
3) two feasts (feast of bride and feast of birds)
4) earth becomes bottomless pit
5) cosmic world will be rearranged (earth becomes the center of universe)

1') Great fire: There are two different times of the Lake of Fire in Revelation (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).
Many assume that the lake of fire at the Second Coming is less severe than the Third Coming after a thousand years.
The purpose of the lake of fire after the thousand years is only to devour the wicked. The purpose of the first lake of fire at the Second Coming is to cleanse the earth in a degree to the point of no more sea exist. Man-made nuclear power plants and electricity will explode and combust causing immense fire from the earth and fire will come down from heaven. Gen. 7:11 says that deep water erupted first then the window of heaven poured out the rain. Gen. 7:11 "the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."

Isa. 66:15 "For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire."

2 Pet. 3:9-12 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"

2') Great Earthquake
Rev. 16:18-21 "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found."

Great city Babylon will collapse in the earthquake with all those who fornicated with her. The reference point of fornication is in economic financial system. The nations are borrowing money from the great city Babylon.

Rev. 14:8 "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

It's not that the nations wanted to drink but she made them to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication. She began to offer a low interest but continues to increase the prime rate. She is the one "that destroys the earth" (Rev. 11:18).


Her collapse is mentioned: Rev. 18:10, 17, 19
"Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come."
"For in one hour so great riches is come to nought."
" for in one hour is she made desolate."

In Revelation, half an hour equals to one week (Rev. 8:1). Thus, one day of Rev. 18:8 is 15 days of earthquakes: "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."

"And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Rev. 16:20).

Through the massive earthquake, the wicked will die at the second coming like Korah was swallowed up alive. Num. 16:32-33 "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation."

To be continue next time...

There are two purposes for the great earthquake at the Second Coming of Jesus.

Scripture says that the earth did quake, and the rocks rent when Jesus yielded up His life on the cross. And "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose" (Matt. 27:51-52).

The intimation of saints' resurrection also will happen at the Second Coming as the great earthquake occurs.
Rev. 16:18 "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Thus, the first purpose is for the resurrection of saints.

The second purpose is to destroy the wicked alive.
The wicked must suffer the most dreadful death that they will all cry out, "And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:16-17).

Revelation speaks about the first death without spelling it out as the first, but we know since the second death is mentioned in revelation, there must be the first death.

The most wicked alive will be captured and thrown into the lake of fire with brimstone alive at the second coming; They are not preserved alive for a thousand years until another lake of fire comes down at the third coming of Jesus.

Rev. 19:20-21 "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (The context here is the second coming.)

Rev. 20:14-15 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (The context here is after a thousand years of judgment in heaven).

Oh Karen, why paint a picture of very vengeful God, and turn the greatest most blessed hope into despair.

No! It is the blessed hope!

The second coming is the fulfillment of John 14:1-3 Jesus is coming again to take His people home!
Christ is coming again for the sole purpose of delivering His people and taking them to be with HIM in His father's house.
It's the great hope and promise that beats in our hearts as we see our loved ones wrapped in the cold grip of death.

The resurrection is not an INTIMATION of the saints resurrection", an intimation is a hint of trouble. Oh, no, at the second coming Christ will with a great shout, call, AWAKE AWAKE ye that sleep in the dust. ARISE!
This is the great shout of VICTORY over the first death, as "Throughout the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear that voice; and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison-house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying, ?O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is the victory?? [1 Corinthians 15:55.] And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory. GC 644 The first death is conquered, defeated, the prisoners of the first death set free!!! Alive!!! Never to die again.

The second coming is the VICTORY over the first death, thanks to JESUS and His victory over the grave. Millions come forth from the prison house of death, in full vigor of eterrnal youth, to live with Christ forever.
Oh -- how glorious the second coming will be.

Yes, those alive at that time, who rejected Christ's victory and salvation will, in terror, realize just what they rejected. What they lost. It's not God vengefully punishing them, it's realizing they've fought against the greatest gift God wanted to give them. They will be filled with remorse that day when "fear cometh as desolation," And they will beg the mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the face they rejected, seek to flee from the overpowering glory of his presence. Yes, they die because sinful beings can not live when exposed to that glory.

However, there is NO LAKE OF FIRE, and NO SECOND DEATH at the second coming. Predicted yes, for the leaders in the great deception the second death is sure, but not yet executed. Not yet, not at this time. All those who died at the second coming and. those remaining dead after the second coming will awake after the 1000 years. The whole objective of the judgment is for EVERYONE to first see for themselves the full and righteous and loving reason why some must face the second death from which there is NO AWAKENING, as well as to why some, who lived pretty terrible lives, are among the redeemed. God will NOT do His "strange act" of subjecting the unbelievers to the second, eternal death before everyone is convinced each and every case was dealt with in love and justice, and the lost chose to live outside of God's kingdom of grace and righteousness. It's after the 1000 years, after the saved have had a chance to go through the records, that God deals with the lost, and even that is not a vengeful punishing, but a revelation of all that God did to save them, before they perish in the cleansing fire forever.

Here's what MAY happen as far as earthquakes etc.

Astronomers are studying space charting all the meteors and other objects out there. The earth, as the great time of trouble descends, is in chaos due to all the sinful decisions and policies made that caused all manner of ruinous results. Devastation and hunger everywhere, new disease ravishing the population, all the water polluted, weather totally out of kilter, nuclear warfare causing terrors unbearable, statesmen pointing to a small group as the problem because they won't comply to the supposed solution and that they need to get rid of those resistors in order to gain God's favor,

Meanwhile, with great alarm the astronomers see a huge dark object in space, coming toward earth, still a long ways off, but heading straight for earth. Everything is called into high alert. They must shoot their missiles at that object and if they can't destroy it, at least turn it into a different course. The national leadership actually set up to literally fight against this coming object and attempt to shoot it off course.(Rev,19:19) But that doesn't work As that object in space comes closer to earth, it's gravitational pull hugely interferes with earth's gravity, and turns things upside down on planet earth. Rives flow uphill, islands are flooded, mountains start dancing, it's terrifying, and in desperation a date is set to eliminate that small group of people who are accused of bringing the displeasure of God.
Things are getting pretty crazy on earth as the coming object is messing up earth's gravitation, Then the whole earth convulses in a huge earthquake. The plan to eliminate the resistors, falls into disarray as the earthquake opened prison doors and caused the pursuers to fall, while all their victims escaped.

Suddenly the sky clears with amazing glory and a hand holding the commandments appears, blessing the very group everyone was told caused the problem and announcing Jesus was on His way!!!
Now everything is utter chaos as people realize they have been deceived, they turn on each other.
The object comes closer and closer, getting more and more glorious. The faithful stand watching in amazement as it comes closer, totally depending on God's grace, exclaiming, This is our God we have waited for Him!!!
The lost run for the mountains begging them to fall upon them.

Then the voice of Christ, standing in the center of what is now a most glorious object, filled with millions of angels -- crys out in a powerful voice -- AWAKE AWAKE, ye that sleep in the dust. ARISE
This is the great shout of victory over the first death.

The millions of saved rise from their graves and with the living saved rise to meet Jesus in the air. They travel with Him to His Father's house to live with Him for 1000 years.
The earth, still reeling, is left totally desolate for those 1000 years.

Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hearth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" John 5:24.

I am convinced that my life is already passed from death unto life in Christ. If I die, biblically speaking, it is not a death but a sleep.

Jesus has the keys of hell and of death (Rev. 1:18) and He said I am "passed from death unto life" already. It makes plainly clear that I shouldn't experience the first death in the lake of fire at His second coming.

Of course, the day of the Lord is the day of vengeance on the wicked. Isa. 61:2 "To proclaim...the day of vengeance of our God."

In the great earthquake, Earth will spit out the sleeping saints from graves to the air to meet the Lord at the Second Coming, but the wicked will suffer God's wrath.

Rev. 16:18 "...there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great."

That is true only because Christ gained the victory over death and the grave by
1. His perfect life,
2. by Him taking the sins of all upon Himself and dying a death from which, HAD HE SINNED, He would not have risen, but because He was sinless He rose triumphant!
3. Because He rose from the grave triumphant, you too may raise from the grave, into life, should you die before He comes.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 4:24 if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 Cor.. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.
15:21 For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Cor, 15:17 But if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; you are still in your sins.
15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
15:19 If our hope in Christ is only in this life, we are of all men most miserable.






The first death is the sleep death. It is death from which Christ will awaken the person at the resurrection.
It is called a "sleep" because Christ gained the victory over the grave, and will awaken the dead that sleep in the dust of the ground.
It is Christ's death and resurrection that makes our resurrection possible.
it's because He died and and lives again forevermore, that He holds the keys of the grave and of death.

Rev.1:18 "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell(the grave) and of death."

Hebrews 2:14-15"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Hosea 3:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction

1 Thess 4:14 :14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.






The second death is the death from which there is no return, no resurrection. The lake of fire IS the second death. It is always called the second death.
And that is the death the overcomers in Christ need not fear.

Matthew 10:28 Fear not them which kill the body, (the first death) but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (the second death of complete annihilation ).
Rev. 2:10-11 be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
Rev. 20:5-6 This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.
Rev. 20:14 the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev. 21:8 the lake which burns with fire and brimstone is the second death.




When the second coming occurs time of choice has passed, the wicked remain wicked still, the righteous remain righteous.

Yes, it is a terrible time for the unsaved for they realize with intense awareness what they have lost and they will die.

But God isn't vengeful in the human sense of the word. Christ died for those people, He longs to save them, but they "would not" they chose death, and refused life.

Hosea 11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? [how] shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? [how] shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
Ezek 33:11 Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die,

Matt. 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!





Yes, the unsaved will see they've been fighting against God and they will be left behind dead, when the redeemed sail to heaven with Jesus. But again, God does not display "wrath" as humans do.

The earthquake is not at the time of the first resurrection. Bible says they "rise" at the sound of the trumpet and the voice of Christ the archangel calling to them.

The earthquake happens a bit before the second coming. When the death decree is scheduled to take place God steps in to stop it. It's the time when the gravitational laws go out, and nature goes wild. It may be at the time of the special resurrection when a select group are raised to see the hand of God with the commandments, but the general first resurrection of all the saints takes place at the second coming itself.



:
2 Cor 15:47-51- "Behold," the apostle declared, "I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Is the lake of fire a synonym to the second death? In other words, is the second death an experience of the lake of fire?

Okay, let us try to replace the lake of fire with the second death in Rev. 19:20 to see if that fits the context.

Rev. 19:20 "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into" (the second death experience where a lake of fire burning with brimstone).

The text derailed from the context because such an interpretation undermines the punishment for the beast and the false prophet at the second coming of Jesus. Revelation says that they deserve the wrath of God after all those evil doings against God's truth.

Rev. 16:5-6 "And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy."

I found a biblical interpretation from a book of Revelation verse by verse that Amazing Facts published for a devotional book regarding the lake of fire:
DAY 303 Rev. 19:20

"The careful Bible student will notice, however, that fire appears on both sides of the millennium, and it affects different things at different times. Here, at the coming king of Christ before the millennium, the elements melt with fervent heat and molten fire devours-2Peter 3:10 says, "burn up"-the beast and the false prophet. These are the two major kingdoms revealed in Revelation13. That said, neither Satan, his angels, nor the wicked are devoured by the lake of fire at this time." (I added emphasis on the bold letters).

3') feast of the bird vs. feast of the bride

Two events are sandwiched in Revelation Ch. 19, with the main event of Jesus' second coming.

Let us think carefully about why the bird's feast is relevant to Christ Jesus. Bible speaks about the bird feasts, which have a long biblical history from the OT. The implications of the bird's feast have with Christ's suffering and the cross.

Gen. 40:19 "Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee."

Deut. 21:23 "His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."

1 Sam. 17:43-44 "And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field."

1 Sam. 17:45-46 "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."

Esther 7:10 "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified."

Esther 9:13-15 "Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand."

The allusion of the passages is the bird's feast. It is the most grievous and heinous punishment to hang a person alive to death.

Rev. 19:20 "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

The lake of fire burning with brimstone links with a crucifixion experience as asphyxiating torture. A historical record testifies that some prolonged life even to fifteen days on the tree. It was the roman soldier's expert in breaking a leg to speed up the death of the criminal.

John 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs"

Luke 17:37 "And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together."

Matt. 24:28 "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."

Revl 1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him..."

The earth is getting hotter and hotter, as predicted in Revelation. Rev. 16:9 "And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."

Ellen G White saw the condition of the scorching sun in her vision.
EW p. 34.1 "The sky opened and shut and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot and cast out stones upon the land."

People will take their garments and undergarments off as the sea boils like a pot. Figuratively speaking that the birds will eat up the flesh of the wicked. They will wish to die, but death shall flee from them. The allusion to the bird's feast is this event with connotations of the death of the cross.

The problem we have, is understanding John's handling of sequence as he writes the visions.

We ran into the same problem with Revelation 8:2-5.

Does John take a description of a scene to its end, then go back and describe something else that goes on during that same time frame. Or is everything in sequential order?
In revelation 8:2-5 My view of things is that John is describing what takes place in heaven from John's day right up to the close of probation. And then goes back to describe what is going on, here on earth from John's time right up to the close of probation.

You on the other hand, believe that when the heavenly scene closes, it just keeps on in sequential order so the trumpets are all supposedly after probation has closed.

So too, in Revelation 19:20 My view is that John wants us to know the inevitable end of the beast and false prophet, and then goes back to tell us everyone who is not among the throng going to heaven with Christ will be dead for 1000 years. He then fills in more details of what happens during those 1000 years and concludes earthly history in chapter 20 with all evil ending forever in the lake of fire.

Remember
Scripture has the beast and the false prophet in the lake of fire AFTER the 1000 years in Rev. 20:10

We see the same pattern in which John takes a scene to its end and then goes back to describe something else that takes place during that same time in Revelation 20.
Rev. 20:7-10 describes what Satan and resurrected unsaved multitude will do after the 1000 years. They form a huge army and march against the beloved city, fire comes down and devours them and satan, the beast and false prophet burn in lake of fire forever.

BUT before this fire
Rev. 20:11-15 Something takes place before anyone is in the fire.
The great white throne judgment. We find all the formerly dead are alive and stand before that judgment throne. And then the lake of fire takes place



As far as AMAZING FACTS, as much as I respect their mission, they are not infallible. However, they do not say the lake of fire takes place before the Millennium. In fact they say, neither satan, his angels nor the wicked are devoured in the lake of fire at that time.
Maybe they think of the "beast" and "false prophet" as just the institutions, not the people themselves. The systems will never be again, they are demolished at the second coming. Their buildings may get burned to the ground. Their titles taken away. But All the people who have and who are running those institutions will be at the white throne judgment after the 1000 years when all whose names are not in the book of life will, at that time, face the lake of fire.

Just some other commentaries on the subject.


Kenneth Mathews, Jr. in his book, Revelation Reveals Jesus Book 2, page 1025-1028
He depicts Rev. 19:11-21 as the great battle of Armageddon.



EGW comments on Lake of Fire



Now it's true Babylon as a religious/political system (Chapter 18) is destroyed at the second coming. Fully exposed of their deceptions and their power fully broken which they used to enforce and mandate these deceptions upon the people. The SYSTEM is totally broken up and ceases to function and will never exist again. The truth is made obvious, and the "saints" are delivered. The false prophet(second beast of Rev. 13) SYSTEM will lose all its power, as a system it will be wiped out. The unsaved people in these systems, whether they died during the second coming or in the centuries before the second coming, are dead throughout the millennium. But they did not experience the second eternal death in the lake of fire at this time, though the ones who see Jesus coming and realize what they lost will experience what it means to be lost. All the wicked (unsaved) PEOPLE, whether top leaders or just servants within those systems, will all appear before the white throne judgment after the 1000 years. That's when the lake of fire (second death) will wipe out forever, all whose names are not in the book of Life.

May all our names be in the book of life!!!! God does NOT want any to experience the lake of fire prepared for satan and his angels, He desires that all would come to HIM in repentance, turning away from sin and accept His gift of life. He is in the work of delivering people from sin unto life, but sadly many refuse and cling to deception and sin.