Death is the absence of life. Even when used figuratively (as in the father of the Prodigal Son saying concerning his boy, "This, my son, was dead") death is oblivion. The only difference between the literally dead and the figuratively dead is that the figuratively dead are breathing. Both are
oblivious.
In spite of this, some even in the body of Christ teach that not only is the second death figurative (it's not; it's literal), but that the people in the second death are coming to a realization of God. Part of the reason they believe this (besides being ignorant of figures of speech, metaphors, and the meaning of death) is that the fire in
the lake of fire consists of "brimstone" ("sulphur" CLNT) whose root word is "theos," the Greek word for "God." Their reasoning goes something like this: "Since the root word for 'sulphur' is the same root word for 'God,' therefore God is in the lake of fire, therefore the people in the lake of fire are being educated by God."
Never mind that sulphur is
a cleansing agent that was used liberally in the worship of false gods.
Would you like facts instead of human reasoning concerning the second death? You've come to the right place.
