Eternal Death

We often use the term “breathed one’s last” to describe a person’s death. When a person first dies, their body may still be warm and appear normal, but it lacks one thing: breath.

[Genesis 2:7] Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  Humans are made of dust, and it is only because of the breath of life from God that they are alive. If God takes back this breath, they become lifeless, dead people who will eventually return to dust (Psalm 90:3; Ecclesiastes 12:7). “You turn man back to dust and say, ‘Return, O children of man!’ The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

To discuss eternal death, we must first understand what eternal life is, which we have covered in a previous article. Romans 6:23 says, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life is God’s gift of salvation to us, and it is everlasting. On the one hand, eternal life begins at the moment we know and continue to believe in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, it gives believers in this life the hope of resurrection when the Lord Jesus returns. Because Jesus Christ was resurrected, those who believe in Him will also be resurrected and will be with Him forever.

So, what is eternal death? Eternal death is an eternal separation from God—the giver of life. The Bible says that a person’s first death is the death of the body. For those who do not repent and accept the salvation of the Lord Jesus, they will experience a second death, which is eternal separation from God. Their final destination will be the lake of fire, where they will receive eternal punishment. Revelation 21:8 says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

A person who experiences “eternal death” is one who has chosen to reject the “eternal life” that God offers. They never submit to God. When God takes back the breath He gave, that person is eternally separated from the kingdom of God.

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version Bible and Comprehensive Biblical Interpretation.