Death and hell describe two states of confinement (captivity) of the souls of men because of sin. Here, death is in context of Adam’s transgression (Gen. 2:17). It is a state of separation or the severance of the soul from the holy God. In this state, sinners have the chance to repent and turn away from their wicked ways: the soul is in the redeemable ‘phase.’ Sin can be confessed, forsaken, and be forgiven.

In the second state (hell), the soul has slept the sleep of death, cannot exercise faith, and therefore incapable of appropriating grace. The unsaved soul in this state is outside of a redeemable phase. To wait for the judgment is all it can do: “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). After the judgment however, a new phase of ‘death’ follows. In it, the soul may exercise faith again; and the price of sin is an eternal appointment upon the person of Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world (Eph. 3:11; Rev 13:8; Eph. 1:9-10).

Thus, hell is the confine of souls who are physically dead, and death is the confine of the souls of the spiritually dead, but physically alive; the state of being alive to sin. However, hell (the grave) have two compartments – Paradise and Gehenna (Matt. 18:9; Luke 16:20-23). Paradise is the confine of the redeemed and Gehenna or hell fire is the confine of unrepentant souls.

In the second resurrection (Rev. 20:13) therefore, the ‘grave’ will give up its dead. Likewise, the rest of the people who would be alive but spiritually dead, will be given up by ‘death’ (i.e., the first death) for judgment. Adam’s disobedience was the beginning of transgression for mankind, and so we are today in the first phase of the torment of sin; lessened only somewhat for believers who would dare exploit the knowledge of the power of the blood of Jesus (Click here for more).

Death and Hell are cast into the lake of fire (i.e., the second death – a second phase of ‘death’, Rev. 20: 14) after the judgment. But these two must finally be destroyed (I Cor. 15:26). The second death, commonly construed as hell fire (or Gehenna in Greek), is really another phase of confinement or death; a further separation of the soul from God, which is the soul gap. It is a more severe state of torment, disease, and ‘death’ for souls that did not escape condemnation with the “firstfruits” (i.e., the Church of Jesus Christ, James 1:18) in the first judgment. This is that 7-times multiplication of the punishment for disobedience spelt out in Leviticus 26:14-29, which “were a shadow of things to come.”

The lifting of ‘death’ off of sinners is to temporarily remove the curse of sin (the separation), so they can appear before God for judgment. For without holiness, no man can see God (Heb. 12:14). And blessed is the man whose sins are covered: for the love of God shall cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). This is always the case whenever the children of God should appear before Him to be appraised (Job 1:6). Ever wondered how it is accounted that “Satan came also among them,” being a sinner and unclean?