Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Revelation 20:14
What does Revelation 20:14 mean?
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Revelation 20:14
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This verse reveals that death itself, along with Hades (the realm of the departed), is finally defeated and cast into the lake of fire. It's not just a place of punishment for humans, but the ultimate destruction of death and the underworld, signifying their complete annihilation and the permanent end of mortality.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage occurs at the absolute end of history, following the final judgment where everyone is assessed according to the Book of Life. All who are not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire, and now Death and Hades themselves, as ultimate enemies and symbols of mortality, are also thrown in, signifying their complete abolition and eternal destruction. This final state is the "second death," a permanent separation from God, distinct from physical death which has now been overcome.
Imagine the ultimate enemies of humanity—death and the grave—being thrown into a fire. What does this mean for their power over us?
Revelation 20:14 announces a stunning victory: Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire. This isn't about these concepts ceasing to exist in a vacuum, but rather their power and reign being utterly destroyed.
We hear about 'the second death,' but what truly distinguishes it from the first?
The verse declares that the lake of fire is the second death. This is crucial for understanding eternal judgment.
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Understand the original words
limnē tou pyros · Greek Noun Phrase
The symbol of ultimate, eternal separation from God’s presence, representing the final punishment for sin and rebellion against the Creator. It is described as the place of the 'second death.'
deuteros thanatos · Greek Noun Phrase
The final and irreversible state of spiritual separation from God, which occurs after physical death for those who remain in their sin and outside of God's saving grace.
This passage declares death to be the 'last enemy' that will be destroyed, directly paralleling Revelation 20:14's imagery of death itself being abolished into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:4This verse describes a future where 'death shall be no more,' reinforcing the finality of the destruction of death and Hades as depicted in Revelation 20:14.
2 Thessalonians 1:9It speaks of punishment 'away from the presence of the Lord,' which resonates with the concept of the 'second death' as a final, irreversible state of separation from God, rather than mere annihilation.
Luke 16:23The story of the rich man and Lazarus depicts Hades as a place of torment, providing a conceptual link to the 'lake of fire' as a place of eternal suffering for those cast into it.
ellicottRevelation 20:14: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
(14, 15) And death and hell were cast . . . —Better, And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. The latter part of the verse contains, according to the best MS. authority, the additional words “the lake of fire.” We then read, not “This is the second death”—as though the reference were to what went before—but, This is the second death, the lake of fire. The last verse then follows, And if…
clarkeRevelation 20:14: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
And death and hell were cast into the lake - Death himself is now abolished, and the place for separate spirits no longer needful. All dead bodies and separated souls being rejoined, and no more separation of bodies and souls by death to take place, consequently the existence of these things is no farther necessary. This is the second death - The first death consisted in the separation of the soul…
This verse reveals that death itself, along with Hades (the realm of the departed), is finally defeated and cast into the lake of fire. It's not just a place of punishment for humans, but the ultimate destruction of death and the underworld, signifying their complete annihilation and the permanent end of mortality.
This passage occurs at the absolute end of history, following the final judgment where everyone is assessed according to the Book of Life. All who are not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire, and now Death and Hades themselves, as ultimate enemies and symbols of mortality, are also thrown in, signifying their complete abolition and eternal destruction. This final state is the "second death," a permanent separation from God, distinct from physical death which has now been overcome.
This passage occurs at the absolute end of history, following the final judgment where everyone is assessed according to the Book of Life. All who are not found written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire, and now Death and Hades themselves, as ultimate enemies and symbols of mortality, are also thrown in, signifying their complete abolition and eternal destruction. This final state is the "second death," a permanent separation from God, distinct from physical death which has now been overcome.
"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire." — This verse reveals that death itself, along with Hades (the realm of the departed), is finally defeated and cast into the lake of fire. It's not just a place of punishment for humans, but the ultimat…
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Last reviewed October 2026