Death

Death in Scripture is portrayed as the separation of body and spirit resulting from the entrance of sin into the world (Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12), not as a natural element of creation but as its enemy. Physical death — the return of dust to the earth and the spirit to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalm 104:29) — is distinguished from spiritual death, the alienation of the soul from God through sin (Ephesians 2:1), and from the "second death," the lake of fire representing final separation from God (Revelation 20:14; 21:8). Scripture presents death as the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), overcome by Christ's resurrection. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:55–56), but through the resurrection of Christ, death is swallowed up in victory. Hebrews presents Christ as sharing in flesh and blood precisely to destroy the one who holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14–15).