The departure from the present life of unrepentant people to await final banishment from God.
Death is inevitable
Psalm 49:10, Psalm 89:48 See also 2 Samuel 14:14; Job 30:23; Psalm 37:36; Ecclesiastes 3:19–20, Ecclesiastes 8:8
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
What man can live and never see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
The premature death of unbelievers is the consequence of sin
Proverbs 10:27 OT writers, for whom God's blessing on the righteous occurs mostly in the present life, often saw early or sudden death as divine judgment on the wicked. See also 1 Chronicles 10:13; Job 22:16; Psalm 9:17, Psalm 37:1–2, Psalm 37:22, Psalm 37:38, Psalm 55:23, Psalm 139:19; Proverbs 5:21–23, Proverbs 11:19, Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 17:14; Ezekiel 3:19, Ezekiel 18:4, Ezekiel 18:20; Daniel 5:30; Luke 12:20
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.
Aspects of the death of unbelievers
They die unforgiven
They die without hope
Proverbs 11:7; Ecclesiastes 8:10
God has no pleasure in their death
Ezekiel 18:23 See also Ezekiel 18:32; 2 Peter 3:9
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
Descriptions of the death of unbelievers
Being destroyed
Perishing
Being in fire
Being in darkness
The consequences of the death of unbelievers
The intermediate state of awaiting judgment
Revelation 20:13 See also Luke 16:23; John 5:29; Acts 24:15
The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
The judgment
Hebrews 9:27 See also John 5:29
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
The eternal consequences
Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41 See also Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:45–48; Galatians 1:8–9; Hebrews 6:2; Jude 1:7
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
The challenge of the death of unbelievers
The call to prepare
2 Kings 20:1 See also Ecclesiastes 7:17, Ecclesiastes 9:10; Amos 4:12
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
The only escape is through Jesus Christ
John 8:51 Death for believers is swallowed up in life, so that they are never personally aware of the pain and sting of death (compare John 11:26). See also John 5:24
Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.