What is the Lake of Fire which is the second death?
The second death is quite different from the first death. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, two things happened. His life which he had to begin with was eternal, and it was changed to a mortal life. The second thing which happened was he began the process which would ultimately end his life, through death.
When God told Adam that he would die if he ate the forbidden fruit, He was talking about a physical death which would terminate his current life. Notice that God said nothing to him about a 2nd death. He only mentioned the one death.
Do those who go there have atonement for their sins?
Those who go there have been resurrected. Being resurrected is a direct result of Christ taking the penalty for sin, which is death, physical death of this life.
Are they experiencing the wages or penalty for their sins?
No they are not. They are experiencing the penalty for neglecting to trust Christ for a new life. See John 3:18,19
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because
he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil."
Their judgement is solely on what they have done with Christ.
Why do they go there, is it because they died in their sins?
As was shown in John 3, they rejected the offer of new life. They refused to believe in Christ.
What means this then, the wrath of God abides on unbelievers.
John 3
Yes it does. For neglecting to accept Christ and the new life He offers. The sin which condemns is unbelief. We are told in numerous places that only through faith do we claim the promises of salvation, which I posted originally. No where is it said that the penalty of sins is erased through faith. Only that all the other benefits that Christ provides for us in salvation are gained through faith. Yet, in numerous places it DOES say that Christ paid sin's penalty, which is death.
Romans 6:23
New King James Version (NKJV)
Does that verse have meaning anymore if you say
'The atonement procured only the cancellation of the penalty of sin, death.'
For who was it procured? Can't be universal.
Yes it does. Much! Let me quote it here, in your preferred translation....
"For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Christ paid the penalty, or wages of sin. Death no longer reigns. The 2nd clause does NOT say, "but the gift of God
is eternal life." And then stop there. It adds, "in Christ Jesus our Lord." The unregenerate still have eternal life, but not in Jesus Christ. Their eternal life is in the lake of fire.
Let me be very clear. I am NOT saying salvation is universal. I'm saying the removal of sin's penalty, which is death, (PHYSICAL DEATH), IS universal. The second death is not a physical death. It's nothing like the first death.
Think hard about the concepts here about propitiation and atonement and the wages of sin.
What your saying is inconsistent
I have thought very hard on this, for many years. It's the only conclusion that really and truly describes what we know is real, and is not at all inconsistent with Scripture.
Are ALL to be resurrected, or not? Yes, they are. That resurrection is the defeat of sin's penalty, which was won by Christ's punishment on the Cross. None of the other benefits of salvation are provided through the Cross. The new life is through His resurrection. That is very clear in Scripture. And the sanctification which we long for is through the Holy Spirit given to each believer. This is also very clear in Christ's own teachings.
