Though this was written in response to chalea's post, I hope you don't mind me putting in my 2 cents.
The Second death:
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power...
Revelation 20:14,25
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
This sounds to me like the second death still holds the characteristics of death. Otherwise, I don't see what power it has over those who enter in to it.
First, it's important to note that the phrase "second death" is unique to Revelation and thus is interpreted variously according to the different overall ways people interpret Revelation, whether it's from the Preterist's, historical, metaphorical, or furturist's view. Each mode of interpretation arrives at significantly different meanings for each of the metaphorical images presented in Revelation.
Second, even if one interprets Revelation's "second death" from a futurist view there are a couple of possible different meanings. Of course, one interpretation would be a cessasion of existance, the first death being a cessasion of physical existance, and the second being a cessation of spiritual existance.
Another possible interpretation is the death of one's flesh, one's self-centeredness. Paul seems to allude to this when he speaks of a brother being turned over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit might be saved. This understanding also lines up with the "second death" being equated with the lake of fire and brimstone, which metaphorically spoke of spiritual fiery punishing purification as discussed in my previous post.
Taking these things into consideration, I believe the "second death" is another metaphor of spiritual purification, a death to self. And of course, death doesn't speak of endless torture, Hell; though many people read such into that phrase.
Issue of eternity:
I read your scriptures in your link which most make sense. And your day and night idea also makes sense. But I have two questions. In Revelation 20:10, which I originally quoted, speaks of the devil and the beast and the false prophet being tormented forever, day and night. Are you suggesting that they will be released from this torment eventually to spread evil one again?
First note that the word "tormented", basanizo, is also related to purification, particularly the purification of metals. Metal was tested, tortured, to reveal it's impurities so that they could be removed. Thus if the purpose of the tormenting is the purification of the one being tormented, then when one is purified, the evil has been burnt up. Fire only burns the dross, not the gold.
This leads to my second question. In Revelation 22:5, it says "There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Does this mean that the servants of God will not actually reign forever and ever?
The word
aionios is a word used to translate the Hebrew word
olam, which has the connotation of that which is beyond sight, beyond the horizon, and is often used to indicate that which is beyond time, of the spiritual realm of eternity, that which is of the realm of the afterlife. It's believed that Plato actually coined the word aionios to describe that which is not part of our physical reality, but of the spiritual world that is not bound by time, eternal as opposed to temporal.
In this case, a literal translation would be "unto the ages of ages", and is not meant to be a technical phrase describing either an endlessness or a specific period of time, but is more poetic in its us, like when we say, "That took forever."
Again though, this translation is completely dependant upon how one interprets Revelation as a whole, whether from a Preterist, Historical, Metaphorical, or Futurist view.
