the Great, “the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.” The murderers, the fornicators or sexually immoral, those who follow Babylon the Great in practicing spiritism, sorcery and magic, the idolaters, including those who worship the symbolic “wild beast” and its modern-day “image,” and the liars who imitate the Devil “the father of the lie”​—this kind do not conquer the world and will be destroyed at Armageddon. In the new earth these qualities will be equally detestable and persons practicing them will not be permitted to continue living.​—John 8:44; Rev. 17:5, 6; 18:23, 24.

The fountain of the water of life, although open to such persons, is turned down by them and therefore they do not drink from it, losing their own lives. The death they die will be, not the Adamic death, but a death due to their own willful rebellion and wickedness. It will be eternal death, symbolized by the “lake that burns with fire and sulphur,” the second death. (Rev. 21:8) It is no so-called “conscious living death,” to be suffered by an imaginary immortal human soul that is tormented with fire and brimstone for eternity. It is a death from which there is no resurrection. There is no key for the second death, though Jesus has the key for the Adamic death. (Rev. 1:18) The second death is absolutely distinct from Adamic death, for the Dragon, the Original Serpent, Satan the Devil, never died in Adamic death but he is hurled into the “second death,” the symbolic lake of fire, and so, too, are the “wild beast” and the “false prophet.” Even the Adamic death itself and Hades or Sheol are hurled into the “second death.” So the “lake of fire” symbolizes everlasting destruction of a person or thing. It is Adamic death that will be no more, not the “second death.” Those hurled into second death will remain in it forever, unredeemed.

There will be no sorrow to the Bridegroom and bride over the death of such persons, for these will have shown the same wicked spirit as Satan and no tears will be shed because of their passing off the face of the earth. During the thousand-year reign, when the bride and Bridegroom are concentrating on the rearing of a family, they will also be directing their children in the construction of the most beautiful of homes, namely, an earthly paradise, so that by the end of the thousand years and after the destruction of the unworthy in the “lake of fire” there will be a tremendous family of thousands of millions, all living happily with everlasting life on the beautified earth. (Ps. 37:10, 11; Rom. 8:21) God’s purpose in this blessed marriage of his beloved, faithful Son will be carried out to a glorious conclusion, bringing mankind into the family of the heavenly Father as “sons of God.”

A Clergyman Escapes Babylon the Great

● In a town in Mexico, a Protestant clergyman, who had been a pastor there for ten years, obtained a copy of the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained from Jehovah’s witnesses. He confessed to the Witnesses that he did not know what to preach in church anymore. When shown the book, he was surprised at the way it taught the truth so clearly. A study was started and it was conducted twice a week for two months. This resulted in his resigning as pastor of the church there. In the third month he began visiting some of his former flock and telling them about the “good news.” Studies are being conducted with some of these same people.