The Bible's Definitions of Death First, we need to maintain the distinction, as Scripture does, between physical death and spiritual death. The Bible speaks of the two distinctly, but they share one common characteristic. The Biblical definition of death - whether physical or spiritual - is not non-existence, but separation. Physical death is, as I explained in another article, the separation of body and soul. "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Spiritual death means that man, apart from salvation in Christ, is separated from God. All who are sinners in Adam died in Adam, just as all who are justified in Christ are made alive in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22). Paul speaks of the unsaved as being "alienated (Greek apellotriomenoi, estranged or shut out) from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:18). This is true even though the unsaved person has physical life. The final state of unsaved souls cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity is called "the second death" in both Revelation chapters 20 and 21: Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 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. (Revelation 20:11-15) But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8) Revelation 14:11 says that "the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night." In neither case does the Biblical definition of death - physical or spiritual - imply or entail cessation of existence. Quite the contrary.