The first death came upon Adam because of sin, and death has been reigning in the earth since, and men have died because of inherited sin. Death is spoken of in the Scriptures as a great enemy. Under the reign of Christ the dead shall return from the land of the enemy, the tomb, the death condition. (`Jer. 31:15-17`; `John 5:28,29`). All those who have become Christ’s in this life receive their trial now. Those who have had no opportunity to accept the Lord will be given a trial then, and if obedient will be rewarded with eternal life on the earth. The reign of Christ is for the purpose of restoring all that was lost in Adam (`Acts 3:19-22`) and as the Scriptures declare: “He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (`1 Cor. 15:25,26`). In the Scripture quoted in your question, “hell” is from the Greek word <"Hades,"> meaning the tomb. Death means the result of the curse that came upon Adam. The words used by our Lord were figurative. The “lake of fire” is a symbol of complete destruction, here called the “second death,” therefore the second death refers to that death from which there will be no resurrection.
