A Two Fold Death

When man had been given authority over the Universe, God warned him, telling him that if he disobeyed, he would surely die. The literal translation of Genesis 2:17 is, “In dying thou shalt die.” This reveals a two-fold death. The moment Adam committed High Treason, he died spiritually, but he did not die physically for 930 years later. Spiritual Death came to the earth first. It manifested itself in the physical by destroying it.

Physical death is just a manifestation of its parent, Spiritual Death. After man had died spiritually, his body became mortal, death-doomed. Spiritual Death became universal. All humanity was identified with Adam in his Spiritual Death. Adam, the parent of man, the head of God’s creation, had died spiritually. He had failed in his responsibility as the custodian of God’s joy. Man to whom he will give birth will possess the same nature.
That Spiritual Death becomes the nature of every man born into the world.

Romans 5:12 declares that Death passed upon all mankind.
Romans 5:17-19 says that “through the one man’s disobedience, the many were made sinners.”
Romans 5:15, “By the trespass of one, the many died.” God’s dream cannot be realized. Humanity is dead spiritually.

The Nature of Spiritual Death

We have seen that Spiritual Death is as much a substance, a force, a fact, as life.
The difference is that Spiritual Death emanates from the devil, while Life emanates from God. Satan was originally in Heaven with God, one of those spirits who stood next to the very Throne of God itself, but he turned against God. As he did, his nature changed.

We recognize that in the world there are spiritual forces working that are contrary to each other: Love and Hatred, Joy and Sorrow, Faith and Doubt, Good and Evil, etc. These conflicting forces could not come from the same source. All that is Holy, Good, and Beautiful heads up in Life which emanates from God. All that is evil, bad and corrupt heads up in Spiritual Death which emanates from Satan. We can understand that out of the Nature of Satan flows hatred, lust, murder, and every unclean and evil force in the world.

There is no understanding in our minds of the condition and problem of humanity without our knowing that Spiritual Death, the nature of Satan, reigns in the spirit of man. It is very clear that when Spiritual Death entered the life of Adam, his spirit underwent a complete change. Man was actually born again when he sinned. He was born of Satan. He became a partaker of satanic nature. He became a child of Satan.

Read I John 3:12, John 5:24, I John 3:14-15, and Ephesians 2:1-5. Spiritual Death, this hideous monster, seized the sovereignty, the dominion, the lordship over creation.
Romans 5:17, “For if by the trespass of one, death reigned.” Death assumed a personality. By the act of Adam’s High Treason, death begins to reign. It is in reality the reign of Satan. Hebrews 2:14 speaks of Satan’s holding the authority, the dominion of the realm of Spiritual Death.

A literal translation of Romans 5:17 reads, “For if by the trespass of one, death made use of the one to seize the sovereignty.” Romans 5:21 of the same translation reads, “Sin reigned as a king in the realm of death.” Here we have the truth stated clearly. Death (the nature of Satan) has seized the sovereignty, and God’s creation is under its dominion.