Satan is the source of sin, and death came through sin. Moreover, Satan also has the might of death (Heb. 2:14). Therefore, he must also be the source of death.
Because of the fall of man and the entering in of sin, death passed on to all men and reigned in man (Rom. 5:12, 14). This death daily entangles man and damages man, causing man to become weak and wither up and bringing every part of man into a failing state. Finally, death brings man’s body into death and causes man’s soul and spirit to perish in the suffering section in Hades (Luke 16:22-24). This is the first death.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is reserved for men to die once, and after this comes judgment.” Therefore, man’s first death is not the ultimate end. At the end of the millennial kingdom, at the conclusion of the old heavens and old earth, all the dead who have not been saved through faith in the Lord Jesus will be resurrected and will pass through the judgment before the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-13). This judgment will result in their being cast into the lake of fire (v. 15). This is the second death of those who commit sins. Their spirit, soul, and resurrected body will die eternally in the lake of fire to suffer eternal torment.
Among the types in the divine revelation in the Bible, the first are the light and the tree of life, which typify Christ as light and life. The light typifies Christ as the light of the universe, the source of all lights, the light of the world, and the light of life. As the light of the universe, He is the reality of all light-bearers. As the source of all lights, He brings light to us and enlightens us in every way, that we may know ourselves and see our true condition. As the light of the world, He enables us not to remain in darkness but to walk in the day. He also causes us who believe into Him to become sons of light, even to become the light, shining forth Christ to enlighten this dark world. As the light of life, He dispels death, which belongs to darkness, and brings life to man, and He causes life to grow in His believers even unto full maturity, to the extent that they are exactly like God.
The tree of life typifies Christ as the embodiment of God, who is the source of life. He is life to the believers in the church today, He will be the enjoyment of life in the Paradise of God to the overcomers in the kingdom in the future, and eventually, He will be the supply of life to God’s redeemed in the New Jerusalem for eternity.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil typifies Satan as the source of sin and evil. Knowledge, good, and evil of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are in contrast to the life of the tree of life. Life is dependent on God; knowledge, good, and evil are independent of God. Moreover, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brings in death, signifying that death is of Satan. Today this death damages man and causes man to die. Eventually, this death will become the second death of those who commit sins, that is, the eternal death of their whole being—spirit, soul, and body—in the lake of fire to suffer eternal torment.