Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 2:11

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." — Revelation 2:11 (ASV)

He that overcometh (or conquers) shall not be hurt.—The words used are precise and give certainty to the promise.

The second death.—This phrase is a new one in Bible language. It is said that Jews were familiar with it through its use in the Chaldee Paraphrase.

It clearly points to a death which is other than that of the body; it stands in contrast with the crown of life. The expressions of Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8, exclude the idea that a cessation of conscious existence is intended.

The life of the spirit is the knowledge of God (John 17:3); the death of the spirit, or the second death, is the decay or paralysis of the powers by which such a knowledge was possible, and the experience of the awfulness of a life which is “without God.”