Genesis 4:8 says, “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”  This is the first instance of one person killing another.  Filled with jealousy and rage towards his brother, we see that the first person ever born became the first murderer.  How terrible!

Genesis 38:7, “And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.”  For his own personal wickedness, Er was killed by the Lord.  The Lord also slew Er’s brother, Onan, for disobedience (verses 8-10).

Exodus 13:15, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.”

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  The devil is a murderer and a liar.

Matthew 27:5, “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”  Judas Iscariot killed himself after betraying the Lord Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

We could go on and on with instances of people being slain in the Bible.  Some were certainly led of Satan to commit terrible crimes and murders.  Some took their own lives.  The Lord saw fit to take the lives of some.  Of course, whatever the Lord does is right and just.  

In light of all this, let us consider the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  While death can come to us in many ways, the Lord does not want us to be afraid of those who can kill our bodies but cannot touch our eternal destiny.  The body is a small matter, in comparison with the soul.  It is ONLY God that can “destroy both soul and body in hell.” 

It is an awful scene given to us at the Great White Throne judgment when our righteous and Holy God will pronounce sentence upon all those who refused His grace and rejected His Son.  Revelation 20:11-15 says, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”  At this point, all the unsaved people who have ever lived will be cast into the lake of fire, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment…” (Matthew 24:46).

Everlasting punishment!  The very sound of that should cause the hearts of the unsaved to tremble in fear.  There is much more to be concerned about than physical death.  Everlasting punishment means that the unsaved person will be tormented in Hell forever.  In truth, we are all living under a sentence of death for Ezekiel 18:20 informs us that, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”  Because we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), we are all under this death statement.  But, there is no reason for this to happen to you.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). God sent His Son here to die for your sins so that through faith in Him, you will not perish; you will have everlasting life.  How can you escape this everlasting punishment that we all rightly deserve?  With true repentance, put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who loves you and died for you on the cross of Calvary.  Romans 10:9 tells us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (415.6)