Can you explain to me Revelation 21:8? Who are the fearful?
Revelation, chapter 20 ends with the Great White Throne judgment of God upon ALL unbelievers who have ever lived. Revelation 20:12-15, “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.”
The final two chapters of Revelation describe the eternal and completed kingdom of God and the saints who dwell on the new earth. Revelation 21:1-5 says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
To answer your question, let’s now read Revelation 21:6-8, “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” We can see that the whole world is divided into two camps, those who have come to the Lord Jesus and owned Him as savior and Lord, and those who have not accepted Him.
Who are these people mentioned in verse 8?
FEARFUL – These are those who, for fear of losing their life or their property, refused to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, although they may have realized the truth and importance of the Gospel. Perhaps they may have even made a profession of faith, but gave that up when hard times or persecution came. Concerning the cost of discipleship, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
UNBELIEVING – This word is also translated ‘faithless’ (Matthew 17:17), and ‘infidel’ (2 Corinthians 6:15). These are those who have flatly refused to bow their knee to the Lord and receive Him.
ABOMINABLE – These are those who have given themselves over to living in reprehensible sin. We read of such people in Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”
MURDERERS – These are unrepentant sinners who have taken the lives of those whom the Lord created. We read in Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders…”
WHOREMONGERS – The same as ‘fornicators’, these are those who have continued in their sin, often defiling the wives of other men.
SORCERERS – This word is akin to the word translated at ‘witchcraft’ in Galatians 5:20. These are those who practice communicating with spirits, who do magic, who possibly operate using drugs to influence others. (The Greek word for sorcerer is ‘pharmakeus’ from which we get the word ‘pharmaceutical.’
IDOLATERS – Those who practice the worship of idols, whether physical idols or pleasures which they follow after rather than seeking God.
LIARS – These are those who continue in the sin of Satan, who “is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
The ONLY difference between these people and those who will inhabit the New Heaven and New Earth is that they continue in their sins, refusing to accept God’s free gift of grace. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Have you been “justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” by believing in Him as your Lord and Savior? (291.2)