Revelation 21:8, commentary and pictures

After the thousand years following Christ's second coming, when the holy city descends to earth, those who overcome inherit all things and the eternal blessings of God's kingdom, while the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, impure, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars receive their part in the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, and are left outside the city with no place in that home. The fearful are not merely timid, but those ashamed of Christ who from fear of loss, reproach, persecution or suffering neglect duty and fail to deny self for Him, and the unbelieving are those who persist in doubt despite given light and mercy and refuse to follow it. Lying in every form of falsehood, deception, exaggeration and evasive speech is forbidden as sin against the God of truth, and sorcery in seeking communion with familiar spirits and supposed spirits of the dead is forbidden intercourse that corrupts the mind, and both with impurity and idolatry bring exclusion from the redeemed unless repented and forsaken. The second death is the pangs and destruction of divine wrath upon transgressors of God's law who remain in bondage to sin and reject offered truth and light, and its terror measures the worth of turning a soul to truth against the immortality, honor and crown awaiting the ransomed in the presence of Him who died to elevate them. Jesus by shedding His own blood has provided a sure refuge of sufficient value to expiate the sins of the whole world, so that all who flee to Him at once by repentance and faith find reconciliation, cleansing, peace and safekeeping from the second death, while delay and indifference mean ruin, calling all to examine life, purify themselves even as He is pure, obey all God's commandments in self-denial, and warn others while probation lasts.

Terms and Setting

The fearful who face the second death are not simply the timid or those lacking self-confidence, as shown by the case of Sister Pierce whose fears do not place her among them. They are those ashamed of Christ who are afraid to do what is right because they may suffer financial loss, reproach, trials, persecution, danger or other suffering, and who neglect duty to avoid that cost, being counted with idolaters, liars and other sinners ripening for the second death. Some outside the city may appear confident and zealous and profess love in words, yet lack love in deeds and have hearts not right with God. This fear and lack of faith keep people from denying self for Christ and advancing His work.

The unbelieving who have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death, are those who continue in doubt and unbelief and face the punishment assigned to them there. Those who persist in doubt and unbelief while claiming to serve God share this fate. When unbelief is cherished and persisted in despite the light and mercy given, it ends in destruction with the wicked, for neglecting offered mercy and refusing to follow light leaves a person responsible for that end, while Christ continues to plead and grace is provided to resist temptation.

Liars will share the lake of fire, which is the second death, and will have no place in God's kingdom, and treating a lie as insignificant does not change this consequence. Lying is forbidden in God's law and belongs among wrongs committed against one another, being sin against the God of truth, and falsehood and every kind of deception are wrong in His sight, including exaggeration and evasive speech. Gehazi's lie about the gifts Elisha had refused brought him leprosy that ended only in death. Life itself should not be saved by denying the truth, for martyrs chose imprisonment, torture and death rather than deception or apostasy, and their faithfulness won them spotless robes and crowns.

Sorcerers are among those who perish in iniquity and receive their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death. Sorcery includes seeking communion with familiar spirits and supposed spirits of the dead, and such intercourse is forbidden and must have no place. That intercourse corrupts and misleads the mind. Impurity will not escape final judgment, for those who do not repent and forsake uncleanness will fall with the wicked, while those who belong to the kingdom in the earth made new will be saints, not sinners. Grave crimes against morality and religion can grow from bodily appetites such as intemperance and concupiscence, which foster selfishness, rebellion against God and failure to love others.

The verse belongs to events after the thousand years following Christ's second advent, when the holy city comes down from heaven to earth. It was made known by Christ Himself to John on the Isle of Patmos as part of the last events of this earth's history. It is part of God's solemn warning for the last days, given to call minds to things which will be and to keep them from confusion while Satan and evil fallen angels work to deceive if possible the very elect, because confusion now may be of death unto death amid the perils of the last days. It stands in the last four chapters of Revelation that must be read carefully, urging thorough humbling before God and at-once cleansing and preparation work long left undone, especially for those in positions of responsibility.

Judgment and Inheritance

In contrast to those who overcome and inherit all things, the fearful and unbelieving with the others named will receive their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death, and will not share the promised inheritance of God's kingdom and its eternal blessings, though great provision has been made so that every soul may receive those blessings.
The second death is the pangs, divine wrath and destruction awaiting transgressors of God's law at the hands of the destroyer, bringing terrible pains. How terrible those pains are measures how important it is to convert a soul from error to truth. That loss stands set against the value of immortality, the honor and glory awaiting the ransomed, living in the presence of Him who died to elevate and ennoble man, and the royal diadem given to the overcomer.

It is appointed for those who remain in bondage to sin and refuse the truth and light when offered, rejecting Christ and despising God's law, and for those who do not perfect their souls through obedience to the truth, and only a few will be saved to eternal life. Liars, idolaters, the impure and the unbelieving will not share the redeemed people's home, for the redeemed are cleansed from sin through Christ's blood and made fit for that fellowship. Those who love and make a lie and those who distrust God will be outside the city of God, which makes it important to cherish Christ's love and the spirit that leads to obedience to the Creator.

The end awaiting the apostate churches is that of a world trampling God's Word and transgressing His law: deceived and blind they hasten toward the first and second death. Rejecting Jehovah's law for human inventions leads toward oppression and suffering, while eternal realities mean nothing to them.

Call to Overcome

Revelation 21 shows the glories that await the saved in the city of God as members of the Lord's royal family as sons of God, where there will be no more partings. This hope calls every believing soul to examine life in view of eternal destiny and to seek earnestly for eternal life by striving to be obedient to all the commandments of God and by purifying himself even as Christ is pure. So fitted, he is made ready for a place among God's commandment-keeping people, numbered with the redeemed and made like Christ when He appears. Those who reject God's warnings and refuse to follow Jesus in self-denial and self-sacrifice would not enter heaven, because they could not endure God's purity and glory.

The verse belongs to the passage describing who may inherit the promised city and who will not, set within the description of the beautiful new earth. Children are urged to strive for a place in that city, and each can have one. That prospect gives reason to work for one another and to bring up youth in a right manner so they become overcomers and receive the crown of life, with angels of God assisting in schools and the Holy Spirit working with human effort so souls are saved.

Its warning of a terrible fate for the wicked applies now because the world is full of corruption. That corruption includes prevailing wickedness like liquor saloons and liquor drinking, where poisoned liquor maddens men so they know nothing of what they do. It calls for unceasing warning of such places by workers laboring in wicked cities, and for everyone with favorable opportunity to reach someone else, taking the talent of truth and teaching others to believe it. All are to be missionaries for God, circulating the light of the knowledge of the truth to those outside.

Jesus Christ by shedding His own blood has wrought out a sure refuge from the second death, of sufficient value to make full expiation for the sins of the whole world. The transgressor remains exposed to it until he finds a hiding-place in Christ, so delay, loitering, carelessness and indifference mean ruin of the soul. Unbelief cherished and persisted in despite the light and mercy God gives ends in destruction with the wicked, and neglecting offered mercy and refusing to follow the light leaves a person responsible for that end. All who by repentance and faith flee to this refuge find security, peace from the heaviest pressure of guilt, relief from the deepest condemnation, reconciliation to God by His atoning sacrifice and mediation, and washing away of the crimson stain of sin by His efficacious blood. No power can take out of His hands the souls who flee to Him for pardon, and while Christ continues to plead, God provides grace to resist temptation.