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December 30, 2023 at 2:02 pm
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
~ Revelation 21:8A solemn, serious warning about the kinds of people who will be outcasts from the new heaven and the new earth in the lake of fire. The NT often goes beyond just citing unbelief in listing character and lifestyle traits of the outcast, so that believers can identify such people (1Co_6:9-10; Gal_5:19; cf. Joh_8:31). ~ John MacArthur
As verse 7 shows, these are the words of God. He has just shown John the New Jerusalem, the wonderful city where he will live with his people (22:3-5). That city is God’s gift to his people, and it will always be their permanent home. However, now God warns about an extremely serious matter. Not all people will live in the New Jerusalem; in fact, many people can never enter it.
These people will, instead, share the devil’s punishment in the lake of fire (20:10). The reason is their evil deeds. During their lives, they chose to serve the devil; after their deaths, they suffer punishment with him.
God calls that ‘the second death’. God does not want anyone to suffer in that awful manner (Ezekiel 18:30-32). He urges people to turn from their evil deeds and to serve him. If people do that, God will save them from the second death (20:6). Because of Christ’s death for them, they will join the people of God (John 1:12).
God’s list in Revelation 21:8 may help us to recognise our own evil deeds, so that we can turn from them (1 John 1:8-9). Because of fear, some people are too weak to serve God and they turn away from him (Hebrews 3:7-11). Often, that is because they refuse to believe God; so they will not trust him (Hebrews 11:6).
Some people live in an awful manner that God hates. God warns clearly against murder (Deuteronomy 5:17), wrong sex (Deuteronomy 5:18), and lies (Deuteronomy 5:20). He warns against all kinds of magic (Deuteronomy 18:9-13). He warns that people must not pray to idols (the images of false gods) – Deuteronomy 4:15-31.
God urges people to turn from all these evil things. If they do, he will forgive. He offers his kindness to everyone (John 3:16). It is very sad when people refuse to accept God’s kindness.
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