Brian Burns

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. 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 (Rev. 21:5-8).

What would we rather have, a fountain or a lake? Without much thought we might think that a lake would be best, but after reading Revelation 21:5-8, our ideas would soon change. The fountain gives life while the lake gives everlasting death.

John has been recording the things that he witnessed in the HolyCity and what the voice of God told him to write. He lets us know that the miseries of this life will not be found in heaven and that wonderful blessings await those who “overcome.” As always, God does not leave us wondering what it is that we must overcome. Verse eight informs us of eight things that must be overcome in our life in order to have access to the fountain and not be cast into the lake. Let us study these things together and be sure that they are not a common part of our lives.

The Fearful

Does this say that it is wrong to ever be afraid? No, it does not. This word is speaking of cowardice. Being afraid and doing what is right is what the Christian will do, but the coward shirks his responsibility. William Barclay said, “This is not fear that is condemned. The highest courage is to be desperately afraid and in spite of that to do the right thing and to hold fast to loyalty” (Revelation of John  208).

The disciples became fearful when they were in the storm (Mt. 8:23-27). This was also evidenced when they all fled from the garden (Mk. 14:50). Paul told Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear [cowardice]; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). The coward may know what to do and have the very best of intentions, but that does not get the work done. Do not be fearful of school mates, fellow workers, family, erring brethren, or when it comes to encouraging others to do good.

Cowardice rears its ugly head in strange ways and at awkward times. The coward has chosen the lake.

The Unbelieving

The “unbelieving” are not only those who refuse to accept the facts concerning Christ (Jn. 3:18), but also those who have the conviction of mind but do not have the obedience that must accompany such conviction. There were Jews that believed but refused to confess Christ (Jn. 12:42). We are also told that demons believe and tremble (Jas. 2:19). To be faithful is to be reliable. To be unfaithful is to be unreliable. Part of the fruit of the Spirit is to be faithful or trustworthy (Gal. 5:22-23). If God, family, the church, employer, or our fellow man cannot rely upon us, then we too are unfaithful.

The Abominable

“Abominable” means “to render foul or to cause to be abhorred.” Webster defines “abhor” as, “to shrink from in fear, disgust, hatred, detest.” Thus, the person who lives such a life is viewed by God with disgust. Such sins are described by Paul in his letter to Titus (Tit. 1:14-15). This term is very broad and may be studied further under the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Some of the following sins would be considered abominations.

Murderers

The Jews chose for a murderer to be set free rather than our Lord (Acts 3:14). The Jews were murderers even before they killed Stephen (Acts 7:52). Heathens often believed that the gods would quickly and directly punish a murderer (Acts 28:4), and Peter declares that no Christian should ever be guilty of murder (1 Pet. 4:15). At this point, one might say, “I haven’t, and further more, wouldn’t kill any one.” Murder may be easier than you think. John warns, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn. 3:15). Again, one may say, “I do not hate my brother,” but hate may also be easier to be guilty of than we think. “Hate” means to “love less, to postpone in love or esteem, to slight.” James says, “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (Jas. 2:9). Let none of us become a murderer.

Whoremongers

This next person is a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse. We wish that something this distasteful did not even need to be discussed, but it was important enough for God to tell John, “Write: for these words are true and faithful” (v. 5). In the word “whoremonger,” the man is specified, but the guilty woman is also condemned. When Paul mentioned adultery and fornication (Gal. 5:19), both men and women were included by his statement, “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21).

This type of immoral behavior, or at least the suggestion of it, is displayed everywhere today by every form of media. It sells every product under the sun, from toothpaste to tires, from the printed page to the air waves. The entertainment industry glamorizes fornication and adultery to the point that most of the world, and too much of the church, think that since man is inclined to be this way, it is all right. Fornication never has been, is not, nor will it ever be an expression of love, “making love,” or proof of love. Man may rationalize and whitewash it, but God still condemns it. Paul tells the Ephesians:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them (Eph. 5:3-7).

The world stands ready to tell us, “It’s all right, just go with the flow,” but these and many other vain words do not negate the words of God. The Dallas Times Herald reported that at a prominent university, one out of every one hundred students that had blood work done for other than health reasons, tested positive for the HIV virus that causes AIDS (July 17, 1991). Although some acquire this terrible illness innocently, far more are reaping the payment for their sin. The writer of the Hebrew letter made it very plain, “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). If a whoremonger is discovered among the brethren he must repent, or else we cannot keep company with him and must put him away from us (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

Sorcerers

Many may think that this is very outdated. Who hears of sorcerers today? Well, there are still those who claim to be witches and have magical powers and enchantments, which is what “sorcerers” can refer to. There is another area that is close to this, and that is the drug world. “Sorcerers” is from <B>pharmakeia<D>, from which we get our English word “pharmacy.” E. M. Zerr said, “It could well be classed with the dope trade of our day” (p. 348). Sorcery is also listed as a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20), and we are told, “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). So, whether it is a witch coven, Eastern or occult meditations, drug abuse, or even some forms of martial arts, many things today are linked to what God condemns as sorcery.

Idolaters

Everyone knows that an idolater is a worshiper of a false god. Most Americans would not think that idolatry is a very prominent problem in this country. The fact is, idolatry is everywhere in America. Whenever we are devoted to anything more than God, that person, activity, or thing becomes our idol. In themselves, there is nothing wrong with family, self, job, hobby, recreation, or many other things, but they should never be put before God and our service to Him.

Idols were everywhere when Paul was in Athens (Acts 17). H. Leo Boles writes, “Petronius sarcastically said that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens; and Zenophon called Athens one great altar to the gods” (Commentary on Acts). Just imagine if all over the nation today, all of everyone’s idols suddenly turned into little, pot-bellied images. We would not be able to move for the idols, and may be alarmed at what we found in our own life as well. Paul says that we are not to keep company with a brother that is an idolater (1 Cor. 5:11). Idolatry of any kind never has, and never will be accepted by God.

All Liars

A liar is one who tells something false or the person that tells a lie. In the above list, John simply mentions the fearful, unbelieving, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, and idolaters; but why does he now say, “all liars,” instead of just “liars?” Probably because people tend to classify lies. We give them different colors, shapes, and sizes; and to the truth, we bend, stretch, add to, or delete from it. When you get down to it, no matter what we call it, or how we describe it, it is still a lie<197>yes, even lies with the best of intentions behind them. In his first epistle, John shows other ways we might lie:

1.         “If we say that we have not sinned” (1:10).

2.         “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments” (2:4).

3.         “He that denieth that Jesus is the Christ” (2:22).

4.         “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother” (4:20).

No liar of any kind, or with any motive good or bad, will be in heaven. Instead he will have his part in the lake of fire.

Conclusion

We are told of two ways that we can go; two rewards to choose from<197>a fountain or a lake. We can overcome and inherit all things or fail and receive an assigned place in the lake of fire which is the second death. All men are subject to the first death (Heb. 9:27), but no one wants to be subject to the second death because no one will ever return from it. Jesus did not become a man, come to sin-cursed earth, live, suffer and die, in order to send us to a lake of fire. He came to bring us victory. The morals of the world will not result in victory, so let us follow the instruction in Scripture (2 Cor. 6:17; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Phil. 4:13; Eph. 3:20-21), and live with the fountain, and not die in the lake.

 

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