Revelation 21:8; But the Fearful …

Revelation 21:8 (KJV)  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. 

An adversative “but” switches to a consisting list of the types who are not conquerors – 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. 

This list of eight categories of vices and those who commit them differs in some points with lists in Revelation 9:20-21 and Revelation 22:15 (Moffatt). It also recalls a list in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that includes an enumeration of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God (Lee).

Revelation 9:20-21 (KJV)  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 

Revelation 22:15 (KJV)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (KJV)  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. 

The kind of sins committed are eight in number, but those who commit them unite into a single group as reflected in the singular article “the” that governs all eight descriptions.

The word for “fearful” or “cowardly” comes from the verb “I fear”. It refers to those who repudiate their faith in Christ when faced with persecution and opposition. Without steadfast endurance based on that faith, they are not true followers of the Lamb. The word occurs elsewhere in the New Testament at Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40.

Matthew 8:26 (KJV)  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Mark 4:40 (KJV)  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

The cowardly one would not, of course, admit that he is timorous, but would hide his timidity by claiming his behaviour stemmed from “reverence” rather than cowardice.

The term describes the type “who draw back” to perdition in Hebrews 10:38-39 (Lee, Bullinger).

Hebrews 10:38-39 (KJV)  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody 1995, 449-450-451]