Revelation 21:8; And Sorcerers and Idolaters

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. 

Also connected with idolatry are magicians or “sorcerers”. The noun pharmakos occurs frequently used each time in connection with a religion the worships other than the true God (eg. Deuteronomy 18:11; Daniel 2:2; Malachi 3:5).

Deuteronomy 18:11 (KJV)  Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 

Daniel 2:2 (KJV)  Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 

Malachi 3:5 (KJV)  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Sorcery is in the same category as idolatry in Galatians 5:20.

Galatians 5:20 (KJV)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 

Sorcery will play a large part in the future delusion created by the beast (Revelation 9:21; 13:13-14; 18:23; 22:15).

Revelation 9:21 (KJV)  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 

Revelation 13:13-14 (KJV)  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 

Revelation 18:23 (KJV)  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 

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

Already many parading themselves as Christians are idolators (1 John 5:21; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 5:5).

1 John 5:21 (KJV)  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 

1 Corinthians 5:10-11 (KJV)  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 

Ephesians 5:5 (KJV)  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. 

Idolatry will be the rule rather than the exception under the reign of the beast (eg. Revelation 9:21; 13:14-15).

Revelation 9:21 (KJV)  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 

Revelation 13:14-15 (KJV)  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 

The New Jerusalem has no room for them (cf. Revelation 22:15).

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

[Robert L, Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 451-452]