Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 21:8

"But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." — Revelation 21:8 (ASV)

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable . . .—Better, But for the cowardly and unfaithful (or, unbelieving) and defiled with abominations, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and for all the false, their part (is) in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

The list given here points to those classes of character that cannot find a place in the Holy City. Nothing that defileth shall enter in. The less glaring faults stand first: the cowardly and unbelieving.

There is a high and holy fear in which the Christian passes the time of his sojourn here (1 Peter 1:17). But there is a base and selfish fear, a fear of man, which brings a snare. Those who have faith boldly enter the strife, following the Lamb wherever He goes, and conquering by faith.

The cowardly sink into companionship with the faithless and unbelieving, and with the workers of iniquity. The abominations spoken of here refer to those mentioned in Revelation 17:4.

It has been thought that these characters form four pairs: fear and unbelief go hand in hand (Deuteronomy 20:1–8; Matthew 8:26); the workers of abomination and the murderers, and the fornicators and the sorcerers, are united as those who sin in secret; the idolaters and the false, as those who change God’s truth into a lie. (Colossians 3:5; Philippians 3:19).

Those who are thus shut out from the heavenly city stand in contrast to those who are admitted. Yet, among those admitted are some who have sinned through fear, faithlessness, and fleshliness. Sin indeed excludes from the city, but it is sin that is loved and unrepented of, which alone can close the gate of the city whose gates lie open day and night.