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Pergamos.
Promise.
New name
(Rev. 2:17 and 19:12).
Threat.
Fight, sword, mouth
(Rev. 2:16 and 19:15).
Thyatira.
Promise.
Rod of Iron (Rev. 2:27 and 12:5).
Threat.
Kill with death
(Rev. 2:23 and 20:14).
Sardis.
Promise.
Not blot out
(Rev. 3:5 and 20:12,15).
Philadelphia.
Promise.
New Jerusalem
(Rev. 3:12 and 21:2).
Laodicea.
Promise.
Sit in throne
(Rev. 3:21 and 20:4).
If 'the second death' be the doom that awaits the wicked dead, what
congruity is there between the Position, 'priests of God and of Christ and
the Promise', 'on such the second death hath no power' (Rev. 20:6)? Anyone
with the slightest knowledge of the gospel of grace, knows that 'there is ...
no condemnation' possible for the believer 'in Christ'. Now this second
death is equated with 'the lake of fire' (Rev. 20:14,15) and so falls within
the bounds of our present inquiry. This lake of fire is mentioned
in five passages in the Revelation, and in several other passages by
implication:
'The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the
mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone' (Rev. 19:20).
'And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are (or were), and
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever' (Rev. 20:10).
'And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the
second death' (Rev. 20:14).
'And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire' (Rev. 20:15).
'He that overcometh shall inherit all things ... but the fearful ...
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death' (Rev. 21:7,8).
The first thing we must note is that in Revelation 21, the doom of
those parallel with verse 8, is said to be exclusion from the heavenly
Jerusalem (Rev. 21:27). Let us make sure of this.
Rev. 21:8
Rev. 21:27
'But the fearful, and unbelieving,
'And there shall in no wise enter
and the abominable, and
into it anything that defileth,
murderers, and whoremongers,
neither whatsoever worketh