(2) The characters cast into the brimstone lake-- 21:8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the 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--verse 8. Here was the pronouncement of doom on all classes of the persecutors and all parties and accomplices to the persecutions, implying also a warning to any among the overcomers against falling into any of this catalog of things condemned. 1. The fearful were those who shrank from the conflict who were put here in contrast with the overcomers. 2. The unbelievers were not those who were apostates from Christ, but the dwellers of the earth (Palestine) in the heathen world hostile to Christ; and who in their perverse refusal to accept Christianity remained under condemnation. 3. The abominable were the characters who practiced the defilements of the heathen world and the harlot woman (17:4). 4. The murderers were the ones who had killed the prophets and had slain the saints (Matthew 23:31-36; Acts 7:52); and who were guilty of the blood of the martyrs who were in this vision avenged. 5. The fornicators (whoremongers) were figurative of all who were affiliated with the practices of the harlot woman which had been described. 6. The sorcerers and idolaters were terms figurative of heathen practices and worship. 7. The phrase all liars included all of the deceivers and means of deception which influenced the people of the earth (Palestine) to worship the Caesar-image, or to yield to any form of heathen philosophy that would prevent the acceptance of Christ. It is said that all of these classes of promoters of evil practices would be cast into the brimstone lake. This lake which burneth with fire and brimstone signified the complete destruction of the heathen powers that had persecuted Christ and his church. (See comments on chapter 19:20; 20:10) This would be the part, or the portion, of all the unbelievers. The explanations here and in chapter 19:20 and chapter 20: 10 do not deny, destroy or modify the resurrection and judgment of the wicked at the second coming of Christ, nor of the eternal punishment of the wicked, which doctrines are clearly taught in numerous portions of the scriptures of both the old and the new testaments. The purpose of the comments here is merely to place these apocalyptic passages in proper contextual perspective and relation to the symbolism of the Book Of Revelation and its message. In this context the second death was a figurative description of the punishment of the persecutors in contrast with the deaths of the martyrs of the first resurrection. All these would have part in this second death in suffering the same destruction. The ones who had part in it came to the same end as the persecuting beast--a figurative description of complete destruction and annihilation of all persecuting powers opposed to the church whose opposition was crushed.