Revelation 21:8 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

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 21:9 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fearful", "unbelieving", "abominable", "murderers", "fornicators", "sorcerers", "idolaters", and "liars". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fearful" and "unbelieving", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "He that overcometh shall inherit these things..." into verse 9's "And there came one of the seven...", so "fearful" and "unbelieving" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fearful" and "unbelieving" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.