“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

The observance of Halloween on this date has been going on since long before Christ, especially among the Druids. It was resided over, they believed, by Saman, the lord of death, and was supposedly the night when witches and ghosts of all the wicked dead were able to roam about freely, marked also by the lighting of bonfires everywhere.

It is perhaps an appropriate time, therefore, for Christians and others to think about the fires of hell and those who will be there. Our text describes it as a lake of fire and calls it the second death. Those who go there include not only “the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters” but also “the fearful, and unbelieving, . . . and all liars.” The “fearful” refers especially to those who are afraid to take a stand for Christ and “liars” refers especially to those false teachers who spread lies about Christ and His saving gospel. The sin of unbelief is the one unforgivable sin, for “he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

There is still opportunity, however, for even the worst sinner to escape hell and be saved. After enumerating an unsavory list of those who are “unrighteous” and will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9,10), the apostle Paul then notes: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”

(I Corinthians 6:11). Any person can be saved from hell by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as His Savior. HMM