The Cowardly Shall Suffer in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8) - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios

Excerpt from homilies on Revelation, Lesson 89 (Rev. 21:8) by Elder Athanasios   The Lord said to the Apostle John: "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." -Revelation 21:8   Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, a dynamic and beloved preacher, abbot of the Monastery of Komnineiou and Saint John the Theologian in Stomion, Larisa, Greece, gave 104 consecutive lessons of Revelation to thousands of faithful. This beloved elder, venerated by many in Greece and around the world, reposed in the Lord in the year 2006.    The edifying lecture series by Fr. Peter Heers on the Revelation of Jesus Christ can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCFiE3qfVkDhKNfZnuLfsyW-xwVicvogB  Elder Athanasios says:   “The very first category includes the cowardly, which may be surprising to some. Did you ever dream that cowardice would be such a heavy sin? I believe with a little analysis you will come to agree with the mind of Scripture regarding this vice. Initially we must mention that many faithful Orthodox Christians suffer from cowardice. I do not know about you personally, but I feel that I must constantly remind myself about this danger. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, and I do not know how I will stand under persecution. No one should be totally confident about his ability to remain unscathed by future temptations and difficulties. He who is overconfident and self-assured of his bravery lacks understanding.”   “We do not know, beloved, how we will react if and when that time comes. Those who we may label as weak may turn into lions at the moment of challenge, and those who appear and act like lions now may prove to be most cowardly, and turn their back on their faith. Generally speaking, however, cowardice seems to be like a dark cloud that covers all of us faithful Christians today, and it is quite obvious in our daily lives. The coward is in direct opposition to the one who struggles and to the one who strives for victory. Christ promised His inheritance to the one who thirsts, the one who undertakes the Christian struggle, the victor. The cowardly do not wish to enter the spiritual arena, because they find the struggle burdensome, difficult, and unachievable. They are terribly afraid of the God-opposing powers of the world and everything that opposes their faith. They are afraid to face the opposite paradigm, and they finally betray the tenets of the their faith due to their cowardice. This can be especially true during a time of widespread persecution. Let us not forget that the gospel was never free of persecution, ever during its golden epochs. This is the nature of the genuine gospel, and it needs to be so, because otherwise the Word of God would be speaking falsehoods.”   “As we were saying, there has been no one who wished to live a godly life, a life of piety, who did not face persecution (cf. 1 Tim 3:12). The gospel and its followers are in a permanent state of persecution, not excluding the snide remarks, sarcasm, and opposition from those of our own family. And the enemies of a man will be the members of his own household (Matthew 10:36).”   Purchase Volume V of the homilies on Revelation, as well as Volume I to IV here: https://www.zoepress.us   Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!