Who are those who love and practice a lie?
Question:
In Revelation 22:15, John seems to be saying one last time who will enter the kingdom and who will not. All the other things I understand, but the last part when he says those who love and practice a lie is somewhat unclear to me. I understand the general meaning and how that relates to Revelation 21:8, but there must be a more specific group he is talking to. Could it mean actors?
Answer:
"But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie" (Revelation 22:15).
The statement is very similar to the list found in Revelation 21:8: "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." In a sense, "whoever loves and practices a lie" is an expansion on the phrase "all liars."
"Practices a lie" refers to people who actively tell lies. "Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity" (Jeremiah 9:5). "Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).
"Loves lies" is referring to the receivers of lies. Some people prefer to be told lies than to face the truth. "That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us" (Isaiah 30:9-11). "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (II Timothy 4:3-4). "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (II Thessalonians 2:9-10).
Thus, God condemns both those who tell lies and those who rather hear lies than the truth. Actors, people who play roles, are not being directly condemned in this passage.
