The term dogs includes the immoral, but also it includes those who pervert doctrine (the Judaizing teachers)
and those who have no spiritual inclinations whatsoever. The third group of those who will be outside the gates of
Heaven in Revelation 22:15 consists of the predominantly immoral. There are four related words in the Greek language.
The first [4202] is the noun porneia, from which the English word pornography comes, and in all of its 26 appearances in
the New Testament it is translated “fornication.” Modern translations usually render it “sexual immorality.”
According to Thayer, it is used of “illicit sexual intercourse in general” (532). Jude 7 makes it clear that those giving
themselves over to fornication includes homosexuality (the verb form is with a preposition, ekporneuo) [1608].
Speaking of verbs, porneuo [4203] was used eight times in the Greek text and translated “commit fornication.”
Two more nouns are used. The first, pornee [4204], is rendered as “harlots” or “whores” twelve times. The second,
pornos [4206], is the male counterpart to “harlot”; ten times it is translated “fornicators” or “whoremongers.” This is the
word used of the man living with his father’s wife (1 Cor. 5:9-11), as well as describing those who had formerly practiced
that sin before becoming Christians (1 Cor. 6:9-11). God will judge those who refuse to repent (Heb. 13:4). All such
shall be kept out of Heaven (Rev. 21:8; 22:15).
Why deny them Heaven, since the lust of the flesh won’t exist there anyway? By that logic, those who loved
alcohol should be admitted, also, and while we are at it, why not allow the covetous to enter in as well, seeing that all
material things, including money, will no longer exist—it all having been burned up when the earth was destroyed (2
Peter 3:10-13)? Besides, of what value is it that a person ceases from sin because the material universe no longer exists?
(Theoretically, one might covet spiritual rewards that others received which the ungodly did not deserve.)
Two reasons explain why adulterers (and the others listed) shall remain outside. One is that they deserve to
be punished rather than rewarded. All their lives they exalted the fleshly above the spiritual. Knowing that a human
being’s lifespan cannot compare to never-ending eternity, they chose that which was temporary and inferior anyway.
The other reason for their exclusion is that their rebellious behavior toward God would carry over into the heavenly
realm. If they disobeyed continually during their lifetime on earth, how would they make the transition to loving obedience
in heaven? All of us choose our future by the way we respond to God now. What has your emphasis been?