“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more…… The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars  — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:1, 7-8 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/rev.21.1-8.CSB

Who are those who conquer, and what did they conquer to receive eternal life with God in His new kingdom? The first resurrection in the previous chapter was given to those who had suffered for their testimony of the Lamb and their faithful obedience to Him. These were chosen to live with Him for the thousand years of His reign before making the new heaven and earth. They conquered their fear of men and their fear of death. They were not cowards, denying Jesus implicitly by silence or explicitly by testimony, thus becoming faithless by not believing in Him, Who determines the days of all people that He could rescue them or else take them to receive their eternal reward. The conquerors did not indulge their flesh by living as though God did not exist or care about people’s choices. That kind of person forgets that judgment awaits every person, for every person will give an account for every word, thought, and deed done, measured against the person of Jesus and His commands for us. Today’s world is becoming increasingly hostile to Jesus and His Church because the Church has been disobedient in making disciples by teaching earnestly and consistently obedience to everything Jesus commands. So here we are among rebels whose anger toward Jesus grows, pouring out upon His people in violence and persecution. Christians must stand with Christ today by testifying of His ways persistently and consistently to win some to Christ and guarantee their place with Christ in the world to come.