An idolater is a person who seeks his sense of well-being from any source other than the Lord God himself. Through the apostle John the Lord Jesus Christ has caused the glorious gospel of his own redeeming work to come again to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:11) and beyond them to the churches of all ages and places. In the struggles of real life (including the persistence of sin and the rage of the devil), the people of God are meant to find comfort and encouragement in this gospel. That is, they wash their robes
and so receive from their returned Lord the gracious reward of access to paradise restored. But those who hear the gospel and yet seek their redemption and happiness in any source other than Christ Jesus are in fact idolaters
and so ultimately find themselves outside.
15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.