Yes, the flesh is not found in the book of life. It's death. D-E-A-T-H. Death (the flesh) is also the last enemy to be destroyed/done away with:
Okay, I pondered your post to try to isolate the differences between our points of view.
This is what I found:
1) You are correct, death will be the last enemy to be destroyed. But... (that) death it is not THE death.
The death for the unsaved, is the SECOND DEATH and is death eternal. That is why God makes distinction
between the two deaths. The distinction being that one is physical death, the other spiritual death.
Notice in Rev 20:5 -6, that only those saved (only those of the first resurrection) are safe from the second death.
So, if some won't suffer it, then the others must suffer it. We can see that by the "the second death hath no
power". If the second death has no power on those of the first resurrection, then it definitely must have power over
those not of the first resurrection.
[Rev 20:5-6 KJV]
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such
the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
We can also see in the following verses that there will be torment for the unsaved for "ever and ever".
[Rev 14:10-11 KJV]
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Also, in Luke 16:25, the "now he is comforted, and thou art tormented".
[Luk 16:25 KJV] 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now
he is comforted, and
thou art tormented.
Look at
Rev 21:3 in particular. It's speaking of
unbelievers. Not believers. Believers are already (present tense) the temple/tabernacle of God, they are already (present tense) His people and God is already (present tense) their God. The verbs (high-lighted/underlined) in
Rev 21:3 are being used in the future tense/indicative mood. These events are waiting to happen after death (the flesh) is
no more.
Rev 21:3 is NOT speaking of unbelievers. The tenses are different because the perspectives being conveyed are different. As demonstrated by the above verses, only the saved will not suffer the second death, and be the citizens of the new holy city. Look at Rev 3:12. Only those who "overcometh" (through Christ), will be in the temple of God and of
the new Jerusalem.
[Rev 3:12 KJV]
12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is]
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.
Rev 21:3 is speaking of the time WHEN the new Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, comes down from
heaven, which occurs at the end of time, but was a future event relative to the perspective of John when he was writing of it. However, the voice that John heard was describing that which began to occur after Christ's offering was completed and will continue until the end of time - that those who are to become saved/born again (His elect), are indwelt with the Holy Spirit (God). John, on the other hand, was speaking prophetically - of something that would occur - not something that was occurring: those events obviously had not yet occurred, neither could they have at the time of John's writing of them. For example, the first heaven and earth had not passed away, and the new heaven and new earth had not come down from heaven.
[Rev 21:1-3 KJV]
1 And I saw a
new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
[Heb 9:11-12 KJV]
11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
