Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:13-14)

Outer Darkness

Before the world was created, darkness was on the face of the deep. God would not create light until the first day. The light would be divided from the darkness, and the darkness would be called Night. God would not create the sun, moon, and stars until three days later. It is difficult to determine the depth of darkness before creation. God created light to dispel the darkness and rule over it, but the pre-creation darkness was something more than the absence of light. It was darkness at an eternal level unknown to the human eye.

Jesus had more to say about eternal punishment than any other Bible character. He is the only one to refer to the place of perdition as a place of “outer darkness.” This darkness was not like a moonless night or a dark cave. The kind of darkness described by Jesus was an eternal darkness with fear and horror in its wake. There are many places to go on Earth without artificial lights, and the night seems to resonate with a glow of darkness. The kind of place Jesus describes is a place of torment where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Three times, Jesus speaks about a place of outer darkness. A Roman centurion begs the Lord to heal one of his servants, and Jesus agrees to go and heal him. The centurion stops Jesus and declares his faith that he believes Jesus must only speak a word and the man would be healed. Jesus is astonished at his faith, commenting that He had not seen such faith among His own people. The Lord notes that those of the house of God who did not have this kind of faith would be cast out into outer darkness where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus describes a man who was at the feast and did not have a wedding garment on. The king ordered his servants to bind the man hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Finally, in the parable of the talents, the one talent man was thrown into the outer darkness. Jesus again emphasizes this will be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The place of outer darkness is the everlasting fire, the lake of fire and brimstone, everlasting punishment, and Hell. It is not a place of joy. Jesus said the rich man was in torment in the flames. The damned will spend eternity in outer darkness in the greatest horror they have ever known. There will be no relief and no end. It does not matter whether men can understand the concept of eternity and eternal punishment without end. Jesus declared He was the way, the truth, and the life, and He declared there is a place of eternal torment in the outer darkness.

Outer darkness is real. Jesus said it was real. There can be no doubt it is real. What is the saddest reality is that most people will be in outer darkness. The wicked, unrepentant, false religions, false faiths, and religious people in error will not be accepted into eternal life. Jesus will say to most people, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Only a few will be saved. Outer darkness will consume those who have not done the will of the Father. There is a terrible reality that awaits most people, but God is not willing for anyone to perish. Many will perish, but that is not the desire of a loving God. Outer darkness can be taken away with the Light of the world: Jesus Christ. Don’t believe men. Know the truth. Let the word of God show you the light of hope in obedience to the will of God.