Is outer darkness in Matthew 8:12 hell or the lake of fire?

The Outer Darkness — Place of Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

This article is concerned with what the Bible teaches about the “outer darkness.” The term occurs only three times in the Bible (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). Each passage will be examined to determine if the “outer darkness” refers to hell, the lake of fire, or something else. The definition, the location, and the suffering that will occur in the “outer darkness” will be explored. Finally, you will discover who will live in the outer darkness.

Definition of Outer Darkness

Matthew 8:11-12 records the first occurrence of “outer darkness.” Jesus said,

I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:11-12 (NASB)

The Greek words that are translated as “outer darkness” in all three verses in Matthew (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30) are ho ho exoteros skotos. The Koine Greek word for exoteros simply means outer or outside, and skotos is a common Koine Greek word for darkness. The Koine Greek word ho is the definite article “the.” Thus a literal translation of the Greek words is “the darkness the outside.” The existence of the definite articles adds emphasis that communicates “the darkness” and “the outside” are to be understood as literal realities. That is, the outer darkness is an actual place on the outside¹ where the weeping and gnashing exists.

Location of the Outer Darkness

The second time “outer darkness” is found is in Matthew 22:13-14.

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

In this passage we are given the concluding statement of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet which started in Matthew 22:1. The parable teaches that those who accept God the Father’s invitation to enter the kingdom of heaven are welcome to come and enjoy it. The parable symbolizes those who believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of their sins. They will enter heaven. The parable reveals that those who do not accept the Father’s invitation will be thrown into the outer darkness which is the place where the wicked will suffer “the weeping and the gnashing” of teeth. Since the parable contrasts entrance to the kingdom of heaven to the outer darkness, that reveals the outer darkness is synonymous with hell. That is, people will either enter the kingdom of heaven or the outer darkness which is hell.

In addition, Mark 9:47 indicates that people will either enter the kingdom of God (that is, kingdom of heaven) or hell. Heaven is the opposite of hell. If we compare Matthew 22:13-14 to Mark 9:47, we learn that the outer darkness is not an intermediate state but hell itself.

Therefore, the outer darkness refers to hell. It is a place outside of heaven. Revelation 21:22-26 teaches us that God the Father and Christ will be the light of heaven. Heaven will be filled with the radiant light of the Shekinah glory of God, and the outer darkness is outside of heaven. Revelation 21:8 teaches that the unbelievers will spend eternity in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Revelation 22:14-15 compares those who have the right to the tree of life and to the holy city of Jerusalem, to those who dwell outside. That is, those on the outside are dwelling in the outer darkness. A.T. Robertson states that the outer darkness refers to hell or punishment in Matthew 22:13; 25:30.²

In addition, Jude 1:13 reveals that there are degrees of darkness in hell when it says, “For whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.” If we combine all of the passages together, we learn that hell or the lake of fire is a place of various degrees of darkness, fire, brimstone, and suffering. This reveals that the flames of the lake of fire do not give light. The brimstone gives intense heat but does not give light.

In summary, the outer darkness is a place called hell, which is also described by the phrase “lake of fire.” It exists outside of the holy city of Jerusalem which is filled with the radiant light of the Shekinah glory of God.

What Happens in the Outer Darkness

The third important passage is Matthew 25:30 which also reveals that the outer darkness is a place. It is not just an adjective or some imaginary idea.

Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30 (NASB)

The phrase “weeping and gnashing” is literally “the weeping and the gnashing” in the Greek. The definite article emphasizes that “the weeping” and “the gnashing” are real and specific types of suffering. It is a future reality that awaits the worthless slaves or the unbelievers. The wicked will be thrown into the place which is known as the outer darkness, and suffer punishments known as “the weeping” and “the gnashing.” This suffering will occur because the wicked will feel the eternal flames of hell (Matthew 18:9).

Who Lives in Outer Darkness

A fourth fact about the place of outer darkness is that only the wicked are those who will live there forever. We have already discovered this fact in the previous two sections. In this section, additional verses are provided which reveal believers in Christ will never live in the outer darkness. Only unbelievers will dwell in the darkness outside.

Matthew 13:41-43 compares the wicked to the righteous. As you read the following passage, notice who will experience the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:41-43 (NASB)

The wicked in this passage are “all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness.” It is these individuals who will be thrown into the furnace of fire, which is another description of hell. The furnace of fire is a description of the “lake of fire.” Matthew 25:41 refers to hell or the lake of fire as the eternal fire. It is there that the wicked, the devil, and his evil angels will be sent to live forever. Revelation 20:10 tells us that the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone.

Matthew 13:49-50 is more specific when it states that at the end of the age, the wicked will be removed from among the righteous and thrown into a furnace of fire, with weeping and gnashing of teeth. This makes it even clearer that only the wicked will be thrown into the “furnace of fire,” that is, hell or the lake of fire.

Most Bible scholars agree that the phrase “outer darkness” refers to hell or, more properly, the lake of fire (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 13:50; and 25:30,41). It is unusual for anyone to claim this is not true.

Conclusion

When Jesus made the statement, “the sons of the kingdom,” in Matthew 8:12, He was referring to the Sadducees and Pharisees who believed that they were destined to inherit the kingdom of heaven simply because they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The highly regarded Greek scholar A.T. Robertson stated that the term “the sons of the kingdom” is,

A favourite Hebrew idiom like “son of hell” (Matt. 23:15), “sons of this age” (Luke 16:8). The Jews felt that they had a natural right to the privileges of the kingdom because of descent from Abraham (Matt. 3:9). But mere natural birth did not bring spiritual sonship as the Baptist had taught before Jesus did.²

This helps us understand why Jesus redefined “sons of the kingdom” in Matthew 13:38 as referring to believers. Jesus was correcting the false view of the Jewish religious leaders who believed they were “sons of the kingdom” by birth. But Jesus told them that was not true. They would be cast into a real place called the outer darkness, which is outside of heaven because they refused to believe in Christ. The outer darkness is a real place. It is a place of eternal punishment with degrees of darkness, which implies degrees of evil.

References:

1. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 226.
2. A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Mt 8:12.
3. Ibid.