The Outer Darkness

The term “outer darkness” is only mentioned three times in Scripture, and these words always come from Jesus himself.*

Matthew 8:12:
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:13:
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:30:
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Many assume that outer darkness describes hell for unbelievers, but does it really? 

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture yields some interesting observations, particularly when you look at several verses that appear prior to the verses that mention outer darkness.

In Matthew 5:22, Jesus says:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

In this passage, the Greek word “geenna” has been translated as hell (Strong #1067).  The NET translators write that this is the place of the future punishment called "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire".  Gehenna was originally the valley of Hinnom, which lies south of Jerusalem.  It was a place where refuse and dead animals were cast out and burned.  In his book, The Kingdom, James T. Harman writes that the fire of Gehenna correlates to the fire that will be used to test every believer’s works at the judgment seat of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)

In Matthew 5:30, Jesus says:

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Once again, the Greek word that has been translated as hell is actually Gehenna (Strong #1067).

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declares:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Here the Greek word translated as hell is actually “hades” (Strong #86). According to Strong’s, hades refers to Hades or Pluto (the god of the lower regions); Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead; and that the later use of the word refers to the grave, death, and hell.  Hades is also considered to be similar to the Old Testament word used to describe hell, which is “Sheol” (2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 6:5; Psalms 9:17; Psalms 16:10; Psalms 18:5; Psalms 49:14; Psalms 86:13; Psalms 88:3; Psalms 89:48; Psalms 139:8; Psalms 141:7; Proverbs 1:12; 15:24; Isaiah 14:15).

The fact that Jesus does not use the words Hades or Gehenna in Matthew 8:12, Matthew 22:13, and Matthew 25:30 makes me wonder: does the outer darkness refer to something completely different?

In his pamphlet titled "The Outer Darkness," Arlen Chitwood writes that outer darkness is the place where unfaithful Christians will be cast during the 1,000-year period of the millennial kingdom. Harman, however, writes that neither the outer darkness, nor the kingdom, are literal places.  Rather, he writes that “both are expressions of positions where the faithful will rule and reign with Christ, and the unfaithful will not.” 

In his book, Eternal Security, Charles Stanley writes that “To be in ‘outer darkness’ is to be in the kingdom of God but outside the circle of men and women whose faithfulness on this earth earned them a special rank of position or authority.”  Like Harman, Stanley believes that outer darkness does not represent a place, but a sphere of influence or a privilege.

I still have many lingering questions about the outer darkness, but I do not believe that it describes hell for unbelievers. 

Remember that in Mathew 7:21, when Jesus is talking about gaining entrance into the kingdom, He warns: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

And just prior to this statement, Jesus says: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

*In the NIV, the term outer darkness has been translated as “outside, into the darkness” all three times.