Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - Outer darkness: A thousand years? or for eternity?

bearbear · 01-31-2014, 09:27 AM

Bible scholars seem to disagree if outer darkness is a region outside of the kingdom, or if it's another description of the lake of fire, or just the outer regions in the lake of fire or outside it. It's because there's only four references to it in the New Testament. Regarding this I'm not sure myself and perhaps others can chime in who have done more research in this area.

However most scholars would contend that the judgment in outer darkness is for eternity. No where in scripture does it suggest that those cast into the outer darkness are offered another chance to enter into the kingdom of God. If this was so, Paul would have written "will not inherit the kingdom of God for 1000 years", however verses like Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 all state unequivocally that those who are mastered by the lusts of their flesh and thereby practice sin will "not inherit the kingdom of God" or "have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God".

Ephesians 5:3-5
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Paul never hints at the kingdom of God being for a thousand years, rather scripture seems to indicate that it's for eternity.

The millennial reign of Jesus describes only one stage in the Messiah's kingdom. After the millennium is over, the New Jerusalem comes down to earth and there will be a new heaven and new earth. God's reign will continue into eternity from here on out as Revelation 21 describes.

Instead of limiting the term of God's kingdom to a thousand years, many places in scripture emphasize the kingdom of God being for eternity.

2 Peter 1:11
For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:32-33
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.

2 Samuel 7:16
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

Jesus words in Matthew 7:21-23 to those who claim him as Lord communicate that he wants nothing to do with those who profess him as Lord with their mouth but not their heart or their actions thereby living in lawlessness. No where is there an indication that Jesus will accept them back after a thousand years, instead it seems like he wants them to leave his presence forever in disgust that they and others would think that he could be associated with their works.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

In the few references to outer darkness in the gospels, it's usually described as a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth":

Luke 13:28
In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

If there were still hope of eternity with Jesus, then there would be at least some glory to look forward to. But one can probably infer that because there is no hope, all one can do is weep and gnash their teeth.

According to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeping...shing_of_teeth

The phrase "(there shall be) weeping and gnashing of teeth" (in the original Greek ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων) appears seven times in the New Testament as a description of the torments of the damned in Hell. It is thought to derive from a logion in the hypothetical Q source, which yielded Matthew 8:12 and Luke 13:28. The other five occurrences are all within the context of parables and are widely held to be redactional additions by Matthew.

In fact in Matthew 13:41–42, the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is used in the context of the "fiery furnace", presumably the lake of fire!

Matthew 13
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Lending credence to the idea that outer darkness is synonymous with the lake of fire or part of it. It's a place that's dark because there is no light, yet it is burning. This is because God is light and his presence is not there. Without God there is no light and only darkness.

01-31-2014, 09:27 AM	#2
bearbear Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 765	Re: Outer darkness: A thousand years? or for eternity? Bible scholars seem to disagree if outer darkness is a region outside of the kingdom, or if it's another description of the lake of fire, or just the outer regions in the lake of fire or outside it. It's because there's only four references to it in the New Testament. Regarding this I'm not sure myself and perhaps others can chime in who have done more research in this area. However most scholars would contend that the judgment in outer darkness is for eternity. No where in scripture does it suggest that those cast into the outer darkness are offered another chance to enter into the kingdom of God. If this was so, Paul would have written "will not inherit the kingdom of God for 1000 years", however verses like Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 all state unequivocally that those who are mastered by the lusts of their flesh and thereby practice sin will "not inherit the kingdom of God" or "have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God". Ephesians 5:3-5 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Paul never hints at the kingdom of God being for a thousand years, rather scripture seems to indicate that it's for eternity. The millennial reign of Jesus describes only one stage in the Messiah's kingdom. After the millennium is over, the New Jerusalem comes down to earth and there will be a new heaven and new earth. God's reign will continue into eternity from here on out as Revelation 21 describes. Instead of limiting the term of God's kingdom to a thousand years, many places in scripture emphasize the kingdom of God being for eternity. 2 Peter 1:11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Luke 1:32-33 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. 2 Samuel 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. Jesus words in Matthew 7:21-23 to those who claim him as Lord communicate that he wants nothing to do with those who profess him as Lord with their mouth but not their heart or their actions thereby living in lawlessness. No where is there an indication that Jesus will accept them back after a thousand years, instead it seems like he wants them to leave his presence forever in disgust that they and others would think that he could be associated with their works. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ In the few references to outer darkness in the gospels, it's usually described as a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth": Luke 13:28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. If there were still hope of eternity with Jesus, then there would be at least some glory to look forward to. But one can probably infer that because there is no hope, all one can do is weep and gnash their teeth. According to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeping...shing_of_teeth The phrase "(there shall be) weeping and gnashing of teeth" (in the original Greek ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων) appears seven times in the New Testament as a description of the torments of the damned in Hell. It is thought to derive from a logion in the hypothetical Q source, which yielded Matthew 8:12 and Luke 13:28. The other five occurrences are all within the context of parables and are widely held to be redactional additions by Matthew. In fact in Matthew 13:41–42, the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is used in the context of the "fiery furnace", presumably the lake of fire! Matthew 13 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Lending credence to the idea that outer darkness is synonymous with the lake of fire or part of it. It's a place that's dark because there is no light, yet it is burning. This is because God is light and his presence is not there. Without God there is no light and only darkness.