The Outer Darkness - The Biased
Corruption of FEMA – Calif To Get Hit By Two More Storms - The Playboy Enterprise
& Child Trafficking & Tunnel - ATLAS SHRUGS & Warming - New
California Seeks to Secede – Tornadoes Rip the South – 80 Below in Siberia - Pilots
Dropping Dead From Jabs - Russian FM & Truth About US & UN - Classified
Docs Tie Biden to Illegal Deals and more.
Researched & Comments by Pastor
Gary Boyd
Jan. 13th 2023
Derek Johnson & SGAnon PATRIOT
EVENT Stream January 13, 2023! - Must Video - Friday, January 13, 2023 10:41 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/derek-johnson-sganon-patriot-event-stream-january-13-2023-must-video-3652084.html
SG Anon, Michael Jaco And Kevin Hoyt:
Recent Flights Cancelled Similar To 911!! New Joe Biden Face!! CIA control of
Hugh Hefner, the Playboy enterprise, child trafficking and tunnels…Friday,
January 13, 2023 11:28 - https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/01/sg-anon-michael-jaco-and-kevin-hoyt-recent-flights-cancelled-similar-to-911-new-joe-biden-face-cia-control-of-hugh-hefner-the-playboy-enterprise-child-trafficking-and-tunnels-3787007.html
Fake Interview? Piers Morgan Interviews
Bill Hicks (Playing Role as Alex Jones) Discussing Sandy Hook... but if Piers,
Alex and Sandy Hook Are Real, Why Does Adam Lanza Look Exactly Like David Hogg,
and Why Are the Sandy Hook Victims Photographed as Still Alive?? Why Does Alex
Look Like Bill??!! - Friday, January 13, 2023 11:06 - https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/01/fake-interview-piers-morgan-interviews-bill-hicks-playing-role-as-alex-jones-discussing-sandy-hook-but-if-piers-alex-and-sandy-hook-are-real-why-does-adam-lanza-look-exactly-like-david-hogg-3787003.html
ATLAS SHRUGS - Washington Post:
Climate Is “NOT Warming” But It’s “WORSE For the Planet!” - Friday, January 13,
2023 10:41 - In the not-so-distant past, scientists predicted that global
temperatures would surge dramatically throughout this century, assuming that
humans would rely heavily on fossil fuels for decades. But they are revising
their forecasts as they track both signs of progress and unexpected hazards. Accelerating
solar and wind energy adoption means global warming probably will not reach the
extremes once feared, climate scientists say. At the same time, recent heat,
storms and ecological disasters prove, they say, that climate change impacts
could be more severe than predicted even with less warming. https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/washington-post-climate-is-not-warming-but-its-worse-for-the-planet-3652083.html
Benjamin Fulford Friday's Bombshells:
Nancy Pelosi Is "Gone", Federal Reserve Building Fenced In, Watch The
Oceans, Incredible Anomaly Off Coast Of California!! - Friday, January 13, 2023
10:35 - https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/01/benjamin-fulford-fridays-bombshells-nancy-pelosi-is-gone-federal-reserve-building-fenced-in-watch-the-oceans-incredible-anomaly-off-coast-of-california-3787002.html
State of New California Seeks to
Secede and Create New State, Convention Held Calling for Secession - Friday,
January 13, 2023 10:17 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/state-of-new-california-seeks-to-secede-and-create-new-state-convention-held-calling-for-secession-3652078.html
Los Angeles Turns Into An Ocean!!
Staggering Images Incoming Of Extreme California Weather… Flash Floods,
Mudslides, Heavy Rain!! - January 12, 2023 - https://www.ournewearthnews.com/los-angeles-turns-into-an-ocean-staggering-images-incoming/
ACCUWEATHER: At least 8 dead after
tornadoes rip across the South - Officials in both Alabama and Georgia issued
emergency declarations following the deadly storms on Thursday that left many
communities damaged and without power. - By Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff
writer - Published Jan 13, 2023 8:42 AM CST | Updated Jan 13, 2023 10:00 AM CST
- https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/at-least-8-dead-after-tornadoes-rip-across-the-south/1468034
ACCUWEATHER: Extreme cold grips
Siberia, as temperatures fall to lowest levels since 2002 - By Bill Deger, AccuWeather
senior meteorologist - Published Jan 12, 2023 11:07 AM CST | Updated Jan 13,
2023 10:48 AM CST - The coldest air on Earth plunged into Siberia this week,
dropping temperatures to as low as 80 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. An
expansion of that cold is expected across eastern Asia into early next week and
eventually North America, according to AccuWeather forecasters. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/extreme-cold-grips-siberia-as-temperatures-fall-to-lowest-levels-since-2002/1467396
STRANGE SOUNDS: Two monster storms
about to bomb already drenched California this weekend - Jan 12, 2023 - Two
more storms will roll into far Northern California this weekend and into early
next week. Some of the rain and snow will spill into the rest of the Golden
State, raising the risk for light to moderate bands of rain in areas that are
filled to the brim from all the recent storms. https://strangesounds.org/2023/01/two-monster-storms-about-to-bomb-already-drenched-california-during-the-next-days.html
THE RUTHERFORD INSTITUTE: Don’t Trust
the Government with Your Privacy, Property or Your Freedoms - By John &
Nisha Whitehead - January 11, 2023 - John Whitehead - How do you trust a
government that continuously sidesteps the Constitution and undermines our
rights? You can’t. When you consider all the ways “we the people” are being
bullied, beaten, bamboozled, targeted, tracked, repressed, robbed, impoverished,
imprisoned and killed by the government, one can only conclude that you
shouldn’t trust the government with your privacy, your property, your life, or
your freedoms. Consider for yourself. Don’t trust the government with your
privacy, digital or otherwise. In the two decades since 9/11, the
military-security industrial complex has operated under a permanent state of
emergency…. https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/dont_trust_the_government_with_your_privacy_property_or_your_freedoms
REPORT: American Airlines Put A Stop
To Flights - “Our Pilots Are Dropping Dead From COVID Jabs” - Friday, January
13, 2023 11:52 - How many times have Americans been warned about the fruit of this
last plandemic (Ezekiel 3)? Broadcasting on radio, paying attention to the
grass roots level truth tellers across the world, and listening to the tens of
thousands of doctors that warned us of the fruit of these experimental jabs;
there is no excuse (Jeremiah 5:21)! Consider the source of those who sold you
this “plandemic,” Americans! - https://beforeitsnews.com/u-s-politics/2023/01/report-american-airlines-put-a-stop-to-flights-our-pilots-are-dropping-dead-from-covid-jabs-2600353.html
The Stuff Is Hitting the Fan! - Dan
Bongino - Friday, January 13, 2023 11:44 - The latest shocking Twitter Files
drop exposes the troubling mechanics of the deep state, and how they organize
to attack conservatives. In this episode, I address the scandal. https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/the-stuff-is-hitting-the-fan-dan-bongino-3652094.html
Charlie Ward: The White Hats Are
Bringing Down The Banking System With Emily & Mahoney! - Part 3 - Must
Video - Friday, January 13, 2023 14:17 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/charlie-ward-the-white-hats-are-bringing-down-the-banking-system-with-emily-mahoney-part-3-must-video-3652108.html
Russian FM Spokeswoman Zakharova laid
out the whole truth about the US and the UN on the table - Friday, January 13,
2023 12:54 - https://beforeitsnews.com/international/2023/01/russian-fm-spokeswoman-zakharova-laid-out-the-whole-truth-about-the-us-and-the-un-on-the-table-2510623.html
REAL RAW NEWS: The Biased Corruption
of FEMA - By Michael Baxter -January 12, 2023 - There is a significant
disparity between how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responded
to the recent California floods versus how it treated displaced Floridians in
the aftermath of Hurricane Ian last September, according to a White Hat study
chronicling the agency’s perpetual misdeeds against American citizens. https://realrawnews.com/2023/01/the-biased-corruption-of-fema/
US MILITARY NEWS: Restored Republic via
a GCR - By Divina Ellisson - 13 January, 2023 – Multiple stashes of classified
docs that tied Biden to illegal deals to China were found in Biden’s possession
– CCP bought classified docs from Biden regime - 70% of money congress targeted
for Ukraine was sent to 33rd Freemason, Rockefellers, Jesuits, Rothschild,
Blackrock which ran US – Military industrial Complex also got a chunk and
created weapons & wars for illegal and blackmail money laundering
operations across globe - https://theusmilitarynews.com/restored-republic-via-a-gcr-update-as-of-january-13-2023/
Analysts Believe Increased Spending
On Ukraine Disproportionately Benefits Western Military Industrial Complex - By
Jose Nino - Jan 9, 2023 - In a post published by TASS on January 9, 2023, two
international relations analysts declared that the Collective West’s defense
industry stands to benefit from weapons shipments to Ukraine. Andrey Kortunov,
the director general at the Russian International Affairs Council think tank,
is of the view that the United States’ defense industry is one of the principal
beneficiaries due to how it has exploited the Russo-Ukrainian conflict as a way
to expand its reach into European defense markets. - https://bigleaguepolitics.com/analysts-believe-increased-spending-on-ukraine-disproportionately-benefits-western-military-industrial-complex/
Charlie Ward & Chas Carter:
Central Bank Digital Currency Is Under The Control Of The White Hats! Scare
Event? Uranium Found In UK Airport! - Must Video - Friday, January 13, 2023
9:26 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/charlie-ward-chas-carter-central-bank-digital-currency-is-under-the-control-of-the-white-hats-scare-event-uranium-found-in-uk-airport-must-video-3652071.html
Kim Goguen: Mid-Month Situation
Report (Video) - Thursday, January 12, 2023 19:15 - Kim is back with a
mid-month situation report and man, she is ono fire in this one! Te Fed reserve
is going down, as our main enemies! They are being picked off one by one and
Kim reminds us to keep the faith, because many things are happening that we
cannot see.. https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/01/kim-goguen-mid-month-situation-report-video-2-3786961.html
Yes, Virginia, There IS a Deep
State—and It Is Worse than You Think – By Ludwig Von Mises Institute - Friday, January 13, 2023
7:33 - https://beforeitsnews.com/libertarian/2023/01/yes-virginia-there-is-a-deep-state-and-it-is-worse-than-you-think-2799706.html
AWK Interview With Sheila Holm:
Monument Truths Unveiled! Deep State Secrets Revealed For All To See! Pray! -
And We Know - Friday, January 13, 2023 8:12 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/awk-interview-with-sheila-holm-monument-truths-unveiled-deep-state-secrets-revealed-for-all-to-see-pray-and-we-know-3652063.html
Warning: President Trump On The Fact
That Biden Committed A Crime To Take Classified Documents! - Must Video - Friday,
January 13, 2023 8:35 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/warning-president-trump-on-the-fact-that-biden-committed-a-crime-to-take-classified-documents-must-video-3652066.html
The True Occultic & Secret
Society History Behind Friday The 13th & Knights Templar Exposed - Friday,
January 13, 2023 2:22 - https://beforeitsnews.com/awakening-start-here/2023/01/the-true-occultic-secret-society-history-behind-friday-the-13th-knights-templar-exposed-17918.html
Lisa Marie Presley Dies Suddenly At
54 - Another Victim Of The "Safe & Effective" COVID Shot? - Friday,
January 13, 2023 9:36 - https://beforeitsnews.com/celebrities/2023/01/lisa-marie-presley-dies-suddenly-at-54-another-victim-of-the-safe-effective-covid-shot-2476419.html
Eyewitness Information! They Are
KEEPING This A SECRET! - Goshen Prepping - Friday, January 13, 2023 8:49 - Between
the FAA problems with NOTAM, Gas and Diesel prices, inflation rates, and our
economy, there are eyewitness accounts that they are keeping things hidden from
you. https://beforeitsnews.com/prepper/2023/01/eyewitness-information-they-are-keeping-this-a-secret-goshen-prepping-3138.html
ATLAS SHRUGS - Trump Peace: UAE
Becomes 1st Middle Eastern Country to Mandate Holocaust Education in Schools - Friday,
January 13, 2023 8:33 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/01/trump-peace-uae-becomes-1st-middle-eastern-country-to-mandate-holocaust-education-in-schools-3652065.html
Tens of thousands of illegal votes
found!? - JANUARY 12, 2023 - https://thehornnews.com/tens-of-thousands-of-illegal-votes-found/?bsft_aaid=aea3e268-9699-44e1-966a-66f6731f61a8&bsft_eid=43e5b84a-9529-0e02-7c39-cf55808520d3&bsft_clkid=584e335b-53e3-4c8e-8a6e-3803a3038424&bsft_uid=2bb9b966-a290-4f17-b069-13fd7401f703&bsft_mid=a52b45c5-6747-4626-9b45-fd6c0085ca24&bsft_utid=2bb9b966-a290-4f17-b069-13fd7401f703-HORNNEWS&bsft_mime_type=html&bsft_ek=2023-01-13T00%3A00%3A39Z&bsft_lx=3&bsft_tv=4
100 EU Parliamentarians Sign Letter
Calling for Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Terrorist Designation - by Andrew
Bernard – Jan 12th 2023 - More than 100 members of the European
Parliament on Wednesday signed a letter calling for the European Union to
designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety as a
terrorist organization, as world powers continue to ratchet up rhetoric against
the Iranian regime. https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/01/12/100-eu-parliamentarians-sign-letter-calling-for-iranian-revolutionary-guard-corps-terrorist-designation/
Project Veritas Strikes Again: Pfizer
scientist admits the unthinkable on hidden camera… they all knew…January 10,
2023 - https://www.revolver.news/2023/01/project-veritas-strikes-again-pfizer-scientist-admits-the-unthinkable-on-hidden-camera-they-all-knew/
Greece Fights Back: 24 NGO Workers
Face 25 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking - By Amy Mek - January 12, 2023 -
On Tuesday, January 10, the trial of 24 NGO workers accused of aiding illegal
migration, money laundering, espionage, disclosing state secrets, and human
trafficking began in Lesbos, Greece. The left-wing activists from Emergency
Response Center International (ERCI), accused by the government of being a
criminal organization, could face up to 25 years in prison for their
activities. - https://rairfoundation.com/greece-fights-back-24-ngo-workers-face-25-years-in-prison-for-human-trafficking/
STEW PETERS SHOW: Troops Die SUDDENLY
After Military Purge US Military Faces National Security Crisis Post-Vax Rollout
- https://www.stewpeters.com/video/2023/01/troops-die-suddenly-after-military-purge-us-military-faces-national-security-crisis-post-vax-rollout/
WASHINGTON TIMES: FBI reveals it uses
CIA and NSA to spy on Americans - By Ryan Lovelace - The Washington Times -
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - The FBI revealed how the bureau uses the CIA and
National Security Agency to probe the private lives of Americans without a
warrant in its updated rulebook, which is the first version made public since
the Obama administration. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/10/fbi-reveals-it-uses-cia-and-nsa-spy-americans/
LIFE SITE NEWS: 2,000 suspended Greek
healthcare workers who refused COVID jab go back to work after 16 months - Many
healthcare workers worldwide continue to labor under coercive COVID rules and
mandates, even as many other COVID-related requirements have been lifted. (LifeSiteNews)
— Jan. 9th 2023 - Thousands of healthcare workers in Greece who were
suspended for refusing to get jabbed with the experimental COVID-19 shots were
finally able to return to work last week after the Council of State ordered
that the mandate be rolled back. The move comes as healthcare workers continue
to labor under coercive COVID rules and mandates worldwide, even as many other
COVID-related requirements have been lifted. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/2000-suspended-greek-healthcare-workers-who-refused-covid-jab-go-back-to-work-after-16-months/
by Jack Kelley
Researched by Pastor Gary Boyd
Jan. 13th 2023
I’ve received several questions
lately asking for clarification of the term “Outer Darkness.” So here is an
updated and expanded version of a study I did on the subject several years
ago.The outer darkness is mentioned a total of four times in the New Testament;
three by name and one by implication and always by Jesus.
The term is not used anywhere else in
the Old Testament or New or by anyone else.Those who ask about the outer
darkness want to know if it’s another name for the place of eternal punishment
or if it’s some place different. And they want to know who’s going there.
The problem I’ve had in researching
this is there is no general agreement among scholars as to what it is, where it
is or even for whom it’s intended. While most experts say it’s for unbelievers
some actually teach that it’s a place where believers who have not properly
sanctified themselves will go after the Rapture.
According to these teachers some
believers will be taken in the Rapture because they believe Jesus died for
their sins and rose again. But instead of beginning their eternal life of bliss
in the presence of the Lord, they’ll spend the Millennium “outside, in the
darkness” learning to live a holy life so they’ll be fit to dwell in the Lord’s
presence during eternity. Thankfully, there’s not a shred of biblical evidence
to support this view.
On the contrary, at the moment of the
Rapture all believers will be made perfect, conformed to the likeness of the
Son (Romans 8:29, 1 John 3:2), having become in fact that which we currently
are by faith (2 Cor. 5:17).
There’s also no agreement as to
whether the outer darkness is a physical location or simply a state of being.
The phrase outer darkness literally means, “outside, where there is no light.”
But the Greek word for darkness can be used metaphorically to mean spiritual
ignorance or blindness. An accompanying phrase describes it as a place of
weeping and gnashing of teeth, which denotes extreme anguish and utter despair.
So whether you think it’s a state of
mind or a physical location the outer darkness is obviously not a nice place to
be.
For many generations it was simply
thought to be another name for Hell. But Hell, or more accurately Hades, is not
a permanent destination. It’s a temporary one that will be thrown into the lake
of fire at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:14). What I read about the outer
darkness leads me to believe it’s a permanent state.
So let’s take another look at its
four appearances to see if we can answer some of the lingering questions about
the outer darkness.
The first time Jesus mentioned the
outer darkness was in Matt. 8:12 at the end of His encounter with the Roman
Centurion. When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking
for help.
Matt. 8:5-12
“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at
home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and
heal him.’ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come
under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I
myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’
and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do
this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was
astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not
found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come
from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the
kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.”
In this reference to the outer
darkness, Jesus was clearly speaking to and about Israel. He was criticizing
the Jews because a Gentile Roman soldier was demonstrating a stronger faith in
Him than they had. He said that their lack of faith would result in people from
all over the world (Gentiles) inheriting the Kingdom, while the Jews, who were
the Kingdom’s intended subjects would be thrown into the outer darkness, a
place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Israel was then (and will be again) God’s
Kingdom on earth. The Lord repeated His warning to them in Matt. 21:43 when He
said, “Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” It’s obvious that the Lord
believed they were the subjects of the Kingdom or else why would He threaten to
take it away from them?
So in His first mention of the outer
darkness the Lord warned the Jewish people of His time that at the End of the
Age, Gentile believers like the Centurion would join the Jewish patriarchs at
the Feast inaugurating the Kingdom Age while they themselves would be thrown
outside into the darkness for failing to recognize their Messiah.
The next time He mentioned it was in
Matt. 22:13 as part of His parable of the Wedding Banquet:
Matt. 22:1-14
“Jesus spoke to them again in
parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding
banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the
banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
Then he sent some more servants and
said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen
and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the
wedding banquet.’
But they paid no attention and went
off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants,
mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and
destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, ‘The
wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to
the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants
went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both
good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to see the
guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’
he asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was
speechless.
Then the king told the attendants,
‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are
chosen.”
There are three things to keep in
mind here. First, the bride is never mentioned in this parable. Second, a bride
is not considered a last minute guest and in any case could never be thrown out
of her own wedding. And third, the banquet follows the wedding, so in the
context of the parable the wedding has already taken place.
To accept the view that this parable
is about the Church you have to ignore these facts. Then you have to assume
that some in the Church are the Bride while others are not. But the Bible never
even hints of that. It’s a manmade conclusion without any support. If we’re
saved, we’re in the Church and if we’re in the Church we are the bride of
Christ (2 Cor. 11:2).
In parables everything is symbolic of
something else, and the Bible always explains what they stand for. Isaiah 61:10
explains that the wedding clothes represent righteousness:
“I delight greatly in the LORD; my
soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and
arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a
priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
Here’s how I see it: In Rev. 16:15,
just after the Sixth Bowl Judgment and long after the Church has departed, the
Lord said, ‘Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and
keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully
exposed.’”
He was alluding to the fact that the
doctrine of eternal security will expire with the Rapture, a fact that Jesus
also taught in the Parable of the 10 Virgins. Tribulation believers will be
saved by faith, just like everyone else, but will be responsible for keeping
themselves saved, or as John said, keeping their clothes with them. Rev. 14:12
says they will do this by obeying God’s commandments and remaining faithful to
Jesus.
The man ejected from the banquet was
a last minute guest. He represents Tribulation survivors, none of whom are part
of the Church. He was trying to receive the blessing of those invited to the
wedding banquet that occurs at the time of the Second Coming (Rev. 19:9).
The wedding banquet represents the
Millennium.But He either hadn’t remained faithful and had lost his salvation or
was never saved at all. Remember, the servants invited both the “good” and the
“bad” and it isn’t clear whether this man had wedding clothes and lost them, or
never had them in the first place.
Either way, the point is that He was
there in His own righteousness and it was insufficient. When he tried to gain
entrance into the banquet, he was discovered and ejected.
So the second reference applies to
unbelieving survivors from the Great Tribulation who will be denied a place in
the Kingdom for lack of the righteousness that comes by faith, and will be
banished to the outer darkness instead.
Matt. 24:45-51
Next is the Parable of the Servants
“Who then is the faithful and wise
servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to
give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose
master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put
him in charge of all his possessions.
But suppose that servant is wicked
and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then
begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The
master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an
hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with
the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This parable has only an implied
reference to the outer darkness, calling it a place for hypocrites where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 24:51). Since the phrase “weeping
and gnashing of teeth” accompanies every other mention of the outer darkness, I
think it’s safe to include it in our study.
The timing of this parable was
established as early as Matt. 24:29-30 which makes everything that follows
pertain to people on earth at the time of the Second Coming. As a matter of
fact, all the Olivet Discourse parables describe the destinies of Tribulation
survivors. You can easily confirm this by also looking at Matt. 24:36-37, Matt.
25:1 and Matt. 25:14.
The Parable of the Servants is about
those who will have held positions of spiritual leadership during the Great
Tribulation. In the Millennial Kingdom the Lord will elevate leaders who have
kept the Word of God through the intense hardship and persecution of the times,
and have taught sound doctrine to the flocks entrusted to them to a place of
authority. (Remember, no Tribulation survivor will enter the New Jerusalem, but
will dwell on earth during the Lord’s Millennial reign.)
But having forsaken the truth, the
wicked servants will no longer be watching for the Lord’s return, ignoring the
obvious fulfillment of prophecy all around them and ridiculing those whose
child-like faith sustains them. They are the worst of all enemies because
they’ll look and sound like friends. They’re like the one John describes as
appearing to have the authority of the Lamb but who speaks the words of the Dragon
(Rev. 13:11).
The Greek word translated hypocrite
was often used to describe an actor or pretender, someone who appears to be
something he’s not. So for the third time we see the outer darkness as a place
for unbelievers. In this case it’s those who have betrayed the trust placed in
them.
The Lord’s final reference to the
outer darkness appears at the end of the Parable of the Talents:
Matt. 25:14-30
“Again, it will be like a man going
on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To
one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one
talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received the five
talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also,
the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the
one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time the master of those
servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the
five talents brought the other five. “Master,’ he said, ‘You entrusted me with
five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
His master replied, ‘Well done, good
and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you
in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
The man with the two talents also
came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘You entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained
two more.’
His master replied, ‘Well done, good
and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you
in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Then the man who had received the one
talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting
where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I
was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what
belongs to you.’
His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy
servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I
have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit
with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with
interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever
does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that
worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’”
Like the other Olivet Discourse
parables, the timing of this one is after the Second Coming, the judgment is on
earth, and the man who had his only talent confiscated demonstrated a complete
lack of knowledge of and faith in his master. He thought of Him as a hard man
who accepted credit He didn’t deserve and he was afraid the master would treat
him unfairly.
This person can’t be a believer
because no believer feels that way about Jesus. His punishment is to be
consigned to the outer darkness.
So in all four cases, the ones being
judged are unbelievers and their punishment is to live in a state of total
obscurity where they will experience extreme anguish and utter despair. The
fact that there’s no expanded teaching on the outer darkness elsewhere in the
Bible leads me to believe the Lord was speaking of a place we’re already
familiar with, but describing it in a way that helps us understand how it will
feel to be there.
Remember, the words obscurity,
extreme anguish and utter despair are associated with the outer darkness. To be
there is to be cut off from the presence of the Lord and everyone else,
existing in total obscurity. The dictionary defines anguish as excruciating or
acute distress, suffering, or pain, and despair as a state of utter hopelessness.
That, my friends, is the consequence
of unbelief. Whether you call it Hell, Hades, Gehenna, the Lake of Fire, or the
Outer Darkness, you wouldn’t want your worst enemy to spend even an hour there.
Maranatha
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