There are numerous verses about a place called the outer darkness where people who made it into the kingdom of heaven were later cast out, sometimes bound hand and foot, into the outer darkness where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth." These passages about the outer darkness often reside within parables. I don't want to make a wall of text or an exhaustive list so let me just quote some key verses and you read the context, if you will. Thank you.
Sons of the kingdom cast into outer darkness:
Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"
People invited to a wedding in the kingdom then later tied out and thrown out into the dark:
Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'
A slave thrown into outer darkness for not making his master any money, though he didn't lose him money either:
Matthew 25:30 And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness—in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'
So there are people who make it into the kingdom, but are then later cast out into the outer darkness? What is the outer darkness exactly? It isn't described as being anything other than "outer" and "darkness" meaning it is outside of something, presumably the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven may reside in a place of total darkness and the kingdom is the only source of visible light.
Any thoughts on this?
Matthew also equates "wailing and gnashing of teeth" with being "cast into a furnace of fire":
Matthew chapter 13
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36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
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37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
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38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
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39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
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40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
so shall it be in the end of this world.
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41]
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
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42]
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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47] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
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48] Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
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49]
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
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50]
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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51] Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
This "casting into a furnace of fire" and "wailing and gnashing of teeth" takes place "at the end of the world" or at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign when the wicked shall be "cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).
Immediately thereafter, the heavenly Jerusalem descends to this earth from heaven, and we read the following about the same:
Revelation chapter 21
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1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
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2]
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
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3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
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4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
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5] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
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6] And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
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7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
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8]
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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23]
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
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24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
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25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:
for there shall be no night there.
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26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
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27]
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Notice that the heavenly Jerusalem is full of light and that "there shall be no night there" because "the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof". Notice, too, that "there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie", and this perfectly corresponds with "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars" who "shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death". In other words, all of these people are WITHOUT or OUTSIDE of this city of light, and they are burning in the lake of fire.
Continuing on, we read:
Revelation chapter 22
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5]
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
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14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
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15]
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Again, only the righteous have access to this city of light, and WITHOUT are the wicked who will be "wailing and gnashing their teeth" as they will have been "cast into the lake of fire".
In other words, the "outer darkness" of which you inquired will be WITHOUT this city of light.
