From Time To Time - Part Thirty Seven Aug 04, 2024 by: John Herbert | Series: From Time to Time Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T020_20240804.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Today we will continue to look at what awaits the unfaithful Christian at Christ's Judgment Seat. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 4th 2024 From Time to Time – Part 37 1). 1 Co 3:14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.. Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. We have seen many times from 1 Corinthians Chapter 3, the unfaithful Christian whose works of wood, hay, straw are burned, resulting in this Christian suffering loss. And we have also seen in Revelation Chapter 3 the command to hold fast what we have that no one may take our crown. And we have noted before that choosing not to hold fast what we have must result in our crown being taken from us, taken ostensibly because of the actions of the old man, because of consistently acting apart from faith. The word crown speaks not only of rulership of itself, but also of the position of rulership as a joint heir with Christ in His Kingdom. We do not yet have a crown that can be taken from us, but in that coming Day we can lose our position of rulership in the Kingdom on offer to us, to which it points, a position which the Lord will take from us to give to another. And this is just what we had seen last time in the parables of both the talents and the minas - Mt 25:26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Lk 19:22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And as we go back to 1 Corinthians Chapter 3, so we see at the end of v15, that the unfaithful Christian whose works apart from faith are burned in the ‘fire’ is himself delivered out of that ‘fire’ before it consumes him. The use of the word ‘saved’ in this verse is not a reference to eternal salvation of itself, although it is the possession of spiritual life that prevents the Christian from being consumed in the ‘fires’ of judgment, but contextually the word ‘saved’ deals with his deliverance out of the ‘fire’, so that he is not consumed along with his faithless works of wood, hay, straw. a). And this is the same idea that we had seen in foundation with Lot’s wife, who was overthrown along with that on which she had fixed her attention, the cities of the plain – Ge 19:24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Something we are warned about - 1 Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. The works of wood, hay, straw, works apart from faith, works emanating from the man of the flesh, the only works in possession of the unfaithful Christian, can only be destroyed as they have no value in the spiritual realm, and it is from this destruction that the unfaithful Christian will be removed. b). And the full extent of what awaits the unfaithful Christian delivered out of the ‘fire’ in that Day, we can determine by combining 1 Corinthians 3:15 and Revelation 3:11 with vv29-30 in the parable of the talents, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Not only then will the unfaithful Christian receive a harsh rebuke from His Lord, ‘You wicked and lazy servant’, but the regal position that could have been his in Christ’s Kingdom will be taken from him and given to another servant in the house who has proved himself faithful, and he will be cast [a word that implies a violent action] into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The unfaithful Christian will be pulled from the ‘fire’, and then cast violently into the outer darkness, where he will experience an intensity of grief that he has not known before. And the nature of this grief we had seen in the foundation with Esau, who is the original type for the unfaithful Christian who, through his absence of faith demonstrates that he despises his birthright just as Esau did – Ge 27:38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Esau’s plea seen here, Bless me—me also, O my father!, finds its antitype in the foolish virgins, ‘open to us’, as well as the words spoken by the unfaithful servant in the parables of the talents and the minas – Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he [Esau] wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. And it is in this scenario that we can place the foolish virgins, the servant who became evil because of what he had said in his heart, and the one who was not taken alongside as an intimate companion but left. c). The rejection of the unfaithful Christian cast into the outer darkness is presented after a slightly different fashion in the parables of Matthew Chapter 13 – Mt 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” And the same rejection is seen slightly differently again, presented in an indirect manner, in the Revelation – Re 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’ [If the overcomer is not hurt by the second death, then the corollary of this must also be true – the one who is overcome, the unfaithful Christian, must be hurt by the second death] And the second death is identified for us in - Re 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” These descriptions, as we have discussed many times, should not be taken literally. Nevertheless, they are descriptions of what awaits the unfaithful Christian that are stark and shocking and demonstrate the severity with which the Lord will regard those who have rejected that which has been offered to them, either by making no use of that entrusted to them or misusing that in their possession – Ro 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. This is not a matter that in any sense should be taken lightly. And we should be careful of a possible Laodicean leftover that might say, ‘My God wouldn’t do that’, or ‘God wouldn’t treat those He died for in that way.’ c). The clear evidence of Scripture is that He will, and that He must as the righteous, impartial Judge – Ro 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds” [this is a Judgment Seat picture]: 7 age lasting life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness [works of wood, hay, straw]—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, [works of gold, silver and precious stones] to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 2). So then, how should we understand what the Lord is wanting to convey to us through the phrase, ‘the outer darkness?’ To begin with, there is something we should keep in mind. The literal translation of this phrase would be ‘the darkness, the outer’. And a grammatical construction of this kind places emphasis on the darkness. This is not just any darkness but a very particular darkness that must be understood in an antithetical sense to a very particular ‘light’. And this is how the phrase should always be looked at when we find it in the Scripture. a). The first time this phrase is used is in Matthew Chapter 8. A Chapter that follows on from what we commonly call ‘the sermon on the mount’, recorded in Chapters 5-7, with the whole of this sermon having to do with entrance into or exclusion from the Kingdom of the heavens which was on offer – Mt 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. In the overall context, ‘the sermon on the mount’ forms the charter for those who would receive the Kingdom, which at this point could only have been the Jews, as the Kingdom had not yet been taken from them. However, once the Kingdom was taken from national Israel and given to the one new man in Christ, that which the Lord taught in this sermon becomes equally applicable to Christians. The sermon on the mount then is the overall context that sets the scene for that which the Lord continues to teach in Chapter 8. And we will place the phrase, ‘outer darkness’ in its immediate context in this Chapter to help us to better understand what is going on - Mt 8:5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Again, keep in mind the time which these verses relate to. The incident described here takes place before the Kingdom of the heavens was taken from Israel, a time then when the Kingdom was still on offer to them. These verses then are in the same timeframe that we found in the parable of the minas in Luke Chapter 19. The context in Matthew Chapter 8 surrounds a Gentile centurion who pleaded with the Lord to heal his servant. And that which the centurion said caused the Lord to respond to him, Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And in this response the contrast is drawn between the faithlessness of national Israel and the faith of the Gentile centurion. A contrast that anticipates the bringing in of eternally saved Gentiles, who will demonstrate the same kind of faith seen in the centurion, to receive that which will be taken from a faithless nation. b). And it is this that the Lord speaks prophetically about in the next verse, And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Those from the east and the west are those who will form the one new man in Christ, taken primarily from among the Gentiles, pictured in the centurion. c). And there is a connection here with what we see in the parable of the minas – Lk 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ We will remember that the Lord gave this parable to His disciples as they were on their way to Jerusalem, because the disciples thought that the Lord would enter Jerusalem as the nation’s King, which He did, and immediately establish His Kingdom, which was not going to happen. And although He entered Jerusalem as King in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah – Zec 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. It was not regality but rejection that awaited Him – Jn 19:15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. The parable of the minas begins by providing the reason for it being given in v11. V12-13 then anticipate the Lord’s crucifixion and ascension, and another group of household servants other than Israel. And these household servants are the equivalent of the many coming from the east and the west in Matthew Chapter 8. c). V14 then addresses why the Nobleman will go into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom, and why there will be another group of household servants other than Israel that will then be seen, But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ This foreshadows what John would record in John 19:15-16. And that seen in Matthew Chapter 8 and John Chapter 19 is presented in a foundational type through Joseph – Ge 37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. And again through Moses in – Ex 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? And it was this event from Moses’ life that Stephen drew from in his address to Israel’s religious leaders concerning the Christ in Acts Chapter 7 – Acts 7:35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. The parable of the minas continues, having anticipated Israel being set aside for rejecting their King, with the Nobleman’s return and His dealings with His own household servants, servants other than Israel, those who had come from the east and the west. And at the conclusion of His dealings with the faithful and unfaithful servants in the parable, we then find - Lk 19:27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ” The placing of this verse after the Nobleman’s dealing with His own servants prophetically pictures the conclusion of Daniel’s seventieth week, the events of the tribulation, when the Lord will resume His dealings with the Jewish people. We will also remember from the Book of the Revelation, that it is following the judgment of the church in Chapters 2-3 that the first seal on the seven-sealed scroll is opened in Chapter 6, the event that marks the beginning of the tribulation, a time when those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them would be slain before Him. d). And if we return to Matthew Chapter 8, those the Lord calls ‘those enemies of mine’ are also called the sons of the Kingdom, But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The sons of the Kingdom, because of the time in which these verses were given, can only be the nation of Israel, those who at that time still had the offer of the Kingdom open to them. But these sons of the Kingdom, rather than receiving that which was offered to them, would be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. We will keep this in mind for later. 3). The next time we find the phrase ‘the outer darkness’ used in the Scripture is in Matthew Chapter 22, and again we will need to place it in its context. And to do this, we will go back to the end of Chapter 21 Mt 21:33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. [The parable of the wicked vinedressers recounts the experience of national Israel both in history and in prophecy. V33 deals with God the Father and the nation, from the birth of the nation in Egypt through the departure of the glory and the end of the Theocratic Kingdom, in conjunction with the Babylonian captivity.] 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. [These verses picture the ministry of the prophets to call the nation to repentance, before, during and after the Babylonian captivity, along with the persecution and ill treatment that the prophets received at the hands of the Jews.] 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. [again, this verse deals with this same ministry, with the prophets sent over an extended period of time to receive the fruits of repentance, which were never forthcoming.] 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ [V37 presents the Lord’s first advent. And as we know, rejection and not respect was extended to the Son.] 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. [These verses reveal exactly how the Jews were about to treat the Son, making clear His coming crucifixion.] 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” [Vv40-41 pose a question and give an answer, an answer by the Jewish leaders that prophetically voiced what would happen to the nation in 70AD, and further into their future, anticipating the tribulation that is to come. And we might note again that it is out of the mouth of Israel’s religious leaders that the nation’s fate was spoken. Just as we had seen at Kadesh Barnea with the first generation, and just as we had seen in the parable of the minas.] 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? ” 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And this overall, concise history of the Jewish nation, in conjunction with the impending crucifixion of their Messiah, provide the prelude to the announcement made in v43. An announcement that brings completeness to that which is recorded in Matthew Chapter 12, and once again introduces ‘a nation’ other than Israel who will be the recipients of the Kingdom of the heavens national Israel had rejected. The same ‘nation’ pictured in a type, when the Lord left the house and sat by the sea in Matthew Chapter 13, and spoken of prophetically again in Matthew Chapter 16 – Mt 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The same nation, both faithful and unfaithful, seen in the one taken and one left, the servant who became evil, the ten virgins, and the profitable and unprofitable servants in the parables of the talents and the minas. And with this context established, the next Chapter begins Mt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are called out of the called.” This will have to wait until next time though, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. From Time To Time - Part Thirty Seven Aug 04, 2024 Speaker: John Herbert Series: From Time to Time Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T020_20240804.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Today we will continue to look at what awaits the unfaithful Christian at Christ's Judgment Seat. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 4th 2024 From Time to Time – Part 37 1). 1 Co 3:14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.. Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. We have seen many times from 1 Corinthians Chapter 3, the unfaithful Christian whose works of wood, hay, straw are burned, resulting in this Christian suffering loss. And we have also seen in Revelation Chapter 3 the command to hold fast what we have that no one may take our crown. And we have noted before that choosing not to hold fast what we have must result in our crown being taken from us, taken ostensibly because of the actions of the old man, because of consistently acting apart from faith. The word crown speaks not only of rulership of itself, but also of the position of rulership as a joint heir with Christ in His Kingdom. We do not yet have a crown that can be taken from us, but in that coming Day we can lose our position of rulership in the Kingdom on offer to us, to which it points, a position which the Lord will take from us to give to another. And this is just what we had seen last time in the parables of both the talents and the minas - Mt 25:26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Lk 19:22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And as we go back to 1 Corinthians Chapter 3, so we see at the end of v15, that the unfaithful Christian whose works apart from faith are burned in the ‘fire’ is himself delivered out of that ‘fire’ before it consumes him. The use of the word ‘saved’ in this verse is not a reference to eternal salvation of itself, although it is the possession of spiritual life that prevents the Christian from being consumed in the ‘fires’ of judgment, but contextually the word ‘saved’ deals with his deliverance out of the ‘fire’, so that he is not consumed along with his faithless works of wood, hay, straw. a). And this is the same idea that we had seen in foundation with Lot’s wife, who was overthrown along with that on which she had fixed her attention, the cities of the plain – Ge 19:24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Something we are warned about - 1 Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. The works of wood, hay, straw, works apart from faith, works emanating from the man of the flesh, the only works in possession of the unfaithful Christian, can only be destroyed as they have no value in the spiritual realm, and it is from this destruction that the unfaithful Christian will be removed. b). And the full extent of what awaits the unfaithful Christian delivered out of the ‘fire’ in that Day, we can determine by combining 1 Corinthians 3:15 and Revelation 3:11 with vv29-30 in the parable of the talents, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Not only then will the unfaithful Christian receive a harsh rebuke from His Lord, ‘You wicked and lazy servant’, but the regal position that could have been his in Christ’s Kingdom will be taken from him and given to another servant in the house who has proved himself faithful, and he will be cast [a word that implies a violent action] into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The unfaithful Christian will be pulled from the ‘fire’, and then cast violently into the outer darkness, where he will experience an intensity of grief that he has not known before. And the nature of this grief we had seen in the foundation with Esau, who is the original type for the unfaithful Christian who, through his absence of faith demonstrates that he despises his birthright just as Esau did – Ge 27:38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Esau’s plea seen here, Bless me—me also, O my father!, finds its antitype in the foolish virgins, ‘open to us’, as well as the words spoken by the unfaithful servant in the parables of the talents and the minas – Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he [Esau] wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. And it is in this scenario that we can place the foolish virgins, the servant who became evil because of what he had said in his heart, and the one who was not taken alongside as an intimate companion but left. c). The rejection of the unfaithful Christian cast into the outer darkness is presented after a slightly different fashion in the parables of Matthew Chapter 13 – Mt 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” And the same rejection is seen slightly differently again, presented in an indirect manner, in the Revelation – Re 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’ [If the overcomer is not hurt by the second death, then the corollary of this must also be true – the one who is overcome, the unfaithful Christian, must be hurt by the second death] And the second death is identified for us in - Re 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” These descriptions, as we have discussed many times, should not be taken literally. Nevertheless, they are descriptions of what awaits the unfaithful Christian that are stark and shocking and demonstrate the severity with which the Lord will regard those who have rejected that which has been offered to them, either by making no use of that entrusted to them or misusing that in their possession – Ro 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. This is not a matter that in any sense should be taken lightly. And we should be careful of a possible Laodicean leftover that might say, ‘My God wouldn’t do that’, or ‘God wouldn’t treat those He died for in that way.’ c). The clear evidence of Scripture is that He will, and that He must as the righteous, impartial Judge – Ro 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds” [this is a Judgment Seat picture]: 7 age lasting life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness [works of wood, hay, straw]—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, [works of gold, silver and precious stones] to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 2). So then, how should we understand what the Lord is wanting to convey to us through the phrase, ‘the outer darkness?’ To begin with, there is something we should keep in mind. The literal translation of this phrase would be ‘the darkness, the outer’. And a grammatical construction of this kind places emphasis on the darkness. This is not just any darkness but a very particular darkness that must be understood in an antithetical sense to a very particular ‘light’. And this is how the phrase should always be looked at when we find it in the Scripture. a). The first time this phrase is used is in Matthew Chapter 8. A Chapter that follows on from what we commonly call ‘the sermon on the mount’, recorded in Chapters 5-7, with the whole of this sermon having to do with entrance into or exclusion from the Kingdom of the heavens which was on offer – Mt 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. In the overall context, ‘the sermon on the mount’ forms the charter for those who would receive the Kingdom, which at this point could only have been the Jews, as the Kingdom had not yet been taken from them. However, once the Kingdom was taken from national Israel and given to the one new man in Christ, that which the Lord taught in this sermon becomes equally applicable to Christians. The sermon on the mount then is the overall context that sets the scene for that which the Lord continues to teach in Chapter 8. And we will place the phrase, ‘outer darkness’ in its immediate context in this Chapter to help us to better understand what is going on - Mt 8:5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Again, keep in mind the time which these verses relate to. The incident described here takes place before the Kingdom of the heavens was taken from Israel, a time then when the Kingdom was still on offer to them. These verses then are in the same timeframe that we found in the parable of the minas in Luke Chapter 19. The context in Matthew Chapter 8 surrounds a Gentile centurion who pleaded with the Lord to heal his servant. And that which the centurion said caused the Lord to respond to him, Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And in this response the contrast is drawn between the faithlessness of national Israel and the faith of the Gentile centurion. A contrast that anticipates the bringing in of eternally saved Gentiles, who will demonstrate the same kind of faith seen in the centurion, to receive that which will be taken from a faithless nation. b). And it is this that the Lord speaks prophetically about in the next verse, And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Those from the east and the west are those who will form the one new man in Christ, taken primarily from among the Gentiles, pictured in the centurion. c). And there is a connection here with what we see in the parable of the minas – Lk 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ We will remember that the Lord gave this parable to His disciples as they were on their way to Jerusalem, because the disciples thought that the Lord would enter Jerusalem as the nation’s King, which He did, and immediately establish His Kingdom, which was not going to happen. And although He entered Jerusalem as King in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah – Zec 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. It was not regality but rejection that awaited Him – Jn 19:15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. The parable of the minas begins by providing the reason for it being given in v11. V12-13 then anticipate the Lord’s crucifixion and ascension, and another group of household servants other than Israel. And these household servants are the equivalent of the many coming from the east and the west in Matthew Chapter 8. c). V14 then addresses why the Nobleman will go into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom, and why there will be another group of household servants other than Israel that will then be seen, But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ This foreshadows what John would record in John 19:15-16. And that seen in Matthew Chapter 8 and John Chapter 19 is presented in a foundational type through Joseph – Ge 37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. And again through Moses in – Ex 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? And it was this event from Moses’ life that Stephen drew from in his address to Israel’s religious leaders concerning the Christ in Acts Chapter 7 – Acts 7:35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. The parable of the minas continues, having anticipated Israel being set aside for rejecting their King, with the Nobleman’s return and His dealings with His own household servants, servants other than Israel, those who had come from the east and the west. And at the conclusion of His dealings with the faithful and unfaithful servants in the parable, we then find - Lk 19:27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ” The placing of this verse after the Nobleman’s dealing with His own servants prophetically pictures the conclusion of Daniel’s seventieth week, the events of the tribulation, when the Lord will resume His dealings with the Jewish people. We will also remember from the Book of the Revelation, that it is following the judgment of the church in Chapters 2-3 that the first seal on the seven-sealed scroll is opened in Chapter 6, the event that marks the beginning of the tribulation, a time when those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them would be slain before Him. d). And if we return to Matthew Chapter 8, those the Lord calls ‘those enemies of mine’ are also called the sons of the Kingdom, But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The sons of the Kingdom, because of the time in which these verses were given, can only be the nation of Israel, those who at that time still had the offer of the Kingdom open to them. But these sons of the Kingdom, rather than receiving that which was offered to them, would be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. We will keep this in mind for later. 3). The next time we find the phrase ‘the outer darkness’ used in the Scripture is in Matthew Chapter 22, and again we will need to place it in its context. And to do this, we will go back to the end of Chapter 21 Mt 21:33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. [The parable of the wicked vinedressers recounts the experience of national Israel both in history and in prophecy. V33 deals with God the Father and the nation, from the birth of the nation in Egypt through the departure of the glory and the end of the Theocratic Kingdom, in conjunction with the Babylonian captivity.] 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. [These verses picture the ministry of the prophets to call the nation to repentance, before, during and after the Babylonian captivity, along with the persecution and ill treatment that the prophets received at the hands of the Jews.] 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. [again, this verse deals with this same ministry, with the prophets sent over an extended period of time to receive the fruits of repentance, which were never forthcoming.] 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ [V37 presents the Lord’s first advent. And as we know, rejection and not respect was extended to the Son.] 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. [These verses reveal exactly how the Jews were about to treat the Son, making clear His coming crucifixion.] 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” [Vv40-41 pose a question and give an answer, an answer by the Jewish leaders that prophetically voiced what would happen to the nation in 70AD, and further into their future, anticipating the tribulation that is to come. And we might note again that it is out of the mouth of Israel’s religious leaders that the nation’s fate was spoken. Just as we had seen at Kadesh Barnea with the first generation, and just as we had seen in the parable of the minas.] 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? ” 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And this overall, concise history of the Jewish nation, in conjunction with the impending crucifixion of their Messiah, provide the prelude to the announcement made in v43. An announcement that brings completeness to that which is recorded in Matthew Chapter 12, and once again introduces ‘a nation’ other than Israel who will be the recipients of the Kingdom of the heavens national Israel had rejected. The same ‘nation’ pictured in a type, when the Lord left the house and sat by the sea in Matthew Chapter 13, and spoken of prophetically again in Matthew Chapter 16 – Mt 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The same nation, both faithful and unfaithful, seen in the one taken and one left, the servant who became evil, the ten virgins, and the profitable and unprofitable servants in the parables of the talents and the minas. And with this context established, the next Chapter begins Mt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are called out of the called.” This will have to wait until next time though, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.
