Q:  What did Jesus mean when He taught that the “children of the kingdom” will be cast out into “outer darkness,” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth”? Doesn’t verse 11 teach that “many” of mankind will recline in the “kingdom of heaven,” but not “all mankind”?

A: We’ve given our answer regarding the kingdom of heaven issue, and that answer is our standard. Believers since the time of the temporary blinding and setting aside of Israel, and the start of Paul’s imprisonment [he was merely on house arrest earlier], are not going to be part of the kingdom of heaven which shall be a thousand year duration theocracy with Yahushuah ha Mashiach [which means, Joshua aka Jesus the Messiah] on the throne of the Temple in Jerusalem, as the King of kings and Lord of lords. This is Israel’s lot, not ours; but they rejected it, and ended up being temporarily blinded to God’s truth. Their blindness shall be removed, but not until Christ’s physical return to take his kingdom and rule.

“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Romans 11:7 ).

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Romans 11:25-32). KJV

Read that again, but this time from the Concordant Version.

“For I am not willing for you to be ignorant of this secret, brethren, lest you may be passing for prudent among yourselves, that callousness, blindness in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written, Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer. He will be turning away irreverence from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them whenever I should be eliminating their sins. As to the evangel, indeed, they are enemies because of you, yet, as to choice, they are beloved because of the fathers. For unregretted are the graces and the calling of God. For even as you once were stubborn toward God, yet now were shown mercy at their stubbornness, thus these also are now stubborn to this mercy of yours, that now they’ also may be shown mercy. For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all. O, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!” (Rom 11:25-32) CV

“For stoutened is the heart of this people, [Israel] And with their ears heavily they hear, And with their eyes they squint, Lest at some time they may be perceiving with their eyes, And with their ears should be hearing, And with their heart may be understanding, And should be turning about, And I shall be healing them. Let it be known to you, [ the Jews at Rome] then, that to the nations [Gentiles] was dispatched this salvation of God, and they will hear. Now he remains two whole years in his own hired house, and he welcomed all those going in toward him, heralding the kingdom of God, and teaching that which concerns the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unforbidden.” (Acts 28:27,29-31) CV

Notice that Paul was now heralding the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of heaven. This is one of the most important places in Scripture where it calls for the word of truth to be rightly divided. If one fails to do that here, one shall, with absolute certainty, miss out on learning the truth.

The Outer Darkness With Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth

The commonly held thought on this, takes it from its setting in what would have been a literal physical kingdom [had it been established when Christ was on earth in the flesh] and spiritualizes it, making it apply to the millennial kingdom which is still in the future. The common teaching says that this outer darkness is the place of religious fantasy, called hell. That's pure nonsense! And there are many other ways this outer darkness business is misunderstood, but I'm not going to go into those; the important thing is explaining what I'm sure is the truth about it.

Jesus was simply prophesying when he spoke those words in Matthew 8:11-12. And that prophecy probably has seen its fulfillment in the temporary blinding of Israel to any further Scriptural truths since the time of Acts 28:28.

Darkness is another word for blindness. Outer darkness is another way of expressing being blind and denied a place of great privilege such as the place Israel, as the Royal Nation, was offered with Christ as its King. Weeping is what occurred when the Jews lost Jerusalem and Israel to the Romans in 70 AD., and were forced into wandering about the world without a nation of their own.

Gnashing of teeth is what religious Judaism has done toward Christianity ever since. Roman Catholicism is but a religious extension of what used to be the Roman Empire. Judaism views Roman Catholicism as Christianity, and you can believe they gnash their teeth at it!

True Christianity, which is what the evangel of Paul constitutes; is a faith that is no part of Judaism. Israel and the religious Jew are still blind today and wandering about in the Diaspora (outer darkness) while the Gentiles, i.e., individuals in the nations [CV] have been enlightened to Paul's evangel and are enjoying a place of closeness with God [reclining in the kingdom of God] that the Jews were meant to have and who believe they should have retained (or so they thought), solely by birthright.

“(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office” (Romans 11:8-13).

Notice what Paul wrote concerning the blinding of Israel and of his apostleship. Here stands the clearest proof of all, that Judaism, which is what the evangel of the Circumcsion (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and James) are all about, has been shelved until Israel is reawakened at Christ’s return. Paul wrote that he magnifies his apostolic office; in other words, he’s stating that the evangel given him by revelation from Christ Jesus in heaven, supersedes and completely replaces the evangel of the twelve! Paul's evangel is truly, truth for today.