Today's message will be entitled, Hell Compared to Outer Darkness. It will be a continuation of the series of messages which we have given sort of a general theme of death and the hereafter. Matthew the 8th chapter and verse 12. Our Lord states these words. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The last book in the Bible next to the book of Revelation, the little epistle of Jude, 13th verse, describing false teachers who were deceiving the early Christians. We read of them that they are like raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, wandering stars, To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. The expression there, wandering stars, in the epistle of Jude, as we make a note in passing, refers to planets. Planets that are no longer in orbit. That is, they are no longer governed by the natural laws that God had established. You have seen them at night as what we would call a shooting star, a falling star. A star which has no sense of direction anymore, but is out of control, not knowing where it's going or where it's leading others in its path. This is a description of where the wicked shall be like in hell. Last week we looked at the doctrine of hell in the analogy of the furnace of fire and the terrible, terrible torment that will be inflicted in that correspondence or that idea. But today we look at another analogy which the Bible gives us of hell and that is in the analogy of total or absolute darkness in which that men no longer have any reference point, nothing that they can relate to that would grant unto them stability that they had been accustomed to in this life. But they are like a wandering planet that has wandered out of its orbit and no longer relates to anything that it formerly related to. Now last week we saw how the torment and the misery of the ungodly is set forth in the Bible as a furnace of fire. Today we observe the same punishment described as outer or utter darkness, meaning complete or full darkness. In the text in Matthew where the word is translated outer, it has the same meaning as utter, U-T-T-E-R, which means complete or infinite. That which is made up in its whole, lacking nothing. So that when the description of the eternal destiny of the wicked is described by the Bible, It describes it in these two analogies which are the most horrible thoughts that can come across the thinking processes of human beings. That of spending an eternity in a burning fiery furnace and that of being cast into a state of complete darkness to where there is absolutely no light whatsoever. And the critics of the Bible say that this is a contradiction here in that you cannot have fire without light. But the critics of the Bible do not understand the God of the Bible. And the God of the Bible who can create the heavens and the earth can also create a fire that does not put forth light. And if you can imagine the concept of having to spend eternity in a complete, utter, darkened cell, like a cave, in which you are being tormented by flames, there is no greater description than I think you can be given of the eternal judgment and the wrath of the God of the Bible. Now today we want to look at some of the analogies of darkness and compare them with the darkness of hell, which is to come. God has at times in human history brought darkness upon a people in the form of judgment. So he will in the final judgment cast the wicked into utter or complete darkness. Just as we saw last week that there was a time in which that the Hebrew children were cast into a burning fiery furnace And yet God spared their existence by miraculously intervening in natural laws that the furnace was so hot that the guards were killed who went up to throw the Hebrew children in. And if this is actually an occurrence in human history of a burning fiery furnace, And from that analogy, the eternal misery and torment of the wicked are described as spending their time in eternity in the lake of fire which burneth the fire and runs down. But there is also a record in the Bible of a time in which God judged a civilization, a culture, by sending darkness throughout the land. And from that incident we have this picked up on in the scripture that this is an analogy that can help us relate to that of what hell is going to be like. Turn with me back to that incident in the Bible in the book of Exodus chapter 10. Exodus chapter 10. and verses 21 through 23. It occurred in one of the plagues that God sent upon Pharaoh and the people of Egypt under the authority of Moses, his God's servant. And here we have what is called the twelfth miracle, or the ninth judgment of God upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Verse 21 of Exodus 10. The Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be," what? Now that's an interesting expression. Even darkness which may be thought. Have you ever been in a situation of such utter, complete darkness that you could sense it? in your very being. Yes, I have. You've ever been in a cave, deep down in the ground, then they turn the lights out on you. You stay there very long and the so-called experts tell us that it's capable of driving a person insane, just being in complete, total darkness. It's an eerie feeling. It is something which actually affects the senses of the physical man. Here, God said to Moses, you stretch out your hand toward heaven, toward the sun, and that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness, utter darkness, so dark that it can be felt in the land. Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. Now watch, they saw not one another. Watch, neither rose Enoch from his place for three days. They were required by the thickness of this darkness to remain immobile. They dared not move. And they saw no other object during this three-day period. Note verse 23, though. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Sort of sounds like the description of Lazarus and the rich man where there's a great gulf fixed. God is able to where that the rich man could look over into Abraham's bosom and see Abraham rejoicing. And yet there was a gulf fixed to where he could not enter into it. Here we have a judgment of God in human history upon the Egyptians, in that the Egyptians had persecuted and made slaves out of God's people, the Hebrew children. And God had sent a messenger in the form of Moses, who had been raised as an Egyptian, educated as an Egyptian, and now he's going to be the instrument of judgment that God's going to send to the Egyptian nation with the message, let my people go, or judgment's going to come. And Pharaoh refused to heed on various occasions And one of the plagues was total darkness, so thick it could be felt that you could not see to move in it. And that lasted for three days throughout the land of Egypt. It was a judgment of God upon people who rejected his revealed will. And folks, that's exactly how the Bible picks up on the description of the eternal destiny of the ungodly. Just as God judged in history the Egyptians with the misery and the discomfort of having to live in total oblivion of darkness, so hell, the eternal abode of the ungodly, shall be a place where God shall judge those who have defied his holy being. Where there is darkness, there is no comfortable enjoyment of any visible object. So to be cast into the darkness of hell is to have removed any source of joy, satisfaction and comfort from one's being. Look in the book of Colossians chapter 1 and we see what one of the great joys of heaven is going to be. Colossians chapter 1, verse 12. What is in store for the saints of God in heaven? Verse 12 of Colossians 1. Paul says, it says, giving thanks unto the Father which has made us meet, or prepared, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. What is it that is going to so cause us to be overwhelmed with awe When we stand in the presence of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is a complete sense of light. And when I'm talking about light, I'm talking about not just the physical thing which our eye can see. We know in the Bible that Jesus was transformed before the eyes of three of the disciples. and that his very countenance shone with a brilliant light. And I believe that we shall see that as well in glory. But I also believe that the light in the Bible is repeatedly over and over used to reveal understanding of who God is, who we are, and who our fellow man is. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall what? See God, not with the visible eye, but they shall see and comprehend his countenance, his attributes, the harmony of all of his attributes working together, of how he can be a God of justice, and at the same time a God of mercy, and not at the expense of his justice. except a man be born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. Not that the kingdom of God is some visible image, but the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but it's joy and peace and fellowship in the Holy Ghost. So that when we are regenerated by the Spirit of God through the new birth, We are unable to understand the character of God, understand the gospel, and become a true believer in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so what will be like in heaven when we stand before him on that great day? And we shall have all of our sinful imperfections removed and we shall see, comprehend, The full scope of redemption that is given to us in the person of Jesus Christ is that the Bible describes that as a marvelous kingdom of light in which there is no darkness. Now in contrast to that, in hell there is no comfort whatsoever because there is no visible object for the physical eye to see or the mind of man to comprehend with comfort. Folks, think about that. We take for granted so many things in this life, in the physical realm. We take for granted the eyes that we have, the ears that we have, the noses, the taste and all that. We take these things for granted until they are taken from us and then we see, oh, what we have lost. We can relate to that. We take many things for granted that bring such comfort to our souls. I still get very emotional when I drive out through the country and I see the home spot where I grew up at. The house has been burned down. But the cellar is still there. That's C-E-L-L-E-R, not S-E-L-L. That's a storm cellar. For some of you who don't know what that is, that's what you went to when the tornadoes came. Sit down there in the middle of the night. I still get sort of weepy-eyed. I get sort of emotional when I think about it, because that is where my roots are. It gives me a sense of destiny, of where I've come from, of my neighbors, and the security of that community and that environment. And probably some of you, or many of you, can relate to things that stabilize you. Folks, take everything away from you that stabilizes you. Beware that you have no sense of direction. of where you came from, of where you're at, of anything of what the future may hold. No sense of direction. Total darkness where your mind can no longer relate to anything with comfort. It is not saying that your mind will not be functioning in hell, or that the mind of the wicked will not function in hell. Abraham told the rich man, son remember, Remember, in this lifetime you had good things, but everything that he recalls will not bring one drop of comfort to his being like it does to us now. The comfort of a father, of a mother, of children, sisters, and brothers. the comfort of a piece of land, the comfort of health, the comfort of friends. All of those things which give us stability and direction and cohesiveness in this life will be removed when God casts the wicked into outer darkness or utter or complete darkness. so that they will have absolutely not one drop of joy, satisfaction, or comfort. It will be complete darkness. Just as the saints of God will have utter joy, utter satisfaction, and utter complete comfort in the world to come, so those who perish outside of Christ shall be cast into a place where there shall not be one visible object which they can look upon with their eye or with their understanding that shall bring comfort unto them. So the glory of heaven is likened unto a glorious light called the inheritance of the saints. And the horrors and the terrors of hell is likened unto a bounding blackness of darkness beyond all comparison. If I have not seen nor ear heard what it has entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for him?" Folks, I have not seen nor ear heard, or has it even got the foggiest idea of what God has prepared for those who despise him. For these images of fiery furnace and outer are things in which we can only begin to grasp just a little of what they are like. Thirdly, to be shut up in spiritual darkness is to be separated from God. That's what happened when Adam fell in the garden. In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall surely die. Adam did not cease to exist, he was not annihilated in his body or in his spiritual component of his soul. But what he did, he lost communion and the joy and the comfort of dwelling in the presence of the holy God whom he could walk with and talk with and commune with in the garden. And he lost that desirability to be in the presence of this God, so he ran and hid when God walked in the midst of the garden and cried out, Adam, where are you? And Adam was forced to acknowledge what had happened. As to be shut up in spiritual darkness means to be separated from God, so to be shut up in hell's darkness is an eternal separation from God. It is what the Bible calls the second death. You see, even though that man in this life is separated from the spiritual comforts within God in his unregenerate state, still he has the manifestations of nature. in the revelation that reveals the common goodness and the common grace of God toward his creation. Psalm chapter 19, the heavens declare the glory of God and affirm of his handiwork. But there's going to come a time when that's going to be taken away from him. Man thinks he can live just with the comforts of the creation. He doesn't need the comforts of God. And in his unregenerate state, he just says, leave me alone. He's got the comforts of the creation, but there will come a day when those temporal comforts will be removed from him as well. And then he shall be cast into this place of torment. Turn to Matthew 25, the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the words of our Lord on this matter. speaking of Christ, and him speaking as well, then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Notice that expression. Then look back in verse 30. And cast ye the unpromptable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Just as being shut up in spiritual darkness is a separation from the comforts of God's spiritual presence, so to be shut up in the thickness and the darkness of hell is an eternal separation from God and the inability to enjoy him forever and ever. Notice, keep your eyes open there, I'm just going to give some brief summations on verse 41 and verse 30. Notice the expression, depart from me. There is a separation from all joy and happiness. Depart from me. Look next, ye cursed. There is the black and desperate condemnation, the execution of God's plans and his purposes. Into fire or everlasting fire. There is the extremity of the punishment of pain inflicted. Look at the word everlasting. There is the length of that punishment. And then look at the next statement, prepared for the devil and his angels. There is the tormenting company that the ungodly shall spend eternity with. The agonizing of the demons. the torment and the infliction that the demons have to inflict upon men. Do you recall in your Bible one time in which Jesus cast some devils or some demons out of a man? And they said, Don't torment us before the time. And they asked permission to go into the herd of swine. How many of you remember what happened? when Jesus granted permission for the demons to go into the swine. It so tormented those animals that they went insane and ran off of a cliff. That's the company that the wicked in hell are going to spend with. And the ultimate result of their temperament is seen in verse 30, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That's a pretty sober description, is it not? Look in the book of Revelation, chapter 18, to see another aspect of what it will mean to be separated from God in the lake of fire, into outer or utter darkness. Revelation, chapter 18, verse 14. Here is a view of the humanistic system of this world as symbolized by a great city known as Mystery Babylon. the city which has persecuted the things of God and his people throughout human history. And there comes a time in which this city is overthrown by the judgment of God, and the people whose lives and livelihood were put into that city, sort of like Mrs. Lotz was in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, they are viewing the destruction of their lives in this analogy. And here is one of the torments. of hell itself. Verse 14 of Revelation 18. And the fruits that thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Here we see the wicked still have the same desires that they had here in this life. only there is not one means granted to satisfy their needs and their desires. They love the things which Mr. Dabbeling could provide for them. Their soul lusteth after that. Now they've been deprived of that The drive is still there, the need is still there, only they're cut off from the comforts, not only of God, but from what the creation can give them itself. You see, the people in hell will have needs. The rich man called out for a drop of water. Just one little drop of water to cool his tongue from the torment. There will still be an awareness and a comprehension of a human being having needs, only there will be no means to satisfy the needs. And don't you think for a moment that rich man either, as I'm talking here today, is remembering those times when he sat down at those great luxurious tables and he had water of plenty to drink. He had wine to drink. He had things that could satisfy what his body desired. And now all of that is cut off from him. And he is in a dungeon of total, utter, complete darkness to where he cannot see or think about one object that brings comfort unto him. Even as he thinks about the one drop of water, he's remembering all of what he had. back there, and it's no longer available unto him. Folks, this is the torment that our Lord describes of hell. Fourthly, as men in this life love darkness rather than light, so God will reveal to men the destruction brought on by darkness. I think that's sort of appropriate myself. Look with me in the gospel of John chapter 3 and let us see what men have done with the light that God has given them. You see, the Bible teaches that all men have the light of nature. You do not hear the Christian message that all men have the light of the gospel of nature revealed unto them. Romans chapter 1 is very clear on that. In John chapter 3 and verses 19 and 20, some men have a Christian message revealed unto them. Look at it. What do they do with that Christian message of the gospel? This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. And he that doeth truth, or loves the truth, comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifest if they are wrought in God, or by God. Isn't it interesting that the person who has turned away from the God of nature, who refuses to acknowledge the handiwork of God and so order his life accordingly, that when he has a Christian message presented to him, and that message calls upon him to repent of his sin against the God of creation, acknowledge he has broken the commandments of God, and turn to the person in which that free grace and mercy is found, his name is Jesus, that when the ungodly hear that, they do not love that message, and will not come to that light, that additional understanding that God has given to them, lest their deeds be reproved, because they love their sin, which is likened unto darkness, more than they love righteousness and the light that is found in the gospel. It is much, then, that men love darkness rather than light. God is going to give them what they think they love. complete utter darkness forever and forever and ever. And it's then in that state when they're cut off from common grace, they're cut off from the temporal comforts of this life, they will then recognize the destructiveness of their own sin, and yet there will be no remedy which can alleviate any of it. Son, remember. Son, remember. Son, remember. No light anymore. No spiritual light. No preacher, no mother allowed to go there and give them one ray of hope. Folks, do you have a hope this morning? Am I speaking to people here this morning that you have a ray of hope for the future? What if that was taken away from you completely? What if you could remember a mother or a father who was a believer, and here you are in hell, and your remembrance, Oh God, send Mom to come and read another Bible story to me. no mother to come, no father to pray at the dinner table. Every thought only serves to intensify and agonize the mind and the thought of the person who is in hell. No natural light, no artificial light there. And as there will be no need of the sun, the moon and the stars in heaven, for Jesus will be the light thereof. So those in hell will not receive any benefit from anything, however great their desires and their necessities may be." Think about that. Men in this life may be in darkness. and yet enjoy some other comforts even though they'd be deprived of light. Some people are blind in this life. They do not see invisible objects. And yet they still have the capacity to enjoy other things in life. They can still eat. They can appreciate the loving presence of friends and loved ones. They can enjoy their health. And so while they may have lost something in their sight, there are other comforts which make up that they can relate to. Not so the person in hell. Not only will they be totally blind, totally unable to see, physically or spiritually, but they will be deprived of all other sources of comfort forever, forever and ever. Also, in this life, it is possible for a man to be naturally blind, shut up in a dark cave, and yet still have the presence of God with him. That's a consolation, but not so for those in hell. Not only will they be shut up, in the dark dungeons of the damned, but they will have no presence of God there to comfort them in any capacity whatsoever. I want to give a closing word of exhortation to my hearers this morning as a minister who is responsible for the well-being and the destiny of your souls. If you're here and you're not a Christian, You've never placed your faith and trust in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ whom God has sent to be the Savior for sinners, to save us from hell and its consequences. I want to give you this exhortation. If you die outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you die at last, that's the way you will spend eternity. There's no change after death. He that's filthy, the scripture says, let him be filthy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous still. At death, the destiny is set. And once that dungeon of hell has shut its mouth upon you, and you are consumed in that outer darkness, in the pain of the lake of fire, And you come into the company of the devil and his angels. Now listen carefully, you will never come out again. You'll never come out again. You'll never see the sun, moon and stars, any light whatsoever again. You will never have any ease or let-up. from the torment that is there. You will have no father, no mother, no son, no daughter, no friends can come to light up your cell as much as a little candlelight, or to dip the tip of their finger in water to cool your tongue. Those aren't my words, those are the descriptions of the Bible. And if the God of the Bible is who he is, and he has created this place for torment for the devil and his angels, all of those who die in unbelief will spend it in that company. Now then, I want to close on another tone. If this is the truth of the word of God, And to those of you who have been redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, you ought to rejoice and magnify the God of your salvation this morning. There ought to be some joy in your house. If you see darkness in the house of your neighbor, the Egyptians, It ought to cause great joy for the light that God has given you in your house. It ought to cause your heart to flame and burn with a love in return for what Christ has done for you. You can say, Here am I, Lord. Speak. Your servant listens. Here am I, Lord. What will you have me to do? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, for we have been delivered from the wrath to come by being saved out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ's marvelous light. And by Christ we have escaped that dreadful doom of being cast into outer and complete darkness. For the shed blood of Jesus Christ and his mercy I will never see this place which I have tried so feebly to describe this morning. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all ye creatures here below. Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. If you are here without Christ, oh, come to him today. Believe in him today. trust in the gospel and what he has done for sinners, and by looking to him ye shall discover the love of God shed abroad in your heart, a love of humiliation and giving for what he has done for sinners in Christ. For you see now, folks, Jesus bore the furnace of God's wrath on that cross. Jesus was cast into utter darkness on that cross. Not only were the fiery flames of men's tongues lashing out at him, but the physical universe went dark at noon. Darkness covered the face of that scene. But that wasn't all. Jesus cried out, My God, my God! Why hast thou forsaken me? There went my hell. He drank that bitter cup to the last dreg. He bore the punishment for my sin. If I see that, how can I but help say, I want to identify with God's people. I want to be identified with that one who loved sinners enough that he took and bore the penalty for their sin. Come to Jesus Christ today. He freely receives all who come. The greatest sinner he welcomes. Come as a sinner. And when I'm using the word come, I'm meaning believe. the revelation that God has given in his word of the gospel. Let's stand together. Let us pray. Father, as we have been thinking for numerous weeks now upon the subject of death and the hereafter, as we think upon this sobering thought this morning, our hearts go out to those who know not your Son. Yet at the same time, we recognize the darkness of their heart, that, Lord, it is so darkened towards your love that you must invade that darkness, as you did in the creation of old, when darkness was upon the face of the deep. You spake and said, Let there be light. Oh God, if there's somebody here this morning who doesn't love you, who doesn't understand the gospel, might the light of the glorious gospel, who is your image, shine unto their hearts. May you invade that darkness and dispel it and shed abroad in their affections a love for the person and the work of your Son, Jesus Christ. May you give those of us here today whom you have set up your kingdom within our lives a greater sense of appreciation and love and commitment to the serving the things that you love the most. May this service, as it comes to a close, may it bring forth fruit today that will abound to your glory throughout all the eternal ages to come. In Jesus' name, amen.