The Darkness of Hell

by Travis L Quertermous

From The Reminder, September 12, 2010

Do you remember as a child waking up in the middle of the night unable to see your hand in front of your face? I remember how frightened I was at times like that as I crept slowly across by room to the light switch! Even as adults, we sometimes have terrible nightmares that are made all the worse by waking up in a pitch black room!

Do you know that’s how the Bible describes hell? While the predominant image is that of eternal fire, Scripture also describes hell as a place of outer darkness. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, once described hell in this way: “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:13)? Notice that Jesus did not just describe hell as a place of darkness, but outer darkness. Pitch black darkness from which there will never be an escape! It is such a terrifying thought that Jesus further said hell will be a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth from the pain and the terror of that eternal nightmare!

Thomas Watson once said, “Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.” He was exactly right! So where will you spend eternity: in the sunlight of heaven or in the outer darkness of hell?