Матадан тыс қараңғылық: Діни түсіндірмелер мен мағыналары

Place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew

In Christianity, the "exterior darkness" or outer darkness (τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον) is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew (8:12, 22:13, and 25:30) into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth". Generally, the outer darkness is thought to be hell; however, many Christians associate the outer darkness more generally as a place of separation from God or from the metaphorical "wedding banquet" that Jesus is expected to have upon his Second Coming.

Both Luther, who taught soul sleep till the resurrection of the dead, and Calvin, who taught the immortal soul, considered the "outer darkness" references in Matthew to refer to the last judgment. Today, interpretation of these "outer darkness" verses are a subset of Protestant discussion on hell and annihilationism. Other views include those of Zane C. Hodges who controversially suggested that it represents a place for those who make it to heaven based on their faith, but have failed to perform good works during their time on the earth.

In the Latter Day Saint movement, "outer darkness" can refer to hell (the place where the spirits of the wicked reside after death but before the resurrection) or to the place where the sons of perdition will reside. The latter meaning is a place where the glory of God is completely absent, and is the place where Satan and his angels will reside. Latter Day Saint beliefs on hell are connected with the movement's doctrines of the plan of salvation, the degrees of glory and the telestial kingdom.