Question
Where is the location of outer darkness where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth? And where is the location of the lake of fire?
Response
My understanding is that the Lord’s expression “outer darkness” refers to the issue of being outside the brightness and glories of the fulness of Israel’s land once God’s kingdom is established in it on the earth. In passages such as Isaiah 60–62 the issues of Israel’s “light” and “brightness,” (physical as well as spiritual), with the glories, grandeur and phenomenal nature of them, are repeated cited as things that will belong to Israel when God fulfills His purpose with them and establishes His kingdom in them on the earth. And their “light” and “brightness” is described as something not possessed by the Gentile nations when the kingdom is established, but rather it is something to which the nations are attracted, desire, and want to know how to be partakers of it. Therefore, Israel’s kingdom “light” and “brightness” does not extend outside of their land; at least not at first. In connection with this, and especially in view of the way in which Israel’s “light” and “brightness” is described, my understanding is that anywhere outside of it is “outer darkness.” Something that is described as being “outer” is something that is relatively far out or removed from something that is looked upon as being the center, core, or the designated point of reference. In this case it is Israel’s land with God’s kingdom established in it on the earth that is the center or point of reference for all things on the earth. Hence “outer” involves being in a place on the earth that is outside of Israel’s land, and being in the “darkness” of that “outer”-ness involves not residing in the land where that “light” and “brightness” by nature exist. So I understand “outer darkness” as a general designation for being outside the “light,” “brightness,” and glories of God’s kingdom in Israel’s land, without necessarily specifying a particular place on the earth that is outside it.
Regarding the location of the lake of fire, my understanding is that right now it is located in the third heaven, or in close proximity to it. I believe God created it there in connection with Lucifer’s original rebellion, seeing that as the Lord says in Matthew 25 the “everlasting fire” was “prepared for the devil and his angels.” Since it was “prepared” for them, I take it that it specifically pertains to them; with man becoming eligible for it as well only after the devil implemented his plan of evil on the earth and man became aligned with Satan’s rebellion. In view of this, it was undoubtedly created by God in connection with the time of Lucifer’s original rebellion and in the realm where he rebelled. That’s about as specific as I can be in my present understanding.
Keith R Blades