Matthew 8:10-12; Luke 13:28-30 – Israel’s Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

Weeping of Jerusalem

Did Jesus say there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the Bible hell? This study examines two places where Jesus spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth. There are other places, but we will examine the other scriptures in other studies. The scriptures below are examined in this study as related to the children of Israel, their rejection of their Messiah and the weeping and gnashing of teeth that followed that rejection. Many, however, think of the weeping and gnashing of teeth as happening in hell, either hades or Gehenna, and that is the focus of this study.

Matthew 8:10 – When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most assuredly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel.
Matthew 8:11 – I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven,
Matthew 8:12 – but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being thrown outside.
Luke 13:29 They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in the kingdom of God.
Luke 13:30 Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.” — World English

The above scriptures and several others are often referred to as proof that while dead, the wicked are alive and  suffering, weeping and gnashing their teeth. Matthew 8:12 is often listed as proof of suffering in hell.

According to one:

"Weeping and gnashing of teeth" is language Jesus uses regularly to describe the suffering in hell.

Actually, there is no mention at all of the Bible hell (sheol/hades) in the verses above. Indeed, there is nothing at all said about life after death in any of the verses. Such ideas have to be conceptualized beyond what the scriptures say. 

Another claims:

Hell Is a Place of Complete Darkness

Jesus spoke of those who would be “cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Jesus does not merely describe Hell as darkness but as “the darkness,” as if to emphasize that it will be infinitely worse than any physical, moral, mental, or spiritual darkness ever experienced here on earth.

Again, it is being claimed that this describes "Hell", although Jesus said nothing at all about hell. (sheol,hades). Nor did he say that the gnashing of teeth is not experienced here on earth.

One claims:

Jesus in Matthew 8:12 says that there will be gnashing of teeth in Gehenna.

As with hades, nothing in Matthew 8:12 speaks of Gehenna (the valley of Hinnom). The thought is presented beyond what is actually stated.

It is also claimed:

Hades is called “outer darkness” by Jesus because its a place of great darkness.... The fact its called “outer” darkness indicates Hades is outside the known realm we live in.

While one in the oblivious condition of sheol/hades is certainly in a condition of darkness (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10), there is no indication that hades is being referred to in these verses.

The idea generally presented is based on the concept that man has a soul or spirit that continues to conscious after death, claiming that only the body dies, but this immortal soul or spirit cannot die, and thus must continue to live somewhere while the only the body of the person is dead. Imaginative and/or mystical ideas are given to "outer darkness" as allegedly applied to those in hades or Gehenna.

It is claimed that the question for all people to ask is: “what will happen to my soul/spirit when it leaves my physical body?” It is further claimed that when we die, our spirits leave our body and will either spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, or we will go to hell to spend eternity in "outer darkness" where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12 is cited, evidently alleged to be proof of what is stated, although there is nothing in Matthew 8:12 that speaks of the weeping and gnashing of teeth as happening while a person is person.

Indeed, the Bible does not speak of the soul as being sentient when the body dies; it does speak of the soul as being dead, a soul that no longer is living, and it thus no longer has sentiency. The word "spirit" is used with many different shades of meaning in the Bible. The Bible tells us that at death the "spirit" returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7); this is a reversal of Genesis 2:7. The spirit of all, even that of the most horrible sinner, returns to God (now through Jesus) who gave it. Without that spirit the person no longer has any life at all; he is dead. See our studies: The Spirit That Returns to God and What is the Soul?

Matthew 8:12 says nothing at all about anyone being alive while dead, or a spirit or soul that continues to live after the death of the body. It does not speaking hades/sheol at all. Nor is there any mention of Gehenna or Hades. Indeed, Matthew 8:12 is not speaking of anyone weeping and gnashing their teeth while dead, but it speaks of the Jews' being thrown into outer darkness due to their rejection of Messiah. They remain in this outer darkness until they proclaim of Jesus: "Blessed is he who come in the name of Jehovah." -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalms 118:26; Matthew 23:2=38,39.

The spirit of all, both good and bad, return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) Without that spirit there is nothing living that goes anywhere. However, due to Jesus' sacrifice, God will return that spirit in the resurrection. The ONLY hope of future life given in the Bible is the resurrection in the last day, the age to come. (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24; 12:47,48) If there is no resurrection, there is no future life at all, and all who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished, and will not be alive anywhere. -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

 

In actuality, Jesus does not say anything in these verses about the weeping and gnashing of teeth in the Bible hell (hades/sheol). Nor does he say anything about weeping and gnashing of teeth in Gehenna. Nor does he say that these are weeping and gnashing their teeth while in an alleged condition of being alive while dead. Nor did he say anything about these having immortal spirits or souls that continue to conscious while the body is dead. All of this has to be imagined, assumed, added to, and read into what Jesus said.

We believe the scriptures show that Matthew 8:10-12 and Luke 13:28-30 depict the result of the Jewish rejection of their Messiah in the resurrection. The Kingdom was taken from them -- the sons of the kingdom -- and given to a “nation” producing its fruitage. (Matthew 21:43) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are figured as sitting in this kingdom because it is this “nation” that becomes the seed of Abraham, not by blood and flesh or through the Mosaic Law Covenant, but by faith. (Galatians 3:26-29) These "sons of the kingdom" had the light of the law covenant (Psalms 19:8; 119:105; Proverbs 6:23), which contained the principles of righteousness, and if had kept that law perfectly, then righteousness (and life) would have come by means of that Law. -- Romans 9:30-33; Galatians 3:21.

Of course, the language of the parable is pictorial, not to be taken literally. The children of the kingdom, the Jews as a whole, were away from the light of truth (through Jesus) and were thus cast out into outer darkness. (While a remant of the Jews will share that Kingdom with Jesus, the nation as a whole was rejected from divine favor and cast into "outer darkness" – the same darkness which covers the Gentiles, the world in general. (Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:34,35; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4) They have had weeping and gnashing of teeth since Christ's death and, according to the Scriptures, may suffer even more before the time shall come when God will graciously forgive their sin and save them from their national blindness and make them, in connection with the Millennial Kingdom, his earthly instruments for blessing all the families of the earth. -- Genesis 18:18; 22:17,18; Isaiah 2:2-4; Revelation 22:2.

In the meantime, they are subject to be weeping and gnashing their teeth. They were cast out when Jesus stated: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who killed the prophets, and stoned them that were sent to you how often I would have gathered your children together, as hen gathers her offspring under her wings, but you would not allow it! Look, your house is left to you in desolation. Truly I say to that you will not see until the time comes when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah!'” — Luke 13:34,35.

Additionally, in all this there is no reference to a living existence of Abraham going to heaven when he died, as some also assumed.

See also our resource page: Life After Death