Consider again the question of the king in this parable to the man whom he observed as not being dressed in wedding clothes, which we understand to be the true heart righteousness and holiness into which the Holy Spirit leads those who would come to the wedding feast. What does his question remind us about the scrutiny each of us must face some day before the all-seeing eyes of our Lord, and what we must do to prepare ourselves for that day? Cf. 2Co 5:10, 2Pe 3:11-14. What does Jesus say in the parable was the man’s response to the king’s question? Note that “speechless” is “muzzled” or “silenced” as the Greek word is also translated. What does this remind us about what men will have to say in the day of judgment when they stand before the eyes of God who sees all the thoughts and intentions of their heart? Cf. Heb 4:13. What will they have to say in that day when all the arguments and excuses that they used to justify themselves and that seemed so reasonable to their darkened hearts suddenly vanish like so much chaff before Him whose eyes are a flaming fire? See Rom 3:19; cf. Job 9:2-3, Psa 107:39-43, Rom 1:20. Although Jesus presents the king in the parable who represents God as the dispenser of justice, who do we know that God has appointed as judge on His behalf, and why is this not a contradiction? See Joh 5:22,27, Act 10:42, 17:31, Rom 2:16; cf. Dan 7:9-10,13-14, Rev 1:13-14.
What did the king do in regard to the speechless man who was not dressed in wedding clothes? See Mat 22:13. Who do those servants represent that he commanded to bind the man? See Mat 13:41, 16:27, 25:31-32, 2Th 1:7-10. What are the bonds that bind the ungodly? See Act 8:23, Rom 7:14. Which angel in particular does God allow to bind sinners? Cf. 2Ti 2:26. Who only is able to deliver from such bonds? See Luk 13:15-16; cf. Mat 12:28-29. What hope then can there be for one who is commanded to be bound by Him who only is able to deliver? What is the significance then that the king commanded his servants to “bind him hand and foot”? Think: if someone is bound hand and foot can there be any escape? See Heb 2:3. What then do these words of the king represent? See Mat 13:30,41-42 and note[1].
Having bound the man hand and foot, what does the king in the parable command to be done with him? See Mat 22:13. What is meant by the “outer” darkness? Note that in one regard “outer” may refer simply to “outside” as the NIV translates it in this context (“throw him outside, into the darkness”); cf. a similar context in Mat 8:11-12 as well as the parallel reading in Luk 13:25-29 where, like the rich man in the parable with Lazarus (Luk 16:23), the picture is painted of being separated from the presence of the Lord and yet in some capacity still being able to observe the joy and festive happiness of those who are able to partake of the feast in the kingdom of God[2]. However, the Greek word used is also a comparative that “largely replaced the superlative, often retaining the superlative meaning farthest out, extreme” (Friberg lexicon); cf. Exo 26:4 where the same word is used in the LXX for “outermost”. What does this indicate about the darkness into which the man was cast, and his proximity to the light of the Lord’s presence? Cf. 2Th 1:9, Jude 1:6,13. What do these words of the king in the parable indicate about the plight of sinners after the final judgment and the nature of Hell being utter darkness without even the hope of a glimmer of light from the Lord?[3]
What does such darkness represent in a spiritual sense? See Luk 11:33-35, 8:16-18, Mat 25:29-30; cf. Deut 28:28-29, Job 5:13-14, 12:24-25, Psa 82:5, 107:10-14, Pro 4:18-19, Isa 60:1-2, Joh 3:19-20, 8:12, 12:46, Act 26:18. What does this help us to understand about what it means to dwell in the light of the Lord’s presence, or alternatively to be cast outside from that presence into the darkness, and especially into the most extreme, outer darkness? In this light, should we necessarily assume that God’s consigning of men to outer darkness is only and entirely future to this life? Cf. Rom 1:21,22,24,26,28, 2Th 2:9-12.
1. In the day of judgment, hypocrites will be bound; the angels shall bind up these tares in bundles for the fire, Mat 13:30,41. Damned sinners are bound hand and foot by an irreversible sentence; this signifies the same with the fixing of the great gulf; they can neither resist nor outrun their punishment. Matthew Henry.↩
2. They shall see all this plenty with their eyes, but shall not taste of it. Note, Those that walk unworthy of their Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously laid claim to, and complimented themselves with a groundless expectation of. Matthew Henry.↩
3. Hell is utter darkness, it is darkness out of heaven, the land of light; or it is extreme darkness, darkness to the last degree, without the least ray or spark of light, or hope of it, like that of Egypt; darkness which might be felt; the blackness of darkness, as darkness itself, Job 10:22. Matthew Henry.↩