Misthological Models Part 4 continues the evaluation of the Dillowian, Caulian, and Crawfordian models of the outer darkness. The Dillowian model had proposed that if New Jerusalem is literal, then the outer darkness is inside of New Jerusalem. This proposition was rejected in Part 1 of the series. However, whereas Cauley had originally posed that the outer darkness would not be applicable until the start of the millennial kingdom, Dillow had posed that the outer darkness would go into effect at the Bema. This Dillowian proposition was found attractive. A synthesis with the Caulian and Crawfordian model made this possible even during the intermediate state, locating the outer darkness outside rather inside of New Jerusalem. Part 2 discussed the location of New Jerusalem in relation to the multiverse. Part 3 defended the thesis that New Jerusalem will be the abode of the Bride of Christ, thus of faithful believers. Unfaithful believers will live somewhere in the kingdom outside of New Jerusalem. Part 4 concludes by posing the probable location of the outer darkness in relation to the multiverse and New Jerusalem.
This proposition regarding the location of New Jerusalem and the outer darkness is evaluated in Part 4 against NDEs (near death experiences), visions, and dreams. Of course, such extrabiblical sources cannot necessarily be taken at face value. For example, they are sometimes contradictory. Nevertheless, analyzing such data against a biblical grid in Part 4 allows plausible models for biblical consideration. These models are then submitted to a biblical analysis in Part 4, including interaction with several commentators. The conclusion is that misthopology (and thus the outer darkness) has immediate (and therefore intermediate) applicability; namely, faithful believers have residency in New Jerusalem (even now), but unfaithful believers do not.