What does gashing of teeth mean in the Bible?

Answer 1

You are referring to Matthew 25:30. Many who study the Scripture believe this term indicates that some who have made wrong choices have chosen a destiny that they will regret. The weeping and gnashing of teeth may be the result of realizing how gentle and loving God was and how every chance was given to each person to receive the wonderful gift of eternal life.

Additionally:

The "Literal Bible" says "grinding" of teeth... meaning "grating them together." This is an extreme human reaction to utter, mind-bending TERROR! In this case, a reaction to waking up from the dead to find yourself standing before a Great White Throne upon who's seated a Person whose face you can't look upon because it holds the brilliance of the sun. And you stand at the edge of a "Fiery Lake."

And you realize that the "fables" you heard about and read in The Bible WERE TRUE! And that Judgment Day is a REAL THING! And, as stated above, you come to the realization that "you weren't such a good person" in your life.... and that your life's "works" are about to be Judged. [See Rev.20:11-15]

When a person is caught in his sins [breaking the law] and facing the penalty for it [death; in this case, the SECOND DEATH - Rev.20:14]... one's "mouth goes COTTONY-DRY -- the tongue sticks to the roof of one's mouth and they can't talk. Remember the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man?

The rich man isn't standing in the kind of flames the world is taught about "hell." He's not beating at such flames that threaten to consume him... but never quite seem to, as some churches teach. He sees the "Lake of Fire" of which Jesus spoke [and still speaks in His written Word, the Bible]... and he suddenly knows that it's a REAL FIRE that burns UP whatever is thrown into it.

What does he ask for? Does he ask for a "firehose" or "buckets of water" to put out the flames... or to at least fend them off of himself? No... he asks:

"...'Father Abraham... Send Lazarus over here to DIP THE TIP OF HIS FINGER IN WATER AND COOL MY TONGUE, because I am in [mental] anguish in these flames.'" (Luke 16:24 NLT New Living Translation)

The rich man's mouth is "cotton-dry"... and his teeth are "grinding together" in blood-curdling, heart-stoppng terror -- because he now knows, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that his life's works "weren't good." And that he is "guilty as hell"... and that he is about to die the "Second Death" from which Jesus can save His creation.

"Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying the churches. He who overcomes shall be in no way hurt by the Second Death." (Rev.2:11 WEY Weymouth's New Testament)

There will be lots and lots of people [generation after resurrected generations of them] "weeping" and "grinding their teeth" in dread and fear as they await their Judgment in the "Last Great Day" of God's plan. Standing there, mulling over the things they'd done... or had failed to do... and a million other things the Bible says regarding a Righteous life; the books of which will be opened for all to see and understand. The things written in those books that are now "measuring their life's works."

"...books were opened... and the dead were Judged by the things recorded in the books in accordance with what their conduct had been." (Rev.20:12 WEY)

Most people who have lived and died throuhout the generations of man have not known the Bible. But the rich man of Christ's parable did. He called out to his ancestor, Abraham, so he knew the Scriptures, and was told, regarding those who professed the God of Abraham:

"...'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luke 16:31 WNT William's New Testament)

Thus, will Judgment Day find people "weeping and grinding their teeth together," each in their own personal nightmare of Horror and fear over how their life's works will be Judged... and over what their sentence will be.

"See! I AM coming soon, and My rewards are with Me, to repay each one just as his work has been." (Rev.22:12 WNT)