[video] Bill Wiese's 23 Minutes in Hell — What is it like in Hell? — "How bad could it be? You can't breath; you can't eat; you can't sleep… you're tormented. And all this you have to endure for eternity."

Bill Wiese is a liar. He quotes numerous scriptures throughout his book, most of which are completely irrelevant to what he is talking about. He continually grabs short phrases and sentences out the Bible and quotes them without showing you the context of the phrase, which makes it easy for him to read his own assumptions into it (yes, I actually looked up every single scripture he cites). The majority of Christians in modern America do not diligently read their Bibles anymore, which makes them easy prey for this kind of con job. But his bizarre fantastic story outrightly contradicts the Bible many times. Luke 16:27-31 (the Lord’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus) says, “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Our Lord Himself is very clear that if men reject the Gospel, and they refuse to listen to those who proclaim the Word of God, they will never be persuaded, even if someone came back from the dead to witness to them—something even more miraculous than Wiese’s alleged experience. Wiese himself specifically says, “One thing I was sure of: if what I had experienced was true, then I should be able to find proof of it in the Bible”; and, “I discovered that there are approximately 150 verses that reveal some aspect of hell, together confirming everything I had experienced.” However, he does not even attempt to back up many of his claims from Scripture, such as deformed reptilian demons and big rats and spiders in hell. He cites many scripture about demons attacking people on earth (as do some of the posters on this forum), but he never provides a shred of proof that demons can torment people in hell. And Wiese himself states that if he can’t prove it from the Bible, then it is not true. Please see my review of “23 Minutes in Hell” at http://www.geocities.com/spiritualliberty/23MinutesInHellReview.html.

Hello, Jeff, thanks for sharing your views. First, I think you need to remember that it was Wiese himself who said he needs to provide Scriptural proof for everything he witnessed. In Wiese’s own words: “One thing I was sure of: if what I had experienced was true, then I should be able to find PROOF OF IT IN THE BIBLE” (p. 81); “I discovered that there are approximately 150 verses that reveal some aspect of hell, together confirming EVERYTHING I had experienced” (p. 81); and, “What SCRIPTURE states is all that matters” (p. 131). I am simply holding Wiese accountable for his own claims. And these are very serious claims he is making. He is claiming that the holy, inspired Word of God confirms “everything” he is telling us; and he is even claiming to have met Jesus Christ in person, and received a divine commission directly from the Son of God Himself. If someone is going to make such high claims, it should not be taken lightly. He should have enough reverence for God and His Word to make sure that everything he is saying is indeed supported by Scripture, especially when he is specifically claiming this himself. But Wiese is very careless and irresponsible in this regard, with all the statements he makes that are totally foreign to anything found in Scripture. And even worse, he is constantly twisting and distorting scriptures, trying to make them say things that they simply don’t say, in an attempt to make the Bible support his story, when it really doesn’t. I have documented this very thoroughly in my review of “23 Minutes in Hell,” and I have to wonder if you have actually read the whole review. When someone makes claims like Wiese has made, and then handles the Bible the way he does, he is handling the Word of God deceitfully, and he is a liar. “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully” (2 Cor 4:2a).
Wiese insists that he is not in it for the money, but then why does he not post his books on his website, as many Christian writers and churches are now doing? That way, thousands of people could read his “divinely authorized testimony” and get all their questions about hell answered, FOR FREE. If money truly is not his motivation, and his only concern is to get his “divinely authorized testimony” out to as many people as possible, then he would not have a problem doing this (in fact, he should have already done it long ago). But then again, if money was not his motivation, he never would have charged $13 a copy for his first book, or $15 a copy for his second book, in the first place. And on top of this, he’s also raking in $25 for the audio book, $10 for the DVD, etc. Just how much money is he making off this? My problem with Wiese here is that his actions contradict his own stated purpose for his ministry. I will have to take your word for it when you say that Wiese didn’t make any money off the particular video that you bought, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is charging a lot more than he needs to, and he is making a fortune off media sales. And the fact that he wasn’t initially taking media orders from his website is irrelevant. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s been taking a ton of money from retail store sales and their online sales all along.
You claim that from what you’ve “seen,” Bill and his wife are “awesome” and they have “integrity.” But anyone can appear sincere and caring while they’re scamming people—that’s what con artists are all about. And we are warned numerous times in the Bible to beware of those who use religion to make money. And it is the Word of God that must determine how we evaluate their claims. Whether they appear sweet and sincere is not the issue. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb 4:12). “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa 8:20).
Also, I certainly do believe that demons affect people here on earth; in fact, I made that very clear in my review. (I am not exactly sure why you would think I don’t believe this?) My point was that you cannot use scriptures about demons attacking people on earth to try to support the old medieval superstition of demons tormenting people in hell. There is simply not one scripture in the entire Bible that supports this. And again, it was Wiese himself who said he should be able to prove EVERYTHING he saw from the Bible.
By the way, how do you explain Luke 16:27-31?
Louis
P.S.: My apologies for the phrase “as do some of the posters on this forum”; I copied and pasted some of this from a post on another forum, and included this phrase by mistake.

Hi, Jeff,
As Christians, we are to reverence God’s holy Word as the foundation of our faith (2 Tim 3:15-17). And we are to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3). When we see others abusing and twisting the Bible to their own ends, and handling the Word of God deceitfully, we are not to stand idly by like nothing’s wrong; and we certainly should not support what they are doing. This is not “slander”; it is our responsibility as Christians to oppose those who distort the Word of God. Also, it appears that we have a fundamental disagreement about salvation itself. You heavily emphasize the idea that “holiness” is required to go heaven. But the whole reason for Jesus Christ coming to die on the Cross for us was to pay the penalty for our sins, in our place. And we are saved by faith in Him and what he did for us on that Cross. This is truly salvation by grace (Eph 2:8-9). We are now saved because we are clothed with the very righteousness of Christ Himself. If we need to attain salvation by keeping God’s law, then there was no point in Christ dying for our sins, and we have nullified the grace of God. “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal 2:21). There are literally hundreds of scriptures proving that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins as the final, complete, perfect Sacrifice (Heb 9:12,26,28, 10:10), and that our justification before God comes by faith in Christ. When God’s children backslide and disobey, He will chasten them to correct them, but they are still His children, and nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38-39). There are many accounts in the Bible of even the greatest believers sinning and failing (Abraham, Samson, David, Peter, and many more). This is the whole reason for the Lord’s chastening of His children—to bring His wayward, backsliding child back into His will. In fact, Scripture plainly declares that if we are not chastened by God, we are not His children! “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb 12:6-8). You say that those who slander will not go to heaven, but in all honesty, Jeff, can you actually say that you never say anything wrong about anyone else? That you never gossip even just a little? That you never say something negative about another person that wasn’t called for? Just how “holy” do you think you have to be to get yourself into heaven? Are you allowed just a little bit of gossip and slander? Once a month perhaps? Where do you draw the line? Have you considered James 2:10? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The way is narrow because there is only one Way and one Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), not because we have to keep our lifestyle at a certain level of holiness to get to heaven. It takes time for every Christian to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). And many true believers still go through many times of sinfulness and carnality, and this is abundantly clear in the Scriptures; in fact, this is the whole reason for the Lord’s chastening in His children’s lives.
It is difficult to determine exactly where Wiese stands when it comes to the Gospel and salvation. In his video at spiritlessons.com, he says, “I believe I’m saved. Not by good works, but by faith, by trusting in You.” But in the video on your webpage here, he says that if you’re living a “compromised lifestyle,” especially concerning sexual immorality, you’re going to hell (in which case Samson and David are probably both in hell). This is a serious problem with Wiese’s whole “testimony”—his inconsistent, incompetent handling of the Scriptures, as well as his intentional distortion and abuse of the Scriptures. Remember, Jeff, that God has magnified his Word above all else (Psalm 138:2). When he sends his prophets, apostles, and ministers, he sends them to preach His WORD to the world. It is the great truth of His Word that saves souls and changes lives. God does not use men who are woefully unprepared to teach His Word (as Wiese is), and He most certainly does not use men who willfully distort His Word (as Wiese most definitely does). And Wiese does not merely make an occasional minor mistake. He distorts and misquotes the Bible numerous times for the specific purpose of trying to make it look like the Bible proves his story, when it doesn’t prove it at all. This is completely inexcusable for a man who claims to have been chosen by God for such a special ministry. Again, I have documented this thoroughly in my 50-page review of Wiese’s of book, and you do not seem to be willing to address these issues. You claim that God chose Wiese because of his “integrity,” but how do you know whether Wiese has integrity? Would a man of integrity constantly distort and misquote God’s holy Word, just to promote his own story? Since God honors His own Word so highly, would He choose a man who handles His Word the way Wiese does? A man who you admit is “confused”? You yourself have admitted that he takes scriptures out of context. I also listed many scriptures that directly contradict Wiese’s story, and you have not addressed these. One example I gave you was Luke 16:27-31, but you do not appear to have an answer. This is the third time I have reminded you of this passage, and I hope that you will give me a straight answer in your next post. You do agree that we shouldn’t be contradicting the Word of God, do you not? Didn’t you say yourself, “Let’s be biblical”?
Psalm 50 is actually another good example of Wiese’s mishandling of the Scriptures, and it is unfortunate that you cannot see through what he is doing here. Psalm 50 has absolutely nothing to do with hell whatsoever, and it is completely irrelevant to Wiese’s story. Psalm 50 is a warning about God’s EARTHLY judgments coming upon the wicked on EARTH. He warns them about rejecting His instruction, stealing, adultery, an evil tongue, and slander (verses 16-20), and tells them that He will “reprove” them (verse 21). To reprove someone is to rebuke and correct them to bring them to repentance. This again is a warning of God’s judgment that is about to come upon the wicked on earth if they don’t repent, as we see many times throughout the Old Testament. This is the context of the warning, “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces.” This passage is not saying anything at all about hell, but Wiese tries to turn it into a passage about hell, just to make it support his own wild story, when it does not support his story in any way. You are trying to dismiss Wiese’s claims of all this extensive scriptural support for his story as “unwise” or foolish, implying that it’s not really a big deal. But what he is doing is DISHONEST, Jeff. Time and time again, he tries to make God’s holy Word say things that it doesn’t say at all, to support the FALSE CLAIM that the Bible proves his story. What does this tell us about Wiese’s “integrity”?
I have to say, Jeff, that I find some of your statements here to be very strange and confusing. You wrote that “It’s possible that he was right enough with his neighbors and with God to enter heaven, but few are, unless they believe holiness is required, and apparently he doesn’t.” First of all, I strongly disagree that we have to be “right with our neighbors” to enter heaven. Never does the Bible say that we have to have all our human relationships in order to get ourselves into heaven. In that case, who could ever have any assurance of eternal life? Secondly, I am having a lot of difficulty deciphering what you mean here. You seem to be saying that in order to enter heaven, we have to believe that “holiness is required.” But then you go on to say that apparently Wiese doesn’t believe this. It almost sounds like you’re saying Wiese might not be saved??? I assume I must be misunderstanding you here, since obviously you are a supporter of Wiese. Perhaps you could clarify your meaning here?
Another statement I am having trouble understanding is this: “Is it possible that the reason Bill didn’t remember himself as being a going-to-heaven Christian while in hell is because Bill wouldn’t have gone to heaven, but would have ended up in this place, had he died right then?” Honestly, Jeff, this sounds downright bizarre. Can you seriously be saying that if Wiese had died during this experience, he would have been doomed to remain in hell forever, EVEN THOUGH HE’S ACTUALLY A CHRISTIAN, and had been since 1970??? What does this say about the love and justice of God? And how is this actually relevant to Wiese’s claim that he didn’t remember being a Christian, and the numerous Scriptures that contradict this claim?
You also say, “This is where I think it’s possible (I could be totally wrong) that Bill could be confused.” But remember, Jeff, that Wiese claims to have received a divine commission directly from the Son of God in person. He claims to be acting on the very authority of Jesus Christ. He does not have the luxury of being “confused.” A man who has been given such a high commission cannot afford to be “confused”—not when he is supposedly directly representing the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Do you seriously believe that Jesus Christ, God Almighty in human form, would actually give a divine commission in person to someone who is so confused concerning His Word? Isn’t the Gospel way too vitally important?
Regarding the issue of all the money Wiese is making off this, you say that it “seems apparent” that it took a toll on him, and he “probably” lost income during the “recovery process.” Not only is this pure speculation on your part, it is irrelevant to the issue. There is no solid reason to assume that there were actually any “losses” to “recoup.” Besides, Wiese and his wife were already successful in real estate. It’s not like they were hurting for money. And now they’re charging hard-working struggling folks far more than they really need to for their books and media, and they’re making a fortune in the process. They are not just “recouping”—they are getting rich. I have some experience in publishing and I can tell you that small run of just 1,000 books of 300+ pages each only costs about 3 dollars and change per copy. To mass produce a short 160-page book like Wiese’s would be much less per copy. He is making a huge profit. I also find it incredible that you would make a statement like “People don’t have to buy his material.” First of all, whether or not people have to buy his book has nothing to do with Wiese’s motivation and whether or not he is in it for the money. Secondly, Wiese claims to have a testimony of the utmost importance that was commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in person, in order to reach as many lost souls as possible. And Wiese’s story is recorded IN HIS BOOK. This is supposedly a book that is extremely important for people to read, which is exactly what most of Wiese’s supporters are saying. You say that “People don’t have to buy his material,” but what about all the people he’s supposed to reach with his story?
Finally, you said that it took a lot of time and thought and effort to write his books. I haven’t read his second book, but I would totally disagree with this statement concerning “23 Minutes in Hell.” This is a short book (only about 160 pages) and very poorly written. His story sounds wild, bizarre, and contrived (especially his story about Jesus flying him around the world because he always wanted to be an astronaut), and his handling of the Scriptures is terribly sloppy. Anyone can grab a concordance and rattle off a list of scriptures that happen to mention words like “dungeon,” “bars,” “destroyer,” etc., but this proves absolutely nothing and really doesn’t take any serious effort or study. I cover all this in my review, and it is quite apparent that you haven’t actually read it yet. Perhaps you should actually read what I have written before you call it “disgusting”?
Looking forward to your next post, Jeff.
Louis

JC Masters: Why I Don’t Believe Bill Wiese Went To Hell
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Occasionally, my research for my upcoming book, “What the Hell? Simple Answers to Life’s Most Burning Questions”, takes me to
the testimonies and personal experiences of others regarding Hell. Recently, I came across the book, “23 Minutes In Hell”, by
Bill Wiese. Now, I don’t know Bill Wiese and I have nothing against the man. In fact, as a fello Christian, I am overjoyed that he is seeking to spread the gospel in his own way. However, after reading his book, cover to cover, I was left thinking that either the man was deceived, or was intentionally pushing an agenda. Not knowing him, as I said, I dare not conjecture which.
The book speaks of him somehow being catapulted into a Dante’s Inferno type of Hell while, presumably, asleep in his bed. Now, if you are not familiar with Dante’s Inferno, it is a part of a larger poem written by a man named Dante Alighieri in the 14th century which greatly influenced the Church’s perception of Hell. Inferno, of course, was a fictitious poem, not having anything to do with Biblical Scripture, but was more about Dante’s political angst against some of his enemies at the time.
Wiese borrows a significant amount of the descriptors in Inferno in his alleged trip to Hell. I don’t fault him for that, as it is the meat and drink of modern Christianity, however wrong it may be.
There are, however, some very strange inconsistencies in Wiese’s story which require the observant reader to take notice. I will address them individually.
#1. He claims to have gone to bed shortly before midnight on November 22, 1998 and was “catapulted OUT OF MY BED into the very pit of hell.” (page 2) Ok, so as you can see by his own testimony, he was in his bed at the time of his “departure” to hell, he says at 3:00 am. However his wife Annette says this on page 46. “I woke up to screams coming from DOWN THE HALLWAY. My first reaction was to look to my right to see if Bill was there beside me in bed. HE WASN’T.” Ok, so the million dollar question is, how did Bill get from being in his bed to laying on the living room floor if he was in Hell the whole time with no possibility to control his body in the meantime?
#2. Annette continues on with this. “I turned to my left and looked at the digital clock, and noticed that it was 3:23 am. I got out of bed and WALKED down the hallway to the living room where I found Bill in a fetal position with his hands grasping at the sides of his head. His breathing was erratic, and he was screaming, “I feel like I’m going to die!” I thought he was having a heart attack.” I don’t know about you, but if someone I loved was in a fetal position on the floor, and their screams woke me up, I would RUN, not walk to wherever they were. Her testimony does not match what a prudent person would do under those circumstances, and the rest of her story is similarly unbelievable. She didn’t call 911 when she believed he was having a heart attack, even when he was screaming the entire time she was praying over him. No woman I have spoken to, even Christian ones, has agreed that they would have done the same under similar circumstances, knowing what Annette knew at the time she had awoken.
#3. He claimed during his book, that he was unable to think of the Lord Jesus during his time in Hell because Jesus Himself prevented it. (page 37) There are two problems with that. First, how would he know that the demons in the prison cell were blaspheming against a God he didn’t know? (page 4) Second, in his alleged encounter with Jesus, all Jesus said was, “I kept it from you” but did not give an explanation. Wiese offered an explanation, but that didn’t come from Jesus.
#4. Upon arrival to the prison cell initially, Wiese said he could not stand due to an inexplicable weakness, which apparently never got better. (page 2) However after getting soundly whupped on by 2 of the 4 giant demon captors, somehow with his chest ripped open and in the pitch blackness, he was able to stand up and walk away. He offered no explanation how he somehow “adjusted” to his predicament and got stronger, even as his circumstances got much much worse.
#5. After escaping the prison cell and demonic tormentors, he said he was taken back there to get roughed up again. Then all of a sudden he was standing next to the pit of fire 10 miles away without any explanation as to how he was carried such a vast distance instantaneously, or how he managed to stand up after being nearly drawn and quartered. (page 14)
#6. During his encounter with Jesus, he claimed that he arose from the bottom of the cavern and was rising in the air. Then suddenly Jesus appeared and he fell to His feet. How is that possible when both are floating through the air? What could he have fallen on?
#7. His testimony, indeed the title of the book, indicates that he had been in Hell for 23 minutes, but clearly that couldn’t
be the case because he claimed that Jesus took him out of Hell and into outer space, and then back to his home. That time between his departure from Hell and his arrival at home clearly would have eaten away some of those 23 minutes.
#8. His “abduction” at 3:00 am – Now this may be picking nits, but why would Jesus take Bill to Hell at the tail end of what is referred to as the “Witching Hour”?
#9. Finally, and this is perhaps the most damning to his story, but Scripture clearly states that folks don’t go to Hell and return back to Earth. In fact according to the Lazarus and rich man parable, it is strictly forbidden because nobody would believe the person anyway. Jesus WOULD NOT violate His own Word. And for Wiese to have actually gone to Hell would contradict
God’s Word. This beats even the previously mentioned contradictions in Wiese’s story.
So, that leaves us with the nagging question, why would Wiese experience this if he experienced it at all? Bear in mind that Wiese is a professed Christian since 1970 and has had 28 years to learn the Bible and Hell mythology as it pertains to Christianity today – prior to this event. I don’t think he hallucinated it, but he may have dreamed it, and he could have just made it up.
If he dreamed it then he clearly was being deceived. I have no clue why he would make it up, other than to add mor validity to the Hell scare tactics that have produced recalcitrant and backsliding pseudo-converts throughout the ages.
Does this mean that his book is entirely bad? No not really. He does make some standard Christian points that Jesus, not our own “goodness” or good works, is the way to Heaven. That’s the gospel in a nutshell, and fortunately Wiese does not waver from that point at any time. Does he use a substantial portion of his biblical references inappropriately or out of context?
Yes, and that’s a very pervasive scourge in modern Christian writings that is incredibly annoying, not to mention dangerous.
All that being said, I believe Bill Wiese to be an earnest Christian man who is doing all he can to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others in his own way. Do I believe his story? Absolutely not, it’s inconsistent as well as unbiblical. But I
in no way doubt his faithfulness to Jesus of his commitment to spreading the Gospel.
JC Masters

The Vision of CALVARY’S CROSS by Bobby Conner
A man by the name of Bobby Conner was given a vision of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The following is the complete testimony of Bobby Conner:
At Calvary’s Cross by Bobby Conner
The warm sunlight was softly spilling through the window into my office as I forced my attention away from the sweet spring day. Sitting in my chair, I brought my focus back to my opened Bible and an all-too-clean notepad which were resting on the deep, rich polished desk. I was in the process of preparing preaching notes on the subject of the cross of Christ. I had spoken on this subject many times before, but now I deeply desired something much fresher. I was not prepared for what was about to happen. My tranquil setting was about to change in a radical way. Pushing my chair forward, getting closer to the Scripture and my note paper, I began to pray, asking the Spirit of God to make the message of the cross real. I did not want to use just a bunch of words. I wanted the cross to be more than a mere message. I longed for people to hear the Words of Life. I wanted it to be something powerful that would transform our lives. So I began my prayer from a hungry heart.
Suddenly without warning, faster than the speed of light, I was no longer sitting comfortably at my study. I was being carried by the Spirit of God through time and space. As Paul stated in the Scriptures, if I was in the body or out of the body I do not know. Soon, I was set down in the busy streets of Jerusalem. I could hear the sounds of a mob of people. I could feel an evil excitement in the air that made my spirit very uncomfortable. I was standing in a great crowd of people. Looking into their faces, I noticed that some were filled with sincere sadness and others with an evil grin. The next thing I
knew I was shoved aside by a big Roman soldier, who cursed at me and yelled, “Get out of the way!” Then I looked and saw what
the crowd had been waiting for, Jesus bearing His cross. I could not believe my eyes. Never before had I seen such a terrible
sight. His entire face was covered with clotted, dried blood from wounds caused by a crown of thorns, which looked more like razor-sharp spikes driven into His head. Each time His heart would beat, fresh dark blue-red blood would spurt between the spikes and thorns, running down His forehead and into His eyes, dripping to His chest and onto the dusty street. My mind was whirling. I thought, “This can’t be happening, this happened years before.” However, at that moment our eyes met, and I knew without a doubt, it was real. Somehow, I had been carried to the crucifixion!
It was no dream; I was there.
Stunned, I staggered alongside the crowd, too shocked to speak, watching as Jesus was stumbling under the weight of the heavy
cross. The hot winds blowing dust from the street blew open the tears in His bloodstained clothes and I caught a glimpse of the wounds on His back and shoulders, deep, flesh-torn, gaping, open. For a long time we made our way up the steep path outside the city wall. At long last we came to the top of the Hill of the Skull. The mob stirred with excitement when the Lord was thrown down hard to the ground. Without a struggle He stretched out His arms. The air itself was so thick with the oppressing demon spirits that it was hard to breathe. The smell of blood and body fluids was so strong that I was choking: and I could smell the strong stinking aroma of some type of liquor, or cheap ale, coming from the soldiers. I heard the heavy
thud of the hammer as it struck the spikes going into His hands and feet. The cross was lifted up very roughly and dropped in
the hole. I heard a deep groan coming from the Lord’s throat, as the entire weight of His body came against the spikes. I will never forget the sounds, sights, and smells of this moment. It seemed as if time had stopped. I don’t know how long I was there; it seemed as if it were hours. This was a place of no mercy! Yet the most merciful act was being accomplished. I will never forget the paradox of feelings. The Sinless and Guiltless dying as one guilty. The Perfect being spoiled by the spear and ravaged by the cross. The Righteous dying for the rebellious. As I lifted my eyes to behold Christ on the cross, the pain upon His face was more than my heart could bear; all the strength left my legs, and I felt my body thud against the ground. I struggled to get to my knees. Lifting my eyes, I again forced myself to behold the Lamb. I know now the meaning of the prophet’s words, “And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). I can testify that His face was more disfigured than any I have ever seen. The pain that Jesus went through was much more than the cross. It was
beyond any human words to describe. His flesh was a pale blue as He hung suspended between Heaven and Earth making atonement for sinners such as I. At that moment I cannot begin to describe how horrible a sinner I knew I was. The words of the song came flooding into my heart, “When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gains I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.” I could see the Lord as He struggled beneath the pain of the cross, and as He lifted His weight and breathed in to speak these words, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING” (Luke 23:34).
Later, I heard the most horrible cry come from the parched, swollen, bleeding lips of our Lord, this cry still rings in my ears to this very hour: “MY GOD! MY GOD! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (Matthew 27:46). This question came from the very soul of
the Son of God. For the very first time in all of eternity, the Father and the Son are separated. This is the very first time
that Christ has ever referred to God other than Father. Why? Because now Christ has become what we are. He has taken upon Himself our sins. The Scripture states that God is of a purer eye than to look upon sin, so the Father turns His back on His Son, and Christ is forsaken by His Father. This is the pain that He had asked to be removed in the garden when He prayed, “LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME” (Matthew 26:39). He could not bear to think of Himself being abandoned by His Father. At this moment Christ is not dying as the Son of God, but rather as a sinner. As this happened, His heart was crushed. As the Psalmist prophesied: “My heart is like wax, it has melted within Me” (Psalm 22:14). Then with a loud cry, Christ Jesus said, “FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT” (Luke 23:46), and His lifeless head falls limp upon His chest. The entire Earth is spinning and shaking. There is this terrible darkness everywhere. I hear screams coming from the darkness, and suddenly I am aware that the cry is coming from my own lips. I am no longer at the foot of the cross, I am back in my office;
but the cry and scream still echoes in my ears. My entire body is shaking and trembling.
(The Vision Ends)
RITUAL OR RELATIONSHIP
I am not able to share all that I saw and experienced at this time. But I can tell you I will never be the same. And I am more sure now than ever before, the preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation. The Scripture states: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect” (1 Corinthians 1:17). The cross of Christ is not a trite trinket or some sentimental ceremonial jewelry, to be worn around our neck; but rather the cross of Christ is the very essence of the loving heart of Father God reaching out
to fallen mankind. Mankind’s only hope of deliverance from the grasp and guilt of sin is the finished work of Christ upon the
cross. God is not requesting man to embrace a mere ritual, but rather to enter into a lasting relationship. This can only be accomplished through the cross of Christ.
THE CROSS WAS BY DIVINE DESIGN
The Gospel is that, “Christ Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Notice the term “according to the Scriptures.” The sacrifice of Christ for our sin upon the cross was by divine design. The death of Christ upon the cross was neither accidental nor arbitrary. Jesus declared, “FOR THIS CAUSE I WAS BORN, AND FOR THIS CAUSE I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD” (John 18:37). The gospels tell us that the Lord Jesus spoke of the cross before His death (see Matthew 10:38; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:27). The sacrifice of Christ upon the cross for sinful mankind is the greatest example of God’s love for us. The Scriptures declare, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend” (John 15:13). That is exactly what Jesus did for us. He willingly came into the world to give His life a ransom to redeem fallen man. Paul says: “Christ died for the ungodly, He demonstrates His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-7). We are guilty and deserve the judgment of God, but God so loved us that He was willing to let His Son
become sin for us, so that we, by accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior, can be freed from sin’s punishment. None can
fail to see that in the teaching of the New Testament, Christ is set forth as taking the place of the sinner in His death. The death of Jesus upon Calvary’s cross was vicarious, which means Christ took our place of death and punishment. Every blessing of salvation is imputed to the believer by the substitutionary death of Christ. “He who knew no sin was made to be sin on our behalf; that me might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The cross, and the preaching of the cross, is the very core, and center of Christianity. Jesus said, “And if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). May God help us to boldly proclaim the transforming message of the cross of Christ.
by Bobby Conner
This testimony of Bobby Conner, along with the testimonies of Bill Wiese and Mary K. Baxter – A Divine Revelation of Hell, and several other testimonies, can be found at the following website:
http://www.divinerevelations.info

I suppose it was inevitable that, with a bestselling book describing an author’s “90 Minutes in Heaven,” one would soon follow detailing a journey to hell. Sure enough, Bill Wiese follows Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven with his own 23 Minutes in Hell. And interestingly, if you visit Amazon.com you’ll see that you can get a deal if you buy both of these books together. Clearly they are being read and appreciated by the same audience.
Wiese’s story is simple. One night, while sleeping, he was transported to hell. There God showed him hell in all its horror and terror. He was thrown into a barred cell, he was abused by demons, he was shown lakes of fire, and he saw people suffering torment. After a brief visit with Jesus, he was transported back to earth in order to tell people that Jesus is returning soon and to assure them that hell is a real place (and one that exists in the center of the earth, apparently). Wiese’s hell seems to be equally influenced by the works of Ray Comfort, Mary Baxter and Gary Larson. That is to say it is at times biblically accurate, at times patently unbiblical, and at times near-comical.
There are many things that can be said about this book from the perspectives of literature and theology. I will focus on just one under each heading. In terms of literature, there is little that can be said. This book is just plain bad. It is poorly written and seems cobbled together. It is something of a chore to read, though it is blessedly short and, unlike hell, the punishment does not last for long. I have read worse, of course, but there is no doubt that this is not a well-written book.
My foremost concern involves theology. And here I want to point to the error that also plagued Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven. It regards the necessity of such visitations. Don Piper travels the world now under the banner of “The Minister of Hope.” He brings hope by telling people that he has been to heaven and can attest that it is a real place. Bill Wiese now shares his message that hell is also real and is a real place (a really bad place). Yet in the Bible I find no reason to believe that God would want or need people to carry this kind of message based on their own experiences. God has given us the Bible precisely so we do not need such people! When a man travels around carrying a message like this one, he implicitly denies that the Bible is warning enough; his ministry indicates that he feels we need something more than “merely” the Bible in order to warn people of the joy to come to those who believe and the wrath to come for those who do not. These messengers, perhaps inadvertently, deny the uniqueness and the sufficiency of the Bible. If people will not believe the words of God as given in Scripture, why should or would they believe the fanciful words of a mere man?
All this is not to say that 23 Minutes in Hell does not have any redeeming qualities. The author shares many things about hell that are true. He often quotes excellent teachers (and ones who would be less than thrilled, I’m sure, to see their names printed inside this book!). He does not downplay the horrific nature of hell, as do so many today, attempt to deny its reality. However, one thing that is conspicuous by its absence is any mention of hell being the presence of God in His wrath. Wiese describes it as a place where people are punished for not believing in Jesus; yet the punishments are inflicted by demons and fire rather than by God Himself. From the Bible it seems clear that God is the one who is active in hell and that He punishes both humans and demons. If Wiese does downplay the awfulness of hell, it would be right here.
Like 90 Minutes in Heaven, this book is plagued with theological errors and, also like Piper’s effort, it does not deserve a place in anyone’s library. Take a pass on it!

There is NO Scriptural support for many of Mr. Wiese’s claims. Wiese’s claims of enormous sized demons with giant jaws and huge teeth with claws sticking out simply aren’t taught in the Word of God. Making exaggerated claims concerning Hell only leads people to doubt and mock the Word of God. As Christians, we should protect the integrity of the Bible by never allowing anyone to twist or exaggerate it’s teachings. We don’t need to add to the Word of God. Bill Wiese is adding to the Scriptures. Although this may seem harmlessly beneficial to some Christians, such bizarre claims are damaging to the truth. The testimony of the rich man burning in Hell (Luke 16) doesn’t mention demonic monsters with fangs and sunken-in eyes. In fact, nothing is mentioned in the Scriptures about monsters in Hell. Believe me friend, if you die in your sins and go to Hell, monsters are going to be the last thing on your mind if your being burned alive with fire and brimstone!
Bill Wiese claims that God is a liar!
Mr. Wiese claims… “God took it out of my mind that I was a Christian.” What? This is deception! Why would God do such a thing and violate His own Word? The Bible declares in Titus 1:2 that God cannot lie. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 5:15; 6:23). Why would Jesus Christ even pretend to take away the gift of eternal life from one which He has saved? Jesus would never pretend to be a liar. Bill Wiese would lead us to believe that God pretended to send him to Hell, breaking His promise of eternal life. Mr. Wiese claims he didn’t know why he was being tormented until afterwards. Remember, Bill Wiese claims that this was no dream; but an actual experience which he encountered. Is God a liar? No Mr. Wiese, you are the liar, not God. God would never forsake us for 23 minutes, not even for one second (Hebrews 13:5).
Are there divine revelations today? Does God speak face-to-face with certain people? No! We read in Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” How does God speak to us? Through His Son, who is the Word of God (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13). Jesus is the Living Word which came down amongst men in the flesh (John 1:14; 1st Timothy 3:16). If you want to hear from God today, then you must look to the Scriptures. God doesn’t speak to any individuals today through private revelations, as He did in the Old Testament. The Word of God is complete! The Word of God plainly states in 2nd Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.” Let the Bible speak for itself. We don’t need any new revelations, and the Bible doesn’t tell us to look for them.
I can assure you Biblically that Bill Wiese did not go to Hell. It is very important to understand that just because someone preaches the Gospel doesn’t mean that they are saved. Judas was one of Christ’s very own Apostles, but he was unsaved and had an evil heart. Judas played the part for his own personal gain. Increasingly, we are seeing false prophets exploit the Gospel for their own greedy gain and benefit. Bill Wiese is no different.

Matthew also makes a very good point when he says, “If people will not believe the Words of God as given in the Scriptures, why should or would they believe the fanciful words of a mere man?”
Matthew, good point, I agree.

Jeff Fenske,
What are you trying to say according to your comment to me? Are you saying you believe Bill’s testimony? If you do, are you really going to reject what the Word of God says, and replace it with what this man has to say? It’s just like Rachel said, “people for some very strange reason want to believe this man’s story, whether it goes against the Word of God or not.”
Larry

Jeff Fenske,
You don’t believe Bill’s experience conflicts with the Word of God. You should read Hebrews 13:5. God says, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE.” If God actually sent Bill Wiese to Hell, He would be violating His own Words. By claiming that God sent him to Hell, and not only that, but claiming that God removed his knowledge that He was a believer, Bill Wiese clearly states to Christians that God forsook him as a Christian. God does not send born-again Christians to Hell, because He promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. And that is exactly what God did if indeed He sent Bill to Hell.
So again, Hebrews 13:5 pretty much proves that God didn’t send Bill to Hell. If God were to send a Christian to Hell and remove his knowledge that he is a believer, God would be violating His promise of Hebrews 13:5.
Larry

I’ve read comment #7, and I didn’t find any evidence of you adressing this. What are you addressing?

So now your saying that Bill wasn’t a Christian before His experience? Wouldn’t Jesus have told him he wasn’t really born-again later during his conversation with Jesus after his hell experience?

One last thing I want to address. Bill claims that he was in his bed when he was taken to hell. How did his body get from being in his bed to laying on the living room floor if he was in hell during that time.

Louis you are hating on him God showed him a great experience showing him that he needs to realize that hell is not the place to go. dont be bringing scriptures and switching them around to please you so you can get the point across when you dont even know half of what your saying. so just dont say anything becuz in the end youll lose and youll have nothing in the end. Get your life straight with jesus becuz you need a one on one relationship with him (SERIOUSLY)gET your life straight with God.

The majority of Christians in modern America do not diligently read their Bible’s anymore, which makes them easy prey for this kind of con job. His bizarre fantastic story outrightly contradicts the Bible many times. He does not even attempt to back up many of his claims from Scripture, such as deformed reptilian demons and big rats and spiders in hell. I don’t care for a made up version of hell that someone sells to gullible people who aren’t happy with what God has revealed in the Bible.