Hell Isn’t A Place To Party

You no doubt have heard people saying that they will party with all their friends in Hell, but according to a man who spent 23 minutes there, Bill Wiese, it is hardly that at all:

Now I saw some of the demons in hell that the Bible sometimes refers to as tormentors or destroyers or evil angels and the host of the high ones. Now when I was placed in a prison cell, I noticed that I was not alone. I saw two enormous beasts unlike anything I had ever seen before. Now everything I'm describing is already outlined in the scriptures, and this is what's important for you to believe and not necessarily my experience…and these creatures were approximately 10 to 13 feet tall with pure unrestrained hatred.

Wiese describes them in even more detail:

Now the creatures weren't animals, but they weren't human either. Each giant beast resembled a reptile in appearance but took on human form. Now their arms and legs were unequal in length, out of proportion, you know, without symmetry. The first one had bumps and scales all over its grotesque body. It had a huge protruding jaw, gigantic teeth, and large sunken in eyes. And this creature was stout and powerful with thick legs and abnormally large feet. And it was pacing violently around the cell like a caged bull, and its demeanor was extremely ferocious. Now the second beast was taller and thinner with very long arms and razor sharp fins that covered its body. It had claws that were nearly a foot long.

These foul beings were right out of Hollywood horror film casting, but they were hardly fictional or done with CGI. According to Wiese he was seeing and experiencing actual tormentors.

Assigned To Him

Wiese heard them speaking:

Now I could hear the demons speaking to each other, although I could not identify what language it was. Somehow I could understand their words. And they were awful words, terrible blasphemous language that spewed from their mouths expressing extreme hatred for God.

In his experience he knew that these demons were meant only for him:

Now suddenly they turned their attention towards me. At first there were only two demons, but later two more creatures came into the cell, and I had the feeling that these four beings had been assigned to me. Now one of the creatures picked me up and threw me into the wall…

He then details more of what he went through and the cell he was in and it isn’t something to look forward to:

Now I was extremely nauseous from the terrible foul stench coming from these creatures. It was absolutely disgusting, foul, putrid, and rotten. Now the odor was actually extremely toxic, and that alone should have killed me. Now I was taken out of the cell and placed next to this large pit of fire where thousands of people were burning and crying out with blood-curdling screams.

Now as I was viewing the demon shoving people back into this massive pit, I also saw snakes, and I was standing on a solid bed of maggots, and that's in Isaiah 14:11, Mark 9:48, and some others. You know, there were demons of all shapes and sizes lined along this cavern wall. They were hideous and grotesque.

Not much of a party is it?

An Eternal Prison

He adds even more details as if we needed more:

They were more like a dungeon. Now the one I was in was smoke-filled, filthy, dirty, and unbearably hot. It had rough stone walls and bars on the door. Now I felt as though I was in a temporary holding cell. Now Isaiah 24:22 says, “And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison.”

Proverbs 7:27 refers to the chambers of death in hell, and the word chambers means inner rooms. Job 17:16 says, “They shall go down to the bars of the pit.” And Jonah 2:2 and verse 6 says, “In hell I cried out... the earth with her bars was about me forever.”

Now at first there were two enormous beasts in this cell. I realized they were demons. Now at one point I was able to crawl out of the cell. I looked off to my right and—I could faintly see flames from afar off that dimly lit the skyline. Now I knew the flames were coming from a large pit, a gigantic raging inferno approximately 1 mile in diameter and about 10 miles away. Now this was just one of the many things I simply knew.

His senses were heightened:

My senses seemed to be keener, you know. In the book One Minute After You Die, Dr. Irwin Lutzer said that those in Sheol or hell have a heightened perception and a better understanding. Now one of these demon creatures grabbed me and carried me back into the cell. It threw me on the stone floor. Now there were two more demons that entered the cell. Now to have no relief, no escape, no reprieve is unthinkable. In addition, the prison cells in hell are not like those in America, but are a filthy, smoke-filled, rock-enclosed dungeon. Now there is no light or bed to sleep on. It’s just stone, heat, and smoke and terror.

They Are Tormenting Demons

Wiese listed verses about these demons:

That indicate demons torment those in hell. Matthew 18:34 mentions being delivered to the tormentors. Luke 12:47 says they will be beaten with many stripes or beaten with few. Who's doing the beating? Matthew 24:51, “I will cut him in pieces and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Psalms 50:22, “You that forget God, I will tear you in pieces.” Psalms 116:3, “The pains of hell have gotten hold upon me. I found trouble and sorrow.” Job 33:22, “His soul draws near to the pit and his life to the destroyers or executioners.”

They are incredibly powerful:

Now these demons have great strength. Now I was comparable to the weight of a water glass in his hands, you know. And Mark 5:3 and 4 describes a man possessed with a demon, and these words it says in the Bible: no one could bind him, not even with chains. The chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces. Second Peter 2:11 says, “Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might...” Psalms 103:20, “His angels which excel in strength.” So demons are most likely fallen angels according to most commentaries and scholars, and they have great strength.

You Will Be Alone

Now Wiese addresses the concept of having fun with your friends in Hell and it isn’t going to be that way at all:

In hell, I desperately wanted to talk to a human being. Any human interaction about the suffering we were sharing would be even a fraction of peace. However, I knew I would never have that opportunity. You know, you're alone and isolated from any kind of fellowship, conversation, or human connection. You know, it's extremely difficult to process the thought of knowing you will never be able to relate with anyone ever again. Instead, you are exposed to and tormented by hideous creatures. No matter who you were, famous or not, great influence or not, it doesn't matter. You are truly alone amidst a sea of tormented souls. You know, Ezekiel 7:25 says, "Destruction cometh, and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none." Job 31:23 says, "For destruction from God was a terror for me. I could not endure." And then Psalm 73:18-19 says, "You cast them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors?"

And when you’re there you won’t get out:

You know there is no one to help you or call out to. You are alone and completely hopeless. You are hearing the screams of countless others moaning and gnashing their teeth. You realize you will never ever escape this horrific place. Isaiah 38:18 says, "Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Job 7:9 says, "He that goes down to Shol shall come up no more." Now your deep desire is that you could just die and escape the pain. But you are the living dead like a rotting corpse.

No Peace At All

We know all the verses in the Bible about having peace as Christians and they do comfort us greatly. It’s just the opposite in Hell as Wiese explains using Bible verses to back his words up:

But when a person dies without Jesus Christ, they will exist in a place called hell. And hell is absent of any peace whatsoever. And it's for all eternity. Now, Lamentations 3:17 says, "And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace." Isaiah 57:21, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

I can’t fathom not having God’s peace for even a moment. But those in Hell won’t have it for eternity:

Now, to have no peace is to have no rest. And after a short time, a person will become irritable and frustrated. With no peace, a person's mind is tormented. And in hell, there is never any rest from the torments: the screams, the fear, the thirst, the lack of breath, no sleep, the stench, the heat, the isolation from people, and the hopelessness. Now, Revelation 14:10-11 says, "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night." But see, Isaiah 57:20 says, "But the wicked are like the troubled sea that cannot rest."

If all this depresses you, it should. Hell is not a place you want to go to and the prospect of anyone you know going there should make you evangelistic.

A Real Story

Wiese and his wife had someone they lived near who wasn’t a Christian but almost died. Here is what happened:

Now, I've shared this true account before, but this comes to mind. You know, our neighbor was a tough Marine and never feared anything his whole life. He was also a strong atheist. And my wife and I found out that he was in the hospital dying. Well, we went to see him and as we came into the room, he had a terrified look on his face. He told us that he was slipping out of his body the night before and he was going down a dark tunnel. He said it was so very dark and he was absolutely terrified and the look on his face was of deep concern and fear. We explained that he was terrified because he was headed for hell. He said, "I know and how can I stay out? I just cannot go there." Well, we explained the way of salvation is to ask forgiveness for his sins and to ask Jesus, the son of God, to come into his heart and receive him as his Lord and Savior. Well, he said a prayer with us inviting Jesus into his heart and it was a prayer with tears. He was most sincere and thanked us profusely. No, a genuine peace came over him and now he appeared relaxed and unafraid. You know, true peace only comes through Jesus Christ.

And Wiese assures us that people need the peace we enjoy:

Now terror and fear are the opposite of peace. We may not realize it, but a person can never truly experience peace of mind without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace comes from God. 1 Timothy 1:2 says, "Peace from God our father and our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

I like how he offers hope to anyone willing to listen and it is a fitting end to this somewhat dark information:

You know, people may experience some level of peace in this life, but there always remains an unsettled feeling of some kind, which is a lack of peace. They may fear a lack of security, a fear of the future, a concern for their health, a fear of loss, a fear of their child experience harm, uh even a fear of success. And of course, there is always the fear of death. And if you haven't put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, you should fear death and an eternity in hell. If you want real peace now in this life and in the world to come, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ today. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead to give us all eternal life. But heaven is not your default destination. It takes a purposeful act on your part. Now, are you really ready to face your creator? Because one second after you die, it's too late.

Let’s use that summation to lead others to a saving knowledge of Jesus before it’s too late for them.