Book 9: 23 Minutes in Hell
I can’t believe we are on book 9 already. How did that happen? I hope you all are having a wonderful start to fall. This month’s book was titled 23 Minutes in Hell, by Bill Wiese (check out part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 if you missed them) and it is one of those books that really hit home for me. In these reviews, I share a bit about each of these books, my thoughts, how many stars I’d give it (actually it is how many Jericho’s as I’m using his cute face in place of stars. ;) ), and what other books I've read that month. This book is an easy read but one that will challenge your thinking in regards to what you know about hell.
Title: 23 Minutes in Hell
Author: Bill Wiese
Genre: Non-Fiction | Christian Literature
Page Count: 260
Short Synopsis: The book starts off with a bang and instantly you’re drawn in to this man’s incredible, but horrifying, story. The author explains in detail his experience of spending 23 minutes in hell; what he saw with his own eyes and felt with his own body. He experienced beasts, physical weakness, fire, and unending doom. From those 23 minutes, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that hell is not some place he ever wants to return. He is now sharing his story in the hopes that the rest of humanity will come to understanding and trust in Jesus for their ultimate salvation.
My Thoughts: 23 Minutes in Hell answers some difficult questions like: Where is hell located? Do we have a physical body in hell? Can “good” people go to hell?, all backed by Biblical scriptures. I thought it was very interesting to see what the Bible says about hell as it is not the typical topic of discuss at church or at Bible studies. One specific thing I have never heard before, is where hell is located. It is thought to be in the center of the earth. The reasoning is due to multiple Biblical references about going down into the pit, or into the lower parts of the earth (Psalm 63:9; Ezekiel 31:14; Ephesians 4:9). In Bill’s experience, he fell to get down to hell and he ascended up a tunnel when he left.
“You still may wonder how a good and loving God could send someone to that horrific place called hell. To put it plainly, He doesn’t. It is your rejection of the provision (Jesus) for your sin that sends you there. We all have a free will, and we can choose not to repent…By choosing to do nothing, you have already made a choice. You choose death and hell forever.”
Often times, stories like this are hard to believe. We generally think that the person is crazy and they made everything up just to get attention. Regardless of if people think Bill’s story is true, he is following what the Holy Spirit asked of him; to go and tell everybody. This same concept applies in our life too. When we are doing the Lord’s work, the enemy will try so hard to distract us from our calling by having people question and doubt our claims. Stay strong and don’t lose your focus. God will carry you through.
“What you need to hear is the judge’s ruling for lying and stealing [or any other sin]…All liars go to hell. You say, “I don’t believe in hell.” That’s like someone saying to the judge, “I don’t believe in jail.” What we believe or don’t believe doesn’t change realities.”
While this book was fascinating, I found it fairly simple. The author tells his story in the first few chapters and then dedicates the rest of the book to going over some questions about hell, with multiple scriptures/quotes to support his answer. Additionally, the book ended very abruptly. There was no conclusion to wrap up the entire book, which made it seem like it wasn’t fully thought out. Overall, I’d still recommend reading it if you have any interest in hell, but just know that it is pretty basic in its format. Reading stories like this, truly makes me thankful that I know where I am spending my eternal destiny and encourages me to share the Jesus of the Bible with others so that they can know where they are going too! Happy reading!
My Rating:
Other Books I Read in September: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord | The Assassin and the Desert | The Assassin and the Underworld | Raspberry Danish Murder | Banana Cream Pie Murder | Shameless | The Birth Book | Christmas Cake Murder | Mindful Hypnobirthing | Fame | Forgiven | Found
