An Interview with Bill Wiese

CBN.com - BILL’S VISION:
In his book “23 Minutes in Hell,” Bill Wiese describes his personal experience of Nov 1998.  Wiese says that he was lying in bed at 3:00 am when he was plunged into hell – not in a dream, but in actuality – not because he had died and was being punished, but because God wanted him to experience hell and warn others.  Wiese believes that after 23 minutes of torment, Jesus came to rescue him from hell and returned him to earth, where he landed, shaking, on his living room floor.

Although Bill had been a Christian for 28 years, he had never thought all that much about hell.  After his hell experience, Bill spent six years searching the scriptures to find out what the Bible says about hell.  He cites more than 150 scripture references to hell, all of which he discovered line up exactly with what he experienced.  Bill says repeatedly, “Even if you don’t believe my story, I hope you will believe the scriptures and avoid hell just the same.” 

At 3:00 am on Nov 22, 1998 Bill says he was catapulted out of his bed into the very pit of hell.  He arrived in a cell that was approximately 15 feet by 10 feet by 15 feet.  It had walls of rough stone and rigid bars on the door.  As he lay on the floor, Bill felt extremely weak and as he looked around he realized he was not alone in the cell.  There were two enormous beasts that were approximately 10- 13 feet tall that were very intimidating. 

Bill recognized that the beasts were entirely evil and were looking at him with pure hatred which paralyzed Bill with fear.  “Evil” and “Terror” stood before him.  He says the creatures resembled giant reptiles but took on human form.  The first one had bumps and scales all over its body with a protruding jaw, gigantic teeth and sunken eyes.  This ferocious beast was pacing violently around the cell like a caged bull.  The second beast had very long arms with razor sharp fins that covered its body and claws for hands that were about a foot long.  Bill could hear the creatures talking and although he could not identify their language, somehow he could understand their words.  They were spewing forth blasphemous words expressing extreme hatred for God.  They turned their attention toward Bill and he felt their violent evil hatred that was directed at him. 

Two more creatures entered the cell and Bill knew that these four beings had been “assigned” to him and that his torment would be their amusement.  Suddenly the light vanished and it became pitch black.  One of the creatures picked up Bill and somehow he perceived the creature had strength one thousand times greater than a man.  The beast threw him against the wall and he crumbled to the floor feeling as if every bone in his body had been broken.  The second beast grabbed Bill from behind in a bear hug and pressed him into his chest with its sharp fins piercing Bill’s back.  Then it reached around and plunged its claws into Bill’s chest and ripped its claws outwards.  Bill’s flesh hung from his body as ribbons as he fell to the floor.  Bill knew he could not escape this torture via death.  Death penetrated him, but eluded him. 

Bill pleaded for mercy but the creatures had absolutely no mercy.  He says the mental anguish was indescribable.  He was extremely nauseous from the terrible, foul stench coming from the creatures.  He says if you take every rotten thin you can imagine – an open sewer, rotten meat, spoiled eggs, sour milk, dead rotting animl flesh and sulfur, and magnify it a thousand times, you might come close. Somehow Bill dragged himself out of the cell and after tremendous exertion he got to his feet.  He was horrified as he heard the screams of untold multitudes crying out in torment.  It was deafening and the screams seemed to go right through Bill, penetrating his very being.  The fear was so intense he couldn’t bear it, but he couldn’t die.  Hell was so terrifying, so intense, and so hostile, it was impossible for him to exaggerate the horror.  The heat was unbearable as was the thirst.

Eventually, Bill was returned – screaming - to his living room where he explained the experience to his wife, Annette.  She had noticed it was 3:23 am when she woke in their bedroom to Bill’s screams coming from their living room. Although Bill and Annette had been Christians for many years, he believes God allowed him to experience hell in order to, “Draw attention to His word and point people to what the Word has to say about Hell.”

23 QUESTIONS ABOUT HELL

          In Bill’s new book, 23 Questions about Hell, he answers some of the most common questions about hell and eternity. The book draws its answers from the Bible as well as Wiese’s personal experience.  Some of the questions answered in his book are: Isn’t God mean for making hell?, Isn’t there more than one way to heaven?, Where was God when the disaster (earthquake, tsunami, hurricane) struck? Can’t God overlook my sins?

          Bill says that although he has had a miraculous vision of hell that he shares freely, he doesn’t want people to take him at his word. He says, “Many people fail to read the Bible and thereby remain un-informed. We hope to change that by inspiring people to search God’s Word for themselves.”
           

BILL AND ANNETTES MINISTRY
            After Bill’s vision, he and Annette traveled around the country for seven years, sharing about the vision. In 2000, they began Soul Choice Ministries and soon after, began travelling full time. According to Bill, “Each year we provide books to inmates, sow ministry trips as God directs us, and we are honored to give a significant amount of our proceeds to missions and other ministries. Our desire is to see at least on billion souls come to Christi and a healthy reverential fear of the Lord restored to the Church.”