23 Minutes in Hell?
Wow...here we go again! Years ago it was "Embraced by the Light" by Betty J. Eadie (Mormon) and now we find some new rivals. During my visit today to Hastings I found two books that seem to be cut from the same idea...the one is called "90 minutes in Heaven."
Here is what CBD website has to say about this one:
"After a devastating car accident, Baptist minister Don Piper is pronounced dead at the scene. During the next 90 minutes, he remembers hearing beautiful music, meeting those who had a spiritual impact in his life, and experiences deep peace--until suddenly he is brought back to "real life" through another minister's prayer in this amazing true story."
The other book, which was my intended purchase, was"23 Minutes in Hell"written by Bill Wiese. Here is what CBD says about the book:
What does an eternity in torment look like, and how can it be avoided? God allowed Wiese to spend time in the devil's lair, and now he shares what he saw, heard, and felt. Along with hundreds of Scriptures referencing hell's horrors, Wiese shares his insights to commonly asked questions such as "Is hell a literal burning place?", "Where is hell?", "Do you have a body in hell?" and "Can 'good' people go to hell?"
OK...here's my big "beef" with both of them before even reading the two..."WHAT IS WRONG OR INCOMPLETE IN GOD'S OWN REVELATION OF WHAT HEAVEN AND HELL ARE ALL ABOUT?!!! Apparently God must think that we need extra-biblical revelation to straighten out our perceptions of eternity and the life beyond. Apparently the Bible isn't good enough?
Here's what you can expect from our blog...a full review in the next day or so as work schedule permits. I'm about 1/3 of the way through "23 Minutes in Hell." At this point I'd like to retitle it "60 minutes in Hell reading 23 Minutes in Hell"...argh! This book belongs on the same shelf as "The Shack"...the shelf relegated to the heretical collection. See our post on that one at this link:
http://preachtoday.blogspot.com/2008/08/shack.html">
The Shack
Do I doubt that Mr. Wiese had some sort of experience? No...not my position to do that. What I do not believe is that Mr. Wiese went to hell and I don't believe the Lord is using him as he seems to think. Expect my response to all those who have been asking us to review this one in the next day or so.
For now...read your Bible...it's revelation is complete and all we need!
4 Comments:
@Jim: I was frustrated when I saw the title of this post come up in Google Reader as I felt like you had stolen my thunder. ;-)
I have had a few email exchanges regarding Wise's experience, and was planning late December to write several pieces on why we can judge that his experience was not what he claims it to be, and why, as you so eloquently put it, the Scriptures are "complete and all we need!"
I have cooled down now, and am praising God for your willingness to correct error and proclaim the truth of God's Word.
I will be following intently over the next few days. :-)
Nathan,
We've had some inquiries about the book so we are responding to them. Thanks for the note and please make sure you post your articles on your blog- the more critiques the better. My critique will probably be short as I find it refuted in one main passage that's pretty substantial...and curiously not even cited. Will probably post tomorrow at the latest.
Bro Jim
@Jim: "...the more critiques the better." That's true, so I'll most likely still write my piece. My opening remarks in my last comment were intended to be tongue-in-cheek.
Looking forward to your post, and I think I know which verse you're referring to. His experience is one that the Scriptures explicitly address.
Looking forward to your findings as the subject of Bill Wiese will come up at a bbq we will be attending with friends who saw him at church in Sydney Australia last Sunday.
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