As Halloween approaches, one man who experienced the horrors of hell firsthand is issuing a sobering warning about society’s fascination with darkness, demons and evil.
Bill Wiese, author of 23 Minutes in Hell, recently joined evangelist Daniel Kolenda on Kolenda’s podcast to discuss his terrifying experience and why he believes people are being deceived into treating the demonic as harmless entertainment.
With Halloween around the corner, Kolenda asked Wiese why so many people seem drawn to fear, terror and the supernatural.
“People are deceived,” Wiese said, pointing to Revelation 12:9, which describes Satan as the one who deceives the whole world.
“They’re deceived into thinking that evil is in a sense intriguing, interesting, or whatever,” he continued. “They just don’t know that messing with the devil there’s nothing good about it.”
Wiese specifically addressed the popularity of dressing up as witches and demons on Halloween, warning that what appears innocent on the surface may carry deeper spiritual implications.
“The devils deceive people into thinking it’s just a cute thing to do,” he said. “But it’s really not. You’re really entertaining the evil world.”
For Wiese, these warnings stem from an experience he says forever changed his understanding of eternity.
On Nov. 23, 1998, Wiese says he was walking through his living room when he was suddenly pulled out of his body and transported into hell. He described finding himself in a prison cell surrounded by intense heat, demonic beings and overwhelming darkness.
To order Bill Wiese’s book, 23 Minutes in Hell, visit Amazon.com.
Wiese also recalled witnessing thousands of people suffering in a massive pit of fire, hearing their screams and experiencing a level of fear and hopelessness unlike anything he had ever known.
“You understand you’re not coming up. You’re not getting out,” Wiese said.
He described hell as a place without peace, rest or the hope of escape.
However, Wiese says everything changed when a brilliant light suddenly appeared, and he encountered Jesus Christ.
Wiese asked the Lord why he had been shown such a horrifying place.
“Because many people do not believe in hell,” Wiese recalled Jesus telling him. “Hell is real.”
Wiese said the experience gave him a greater appreciation for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and an urgency to warn others about the reality of eternal judgment.
His message also raises a serious question for Christians as Halloween approaches: Have we become so accustomed to darkness that we no longer recognize the spiritual dangers behind it?
Ephesians 5:11 instructs believers to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, while John 8:12 reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world.
As a culture increasingly turns fear, demons and evil into entertainment, Christians must remember that spiritual darkness is not something Scripture calls believers to embrace. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to bring life. Now we are called to walk in His light and share it wherever we go.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
