23 minutes in hell (15 page)

In Part II, Research After the Return: Questions and Answers About Hell, and in Appendix A, the Scripture Index, I have provided you with the scriptural information and knowledge about hell I gathered during my own research. Without a doubt, what God’s Word has to say about hell—or about any other subject—is the authoritative guide for your life and mine.

As you have been reading my book, you have been able to read many “Hall of Fame” quotes about the topic of hell. These were inserted as additional evidence of the realities of what I saw during my experience. However, you may also find it enlightening to read the additional quotes from “Hall of Famers” included in this appendix.

The Assemblies of God

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43; Revelation 19:20; 20:11–15; 21:8.)[1]

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

At death, man’s soul leaves his body and goes either to Heaven or to Hell… those who are impenitent and unsaved shall be cast into outer darkness forever. Sadly, we declare that we believe in the conscious eternal punishment on the unsaved.[2]

Edward Donnelly

The doctrine of Hell should lead us to appreciate more than we do the love and merits of the Lord Jesus Christ… . From how much have we been spared?[3]

The doctrine of hell should make believers supremely contented, grateful to God in every circumstance of life.[4]

Jonathan Edwards

Eternal punishment is not eternal annihilation. Surely they will not be raised to life at the last day only to be annihilated.[5]

Millard J. Erickson

Nothing in Scripture indicates that there will be opportunity for belief after a preliminary period of punishment.[6]

John MacArthur

No one in scripture spoke more of judgment than Jesus. He spoke of sins that could not be forgiven, of danger of losing one’s soul forever, of spending eternity in the torments of Hell, of existing forever in outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.[7]

Chuck Missler

Sinners are warned to, “flee from the wrath to come” (Matt 23:33; Luke 3:7). At the last judgment, every person will be resurrected and judged individually, and there will be an accounting of every detail of each of our lives (every thought, every motive, every intention)… what did we do with what we knew? All religions indeed lead to God—as Judge! (It won’t be Buddha, Mohammed, or any of Pagan gods that will be sitting as judge.) The Father has given all authority to Jesus Christ.[8]

Christopher W. Morgan

The following description of Hell [referring to the section in his book after this quote] recurs throughout nearly all New Testament writers. Every author pictures Hell as just punishment or judgment…. So the three predominant pictures of Hell that emerge from this study are Hell as punishment, destruction, and banishment.[9]

Robert A. Peterson

At death the souls of the saved go immediately into the joyous presence of Christ in heaven, while the souls of the lost go immediately into an intermediate hell… at the Last Judgment… eternal punishment for the wicked in the lake of fire.[10]

O. C. Quick, Regius Professor of Theology at Oxford

The strain of antiuniversalist teaching in the New Testament can hardly be regarded by an impartial mind as other than conclusive.[11]

Solomon Stoddard (grandfather of Jonathan Edwards)

The fear of Hell restrains men from sin. Hell is compared to Sodom, when it was all on fire (Rev. 21:8). Whatever the miseries of Hell are, they will be eternal. The duration of their misery cannot be measured…. This makes every part of their misery infinite…. Men may well say, “Who can dwell with everlasting burnings.”[12]

Westminster Confession of Faith

The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens…. The souls of the wicked are cast into Hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknowledgeth none.[13]

Westminster Larger Catechism

The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell fire forever.[14]

Appendix B Notes

1. “Eternal Punishment,” position paper of The General Counsel of the Assemblies of God (USA), adopted by the Assemblies of God General Presbytery, August 17, 1976; http://ag.org/top/beliefs/position_papers/4172_eternal_punishment.cfm (accessed September 20, 2005).

2. “The Final State of Man,” Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Theological Statement, http://www.crpc.org/2000/About%20CRPC/theological6.html (accessed September 20, 2005).

3. Donnelly, Heaven and Hell, 55.

4. Ibid., 53.

5. Jonathan Edwards, The Complete Works of Jonathan Edwards, chapter II, “Of Endless Punishment: Concerning the Endless Punishment of Those Who Will Die Impenitent,” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works2.xi.ii.html (accessed September 20, 2005).

6. Christian Theology, second ed., 1243.

7. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2005), 111, s.v. Matthew 25:31–45.

8. Chuck Missler, “A Timely Study, the Epistles of John,” (tape series, John 5:27) from Koinonia House Online at http://khouse.org/articles/2001/384/, as viewed August 1, 2005.

9. Christopher Morgan, et al., Hell Under Fire, 142.

10. Robert Peterson, Hell on Trial, 168.

11. J. I. Packer, et al., Hell Under Fire, 183.

12. Solomon Stoddard, The Fear of Hell Restrains Men From Sin, ed. Don Kistler (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2003), 16–17.

13. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXXII, “Of the State of Man After Death and the Resurrection of the Dead,” http://www.reformed.org/documents/ (accessed August 4, 2005).

14. Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 29, http://www .reformed.org/documents/larger1.html (accessed August 4, 2005).

Bibliography

Books

“American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, The,” New College Edition, edited by William Morris. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1981.

“Amplified Bible,” The. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954.

Ankerberg, John and John Weldon. “Knowing the Truth About Reality and the Bible.” Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1997.

Barton, David. “Original Intent.” Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 2000.

Baxter, Mary K. “A Divine Revelation of Hell.” New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1993.

Comfort, Ray. “Hell’s Best Kept Secret.” New Kensington, PA: Whitaker Press, 1989.

DeMoss, Arthur S. “The Rebirth of America.” West Palm Beach, FL: Arthur DeMoss Foundation, 1986.

“Dictionary of Biblical Imagery,” edited by Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998.

Donnelly, Edward. “Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell.” Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2001.

Eby, Richard E., DO. “Caught Up Into Paradise.” Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1978.

Graham, Billy. “Angels: God’s Secret Agents.” Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2000.

Graham, Franklin. “The Name.” Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2002.

Jeffrey, Grant R. “Journey Into Eternity.” Minneapolis, MN: Waterbrook Press, 2000.

———. “Remarkable Evidence of God’s Design.” Toronto, Canada: Frontier Research Publications, Inc., 2003.

———. “The Signature of God.” Toronto, Canada: Frontier Research Publications, Inc., 1996.

Lutzer, Erwin W. “One Minute After You Die.” Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1997.

MacArthur, John. “The John MacArthur Study Bible.” Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Bibles, 1997.

McDowell, Josh. “Evidence That Demands a Verdict,” Volume 1. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1972.

———. “More Than a Carpenter.” Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1977.

McDowell, Josh and Don Stewart. “Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity.” San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1981.

Mears, Henrietta C. “What the Bible Is All About.” San Bernardino, CA: Regal Books, 1983.

Missler, Chuck and Nancy Missler. “Tomorrow May Be Too Late.” Coeur d’Alene, ID: The King’s Highway Ministries, 2004.

Morris, Henry. “Defending the Faith.” Green Forest, AR: Master Books, Inc., 1999.

Morgan, Christopher W. and Robert A. Peterson, eds. “Hell Under Fire.” Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004.

“Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.” Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.

Peterson, Robert A. “Hell on Trial.” Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1995.

Smith, Chuck. “What the World Is Coming To.” Costa Mesa, CA: The Word for Today, 1977.

Spurgeon, C. H. “The Soulwinner.” New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1995.

Stanley, Charles. “Charles Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living.” Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.

Stoddard, Solomon. “The Fear of Hell Restrains Men From Sin.” Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2003.

Strobel, Lee. “The Case for Faith.” Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.

Sumrall, Lester. “Run With the Vision.” Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1995.

———. “Alien Entities.” Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1995.

Strong, James. “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.” Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1980.

“The Origin of the Bible,” edited by Philip Wesley Comfort. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992.

“Thompson Chain Reference Bible, The,” Fourth Improved Edition, King James Version. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc., 1964.

Tozer, A. W. “The Knowledge of the Holy.” New York: Walker and Company, 1961.

USS “Indianapolis” (CA-35) Survivors. “Only 317 Survived!” Indianapolis, IN: Printing Partners, 2002.

Vincent, Thomas. “Fire and Brimstone.” Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1999.

Vine, W. E. “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.” Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell & Co., 1981.

Wesley, John. “Men of Faith.” Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1943.

Audiovisual Materials

Ankerberg, John. “Hell: Real or Imagined,” Stealing the Mind of America Conference, 1996. ComPass International, 460 Canfield, Ste. 1000, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

“Death and Beyond,” VHS, 1993. TBN, P. O. Box A, Santa Ana, CA 92711. Lakewood Television Production.

Missler, Chuck. “Return of the Nephilim,” 1998. VHS Tape. From Koinonia House, at P. O. Box D, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816-0347.

Rawlings, Dr. Maurice. “To Hell and Back,” 1999. TBN, P. O. Box A, Santa Ana, CA 92711.

For further information, you can contact the author at:

Soul Choice Ministries

P. O. Box 26588

Santa Ana, CA 92799

Web site: www.soulchoiceministries.org

If you would like to obtain Bill’s testimony on CD or DVD, please visit our Web site.