Contrary to what some believe, people will not be annihilated or turned to ashes when they die. In fact, a person in hell (Hades) has a spirit body and still possesses their soul, which is made up of the will, mind and emotions. The Bible also seems to indicate that a person in hell maintains an earthly resemblance.
In Luke 16:24 (NKJV), Jesus spoke of a rich man in hell. The rich man asked Abraham, “Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
This man had a tongue and he thirsted. He had eyes and he had a mouth, which he spoke with. He felt the torment of the flames. He could think and he remembered his family. He didn’t want them to come there. He knew they needed to repent. In addition, he recognized Abraham and Lazarus so they must have had spirit bodies to be seen and recognizable as well.
In the vision of hell God allowed me to personally experience, my body appeared the same as my current physical body. I do not know if the body I had in my vision is what a condemned person would have in hell. I was there in my spirit body and I was not condemned to hell.
When the demons tore at me with their claws, it seemed as if it were my real flesh. It may have only seemed that way but it was very real for me. The rich man thirsted for water, which was clearly a real experience for him. Does this tell us that a spirit body can thirst? Apparently so.
In my spirit body, I was able to endure suffering that would have caused immediate death to my current physical body. This indicates that the spirit body a person possesses in hell has different limitations and can endure extreme circumstances. I’ll also add that all of my faculties seemed to work. I could think, reason and remember. My emotions were still there and although my strength was almost nonexistent, my physical senses were acute—I could see, hear, touch, smell and taste.
We can be sure from what the Bible reveals to us that people will have some kind of a body in hell. The thought of being cast in to a place of such a pain and torment for all eternity, with the physical senses in tact, is not something to wish on any man. {eoa}
Bill Wiese is the author of New York Times bestselling book, 23 Minutes In Hell, the story of his life-changing visit to hell in 1998. Bill has since authored six additional book titles and continues to share his experience around the world. He and his wife Annette founded Soul Choice Ministries in late 2006 and have dedicated their lives to reaching the unsaved. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries, please visit us at: soulchoiceministries.org/. You can find more of Bill’s teachings at youtube.com/user/BillWieseTV.
