The path we were on was a circuitous one, twisting in and out between these pits of fire as far as I could see.  The cries of the living dead, mixed with moans and hideous screams, came to my ears from all directions.  There were no quiet times in hell.  The smell of dead and decaying flesh hung thickly in the air.

We came to the next pit.  Inside this pit, which was the same size as the other one, was another skeleton form.  A man’s voice cried from the pit, saying, “Lord, have mercy on me!” Only when they spoke could I tell whether the soul was a man or woman.

Great wailing sobs came from this man.  “I’m so sorry, Jesus.  Forgive me.  Take me out of here.  I have been in this place of torment for years.  I beg You, let me out!” Great sobs shook his skeletal frame as he begged, “Please, Jesus, let me out!” I looked at Jesus and saw that He too was crying.

“Lord Jesus,” the man cried out from the burning pit, “haven’t I suffered enough for my sins? It has been forty years since my death.“

Jesus said, “It is written, The just shall live by faith!’ All mockers and unbelievers shall have their part in the lake of fire.  You would not believe the truth.  Many times My people were sent to you to show you the way, but you would not listen to them.  You laughed at them and refused the gospel.  Even though I died on a cross for you, you mocked Me and would not repent of your sins.  My Father gave you many opportunities to be saved.  If only you had listened!” Jesus wept.

“I know, Lord, I know!” the man cried.  “But I repent now.“

“It is too late,” said Jesus.  “Judgment is set.“

The man continued, “Lord, some of my people are coming here, for they also will not repent.  Please, Lord, let me go tell them that they must repent of their sins while they are still on earth.  I do not want them to come here.“

Jesus said, “They have preachers, teachers, elders-all ministering the gospel.  They will tell them.  They also have the advantages of the modern communications systems and many other ways to learn of Me.  I sent workers to them that they might believe and be saved.  If they will not believe when they hear the gospel, neither will they be persuaded though one rises from the dead.“

At this, the man became very angry and began to curse.  Evil, blasphemous words came from him.  I looked on in horror as the flames rose up and his dead, decaying flesh began to burn and fall off.  Inside this dead shell of a man, I saw his soul.  It looked like a dirty-gray mist, and it filled the inside of his skeleton.

I turned to Jesus and cried, “Lord, how horrible!“

Jesus said, “Hell is real; the judgment is real.  I love them so, My child.  This is only the beginning of the frightful things I have to show you.  There is much more to come. Tell the world for Me that hell is real, that men and women must repent of their sins.  Come, follow Me.  We must go on.“

In the next pit was a very small-framed woman who looked to be about eighty years old.  I can’t say how I knew her age, but I did.  The skin was removed from her bones by the continual flame, and only the bones remained with a dirty-mist soul inside.  I watched as the fire burned her.  Soon there were only the bones and the worms crawling inside, which the fire could not burn.

“Lord, how terrible!” I cried.  “I don’t know if I can go on, for this is awful beyond belief.” As far as my eyes could see, souls were burning in pits of fire.

“My child, this is why you are here,” Jesus answered.  “You must know and tell the truth about hell.  Heaven is real! Hell is real! Come, we must go on.“

I looked back at the woman.  Her cries were so sad.  As I watched her, she put her bony hands together, as if in prayer.  I couldn’t help crying.  I was in a spirit form, and I was crying.  I knew that people in hell felt all these things, too.

Jesus knew my thoughts.  “Yes, child,” He said, “they do.  When people come here, they have the same feelings and thoughts as when they were on earth.  They remember their families and friends and all the times they had a chance to repent but refused to do so.  Memory is always with them.  If only they had believed the gospel and repented before it was too late.“

I looked at the old woman once again, and this time I noticed that she had only one leg, and there seemed to be holes drilled in her hip bones.  “What are these, Jesus?” I asked.

He said, “Child, while she was on earth, she had cancer and was in much pain.  Surgery was done to save her life.  She lay a bitter old woman for many years.  Many of My people came to pray for her and to tell her I could heal her.  She said, ‘God did this to me,‘ and she would not repent and believe the gospel.  She even knew Me once, but in time she came to hate Me. She said she did not need God and did not want Me to heal her.  Yet I pleaded with her, still wanting to help her, wanting to heal and to bless her.  She turned her back on Me and cursed Me.  She said she did not want Me.  My spirit pleaded with her.  Even after she had turned her back on Me, I still tried to draw her by My spirit, but she would not listen.  At last she died and came here.“

The old woman cried out to Jesus, “Lord Jesus, please forgive me now.  I’m sorry that I didn’t repent while I was on earth.” With great sobs she cried out to Jesus, “If only I had repented before it was too late! Lord, help me out of here.  I will serve You.  I will be good.  Haven’t I suffered enough? Why did I wait until too late? Oh, why did I wait until Your Spirit quit striving with me?“

Jesus said to her, “You had chance after chance to repent and serve Me.” Sadness was written all over Jesus’ face as we walked away.

As I watched the old woman cry, I asked, “Lord, what is next?“

I could feel fear all around.  Sorrow, cries of pain and an atmosphere of death were everywhere.  Jesus and I walked in grief and pity to the next pit.  Only by His strength could I go on.  For a great distance I could still hear the old woman’s cries of repentance and pleading for forgiveness.  If only there was something I could do to help her, I thought.  Sinner, please don’t wait until God’s Spirit quits striving with you.

In the next pit was a woman on her knees, as if looking for something.  Her skeletal form also was full of holes.  Her bones were showing through, and her torn dress was on fire.  Her head was bald, and there were only holes where her eyes and nose were supposed to be.  A small fire was burning around her feet where she was kneeling, and she clawed the sides of the brimstone pit.  The fire clung to her hands, and dead flesh kept falling off as she dug.

Tremendous sobs shook her.  “O Lord, O Lord,” she cried, “I want out.” As we watched, she finally got to the top of the pit with her feet.  I thought she was going to get out when a large demon with great wings that seemed to be broken at the top and hung down his sides ran to her.  His color was brownish black, and he had hair all over his large form.  His eyes were set far back into his head, and he was about the size of a large grizzly bear.  The demon rushed up to the woman and pushed her very hard backward into the pit and fire.  I watched in horror as she fell.  I felt so sorry for her.  I wanted to take her into my arms and hold her, to ask God to heal her and take her out of there.

Jesus knew my thoughts and said, “My child, judgment has been set.  God has spoken.  Even when she was a child, I called and called her to repent and to serve Me.  When she was sixteen years old, I came to her and said, ‘I love you.  Give your life to Me, and come follow Me, for I have called you for a special purpose: I called all her life, but she would not listen.  She said, ‘Someday I will serve You.  I have no time for You now.  No time, no time, I have my life of fun.  No time, no time to serve You, Jesus.  Tomorrow I will.‘ Tomorrow never came, for she waited too long.“

The woman cried out to Jesus, “My soul is truly in torment.  There is no way out.  I know that I wanted the world instead of You, Lord.  I wanted riches, fame and fortune, and I got it.  I could buy anything I wanted; I was my own boss.  I was the prettiest, best-dressed woman of my time.  And I had riches, fame and fortune, but I found I could not take them with me in death.  O Lord, hell is horrible. I have no rest day or night.  I am always in pain and torment.  Help me, Lord,” she cried.

The woman looked up at Jesus so longingly and said, “My sweet Lord, if only I had listened to you! I will regret that forever.  I planned to serve You someday-when I got ready.  I thought You would always be there for me.  But how wrong I was! I was one of the most sought-after women of my time for my beauty.  I knew God was calling me to repent.  All my life He drew me with cords of love, and I thought I could use God like I used everyone else.  He would always be there.  Oh yes, I used God! He would try so hard to get me to serve Him, while all the time I thought I didn’t need Him.  Oh, how wrong I was! For Satan began to use me, and I began to serve Satan more and more.  At the last I loved him more than God.  I loved to sin and would not turn to God. Satan used my beauty and my money, and all my thoughts turned to how much power he would give me.  Even then, God continued to draw me.  But I thought, I have tomorrow or the next day.  Then one day while riding in a car, my driver ran into a house, and I was killed.  Lord, please let me out.” As she spoke her bony hands and arms reached out to Jesus while the flames continued to burn her.

Jesus said, “The judgment is set.”

Tears fell down His cheeks as we moved to the next pit.  I was crying inside about the horrors of hell.  “Dear Lord,” I cried, “the torment is too real.  When a soul comes here, there is no hope, no life, no love.  Hell is too real.” No way out, I thought.  She must burn forever in these flames.

“Time is running out,” Jesus said.  “We will come back tomorrow.“

Friend, if you are living in sin, please repent.  If you have been born again and have turned your back on God, repent and turn back to Him now.  Live good and stand for truth.  Wake up before it is too late, and you can spend forever with the Lord in heaven.