Ivan Tuttle. A Journey to Hell, Heaven, and Back. It’s Supernatural P, 2020.

From time to time I have written about testimonies of near death experiences (NDE). This one is perhaps the most direct and specific one that I have read. Sid Roth wrote the foreword. I do not know Roth personally, but a person I truly respect did know him and spoke very highly of him. If Roth acknowledged the writer and his story, it probably is reliable.

The reader of A Journey to Hell, Heaven, and Back can guess from the title what it is going to be about. The only question is whether it is fictional like The Divine Comedy or whether it describes a personal experience like that of Eben Alexander. In this case, it is the second.

When he was twenty-six years old in 1978, the author had a blood clot that caused him to spend two weeks in the hospital. His lifestyle at the time—alcohol, drugs, little sleep—aggravated his condition. The night he got home from the hospital he fell asleep early, and about 9:20 p.m. he was dragged to hell.

Some of his descriptions are ones that anyone familiar with the Bible might recognize: people screaming, a terrible stench, and an overall feeling of hopelessness. Dante wrote that the gate of hell had a sign over it that read “Abandon all hope, ye who enter.” That seems to be a recurring theme. If hell is eternal, then people there have no hope—a very serious consideration to us who are living.

Tuttle describes people and evil spirits he encounters there. He says that nearly everyone recognized the justice of their punishment, but a number had real regrets, especially those who were in the church and even pastors but who had secret sins. We must recall that Jesus had his strongest words to religious hypocrites. This is a reminder. I also could not help but think of a piece from Jonathan Edwards where he imagines someone in hell saying:

If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell, ever to be the subjects of misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good…Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction came upon me.” (Edwards 1.10)

Tuttle devotes two chapters to what he experienced in hell. It is, indeed, very sobering. It certainly forced me to pray and consider again as the Psalmist prayed,

Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me…(Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV).

Tuttle knew that he deserved hell. I had a friend who was a biker and, though not a member, used to ride with different gangs. He was in a motorcycle accident and was clinically dead on the operating table for about ten minutes. Very much like Tuttle, he felt a hand grab him and start pulling him down. He said to himself, “I am going to hell.” He was not afraid. He accepted it because he knew he deserved it. Fortunately for him, the doctors got his heart beating again and he survived. About a year later, he became a Christian.

Tuttle had made a confession of Christ when he was a boy, but he was not living like it when he was in his twenties. He makes a number of observations, but generally simply says “You must be vigilant.” As Jesus said:

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13 NKJV)

According to Amazon Kindle, one part that has been frequently highlighted by readers sums up his appraisal of his experience:

The biggest lies are “once saved, always saved” and “extreme grace”! This is spreading at an alarming rate in the world today. These lies are sending more people to hell than atheism. God does forgive you of your sins, but if you keep sinning, you don’t get a “get out of hell free” card. The Bible says in First Corinthians 6:9-10:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (61)

Ah, but there is a contrast. As suggested in the title, Tuttle was then removed from hell and taken to heaven.

All of a sudden I heard a voice like mighty roar of thunder that said, “It is not his time yet. His mother has been praying for him since he was a little boy. You must release him now; I made a promise!” (65)

It must have been a perfect relief for him! Like others who have had an NDE and were taken to heaven, he did not want to leave. He acknowledged that he had been taken to heaven to observe and tell about what he saw. He did not make his experience public until 2010. He said at that point the Lord allowed him to reveal some things. For this 2020 edition, he says, he was allowed to reveal a few more things, but there are still things he may never reveal. He reminds us that when John went to heaven and wrote the book of Revelation, there were some things he saw that he was not allowed to share. (153, see, for example Revelation 10:4)

Interestingly, much of Tuttle’s experience in heaven involved healing the relationship between him and his father. His father was of the World War II generation who believed that men should not show emotions. His father also beat him frequently. He also notes that in heaven it seemed that he knew everything about the people and things he was seeing. This reminded me of I Corinthians 13:12 when it tells that when perfection comes,

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known.

Reminiscent of John’s experience also, Tuttle was shown things in the future. He admits he might be a little unclear, and he also tells us that he was not permitted to share some things yet. He tells of seeing many people with small keyboards like typewriters that they were carrying with them. In 1978 he had no idea what they were; now he sees that they were laptop computers, pad computers, and the like. He suggests that the technology will continue to advance.

While his stay in hell was sobering, to say the least, his impression of heaven was one of optimism, not only because of eternity there but because of what he saw God doing on earth. It was reminiscent again of Revelation:

He who is unjust. let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)

The Lord will not leave His people comfortless!

My challenge to reader, especially the skeptical reader of this blog: Read this book and see for yourself. Ask God to show you if it is basically true or not. Check it out. Be prepared to repent and rejoice—both.

Work Cited
Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” 1741. The Writings of Jonathan Edwards, 29 Dec. 1997, http://www.jonathan-edwards.org/Sinners.pdf. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021.