Accounts in Hell
30 min read
Mary Kathryn Baxter says that in March of 1976, while praying at home, Jesus Christ appeared to her and told her that He would take her into hell so she could write what she saw. Over the next forty nights, she reports being transported out of her body and guided by Jesus through what she describes as the left leg, right leg, belly, arms, heart, jaws, and center of hell. She saw pits of fire containing lost souls in skeletal forms, demons of various shapes and sizes, worms crawling through bodies, and Jesus weeping over the damned.
Baxter’s account is more elaborate and systematic than Wiese’s. She describes hell as having a body-like structure, with different regions corresponding to different sins and different degrees of punishment. She says Jesus spoke to her continuously, explaining why each person was there, emphasizing that many had rejected the gospel, waited too long to repent, or turned away from God after knowing Him. The stated purpose of the revelations was to turn sinners to righteousness and prepare the saints for Christ’s return.
First, the emotional grief of Jesus. Unlike some accounts that make God seem indifferent to punishment, Baxter repeatedly says Jesus wept, pleaded with people during their lifetimes, and was sorrowful over their fate. Second, the structured nature of judgment. Hell is not random; it has regions and degrees of punishment. Third, the tragedy of delayed repentance. Several souls told Jesus they would repent “tomorrow,” but tomorrow never came. Fourth, the call to evangelism. Baxter’s account is framed from beginning to end as a rescue mission for the lost.
Many of Baxter’s themes echo Scripture. The idea of degrees of punishment appears in Luke 12:47-48. The warning against delaying repentance appears in Proverbs 27:1, James 4:14, and the parable of the rich fool. The compassion of God toward the lost appears throughout the prophets and in Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem Luke 19:41-44. The image of worms and fire draws on Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:48.
However, some elements in Baxter’s account are difficult to verify biblically. The detailed geography of hell — the left leg, right leg, belly, and so on — is not described in Scripture. The claim that Jesus repeatedly dialogues with the damned and explains their individual cases goes beyond what the Bible reveals about the present state of the lost. The Bible shows the rich man speaking in Luke 16, but it does not describe ongoing instructional tours by Jesus.
The account is best read as an extended warning illustration, not as a systematic theology of the afterlife.
Baxter’s account is especially useful for illustrating the tragedy of procrastination. The souls who said “tomorrow” resonate with anyone who has put off dealing with God. Her emphasis on Jesus weeping helps correct the caricature of a God who enjoys punishing sinners. Her global call to write and tell the world fits the church’s evangelistic mission.
At the same time, the vivid and repeated imagery can overwhelm younger or anxious readers. Pastors and parents should use discretion, always anchoring the emotional impact in the settled truth of Scripture.
Common student mistake: Building a detailed mental map of hell based on Baxter’s geography and treating it as a literal blueprint.
Practice assignment: Read Luke 16:19-31 and note what the rich man wanted to do after death. Why could he not do it? How does this support or correct Baxter’s emphasis on continued dialogue?
Worksheet idea: "What Jesus Does in Hell" — list every action Baxter attributes to Jesus, then check each one against Scripture.
Completion requirement: Student can summarize Baxter’s account and identify two biblical themes it illustrates and one element that should be held loosely.
ANSWER: Forty nights.
ANSWER: Weeping and grief over the lost.
ANSWER: The Bible does not provide such a detailed geography; treating her vision as a blueprint adds to Scripture what it does not say.