Definition
Hell can be understood in different ways.
Hell (Hades) — as the place where the souls of the dead abide until the general resurrection and the Last Judgment.
Hell — as the place where the resurrected condemned sinners (that is, their souls and bodies together) abide, after the glorious second coming of Christ, the General Resurrection and the Last Judgment. It will no longer be possible to change this lot after the Last Judgment. Both the sufferings of the condemned and the blessedness of the righteous will last equally forever.
Hell, Gehenna, the Lake of Fire, Everlasting Fire, Outer Darkness, Prison — a Place of Torment
Most often hell in Scripture means a place of torment. This place may be called by different words, but this does not change its essence; it remains a place of torment. In hell people are tormented:
“will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12)
“Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:13)
“And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30)
Christ Himself, as the Judge, decides who goes where:
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41)
“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues... And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell... But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ... And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:17,28,33-34,38)
A person after death goes to a new home. And this event is worthy of weeping:
“For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets” (Eccl. 12:5)
After death judgment awaits a person:
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27)
In hell there is a conscious existence of its inhabitants. The king of Babylon was met by all the inhabitants of hell:
“you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: ‘How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased! ... Hell from beneath is excited about you, to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the dead for you, all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. They all shall speak and say to you: “Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?”’” (Isa. 14:4,9-10)
The Lord, after the death of the body, descended into Hades to preach to those spirits who had been there since the worldwide flood:
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared” (1 Pet. 3:18-20)
“Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.’ (Now this, ‘He ascended’ — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?)” (Eph. 4:8-9)
The soul of Christ was not left in Hades. It is not that the body was not left in the earth (in the tomb), but that the soul was not left in Hades:
“he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (Act. 2:31)
The dead are seen, the dead are judged, Hades gives up the dead:
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” (Rev. 20:12-13)