>>108635662Yes, but they weren't 'suffering'. Hell, or 'Sheol', is more of a waiting room for the dead more than anything, it isn't torture.
here's how it goes: 'Heaven' and 'Hell' as they are popularized in media don't actually exist yet. Right now there is only one after-life, Purgatory, and everyone goes there when they die, good or evil. Everyone went to Sheol before Christ's death, and after Christ's death everyone still goes to Sheol. What changed is that Christ's descent into Hell allowed him to spread the same message he did on Earth to those who hadn't had a chance yet due to dying before his time, and give them the same deal as he's offered everyone on Earth right now.
That deal being, that upon Christ's return, his Second Coming, everyone who had ever died will ressurect much like he did and walk the Earth again. Jesus will perform another Harrowing much like the first to account for those who died but hadn't heard Christianity's message in the 2000 years between his crucifixtion and his return.
'Heaven' will be the Kingdom of God, New Jerusalem, basically Jesus establishing himself as King in Israel having united all of humanity who follows him, the resurrected and the ascended. 'Heaven' is basically Earth in the future after Jesus is established as King.
'Hell' will be Sheol with the dregs, the corrupt, the unrighteous and the evil who refused to follow God's teachings and sinned without regret despite having had every single opportunity to repent. At this point Sheol will represent the popularized vision of Hell as a lake of eternal fire where the evil souls of mankind who denied the chance at immortality on Earth will dwell.
