Hell seems, in the first instance, to be for those who have escaped justice in this life. It catches up. Karma and all that. Justice is like fire. Recompense owed stays around like any debt that is not forgiven. Fire symbolises this in ancient religions such as Mosaic Law and Zoroastrianism. So the fire of hell need not only be interpreted literally but symbolically too. Fire comes out from the offended towards to offender, says the Law of Moses. Trial by fire comes to all says Zoroastrianism. Not literal fire but spiritual recompense debt attribution manifesting in all kinds of ways. The hell teaching says something of you survives death and this fire can follow you into that further existence if justice is not satisfied in this life. There is then, later, an ultimate settling up beyond this hell season in the Final Judgement (or judgements, since there may be several stages of this - see Book of Enoch).
