Are there people in hell now?

Answer:

Concerning hell, YES there are souls there now. Anyone who rejected Christ as Savior and died is there now. Someday these souls will face the Great White Throne Judgment where they will get a final punishment which is even worse, the Lake of Fire. Revelation 20:11-14  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Paradise is empty now because it was only used for as a temporary resting place for righteous souls who died before Christ’s work on the cross. These souls were set free and seen walking the streets of Jerusalem after the Crucifixion and are now in Heaven with Christ. When a Believer dies they immediately go to Heaven, when the wicked die they go to hell.