I do think that history, not the Word, gave impetus to the teaching of “the weekend in hell” which was popularised by the Word of Faith movement in the 20th century. Dramatic Easter presentations and services like “Tenebrae” prevailed in many evangelical churches; and still do. To my mind, misrepresentations of key Scripture passages gave it legitimacy.
Many hymns we sing, allude to the “hell trip”— “He in hell in hell laid low”; “Christ binds the gates of hell”; “or how the hosts of hell defeat”; “Hell and the grave combined their force to hold our Lord, in vain.” But Scripture had already declared this—Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24).
Now for certain, our blessed Saviour subdued, overcame and defeated, hell, death, the grave, the power of Satan; this He accomplished on the cross, and said “It is finished.” Is it not the doctrine of Christ—His glorious Person and His work on the cross—that is assailed by teachings like “the weekend in hell”?