I posted some of the following in other threads, but I want to collect some of these thoughts here.
I wish to post my beliefs regarding what the Word of God has to say about what happens to the Saved vs. Unsaved.
I will start with the Unsaved...
Upon death, the Unsaved go to a placed called Torments... i.e. Hell. We see this in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus...
Luke 16:23
"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom"
The story is quite literal. Hell is more or less a form of 'holding chamber' until the Unsaved are Resurrected...
John 5:29
"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation"
Upon Resurrection, the Unsaved are judged...
Revelation 20:13
"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"
The biggest Key to understanding the above verse is to recognize the fact that the Unsaved will have all of their works tallied up. Common sense tells us that there is no point in 'keeping score' or keeping track of every misdeed since we are all guilty after committing only one sin.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"
So why keep track of it all and hand out different sentences if everyone is going to receive the exact same punishment by 'burning forever' or becoming annihilated from existence?
The works of the Unsaved are counted in order to hand out the proper sentence... IN THE NEXT LIFE.
Similar to the concept of Karma, this is the ultimate meaning of reaping what One has sown...
Galatians 6:7
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"
Anyone who has ever pondered why life is not just unfair, but more unfair for some than others, will understand what is being taught here.
Why are some born into wealthy families with good health and a happy life, while at the same time, others are born into poverty with health issues and little opportunity?
It is because they were handed their sentence and they are now reaping what they have sown. Some receive a light sentence, while others more severe. All is just. All is fair. Jesus of course is the escape route.
Once handed their sentence, the Unsaved are then tossed into the Lake of Fire...
Revelation 20:15
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
This is where the Bible Student must do a bit of research in order to find out what happens next. The Lake of Fire comes to us from the Old Testament and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom...
2 Kings 23:10
"And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech"
The Key is to understand that those tossed into the Lake of Fire PASS THROUGH IT. It is merely a portal.
Molech is a representation of Female Reproductive System and the path to rebirth into another life here on Earth. It is presented as something wicked... not as misogyny, but rather to alert the Christian to the fact that this is NOT the recommended path to follow... contrary to other religions that portray Moloch in a positive light such as a 'Sacred Cow'... like Hinduism for example.
This brings us full circle now to verses like...
Psalms 139:15
"My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth"
Hell is a parable for the Womb and the process of Reincarnation back into a corrupted body. Scripture calls this process 'Mystery of Iniquity'...
2 Thessalonians 2:7
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way"
Paul was basically teaching that people were dying and being Reincarnated while he was preaching.
BTW... the Restrainer is Abaddon/Apollyon...
Revelation 9:11
"And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon"
I can expand on this if anyone wants but basically Apollyon's role is to 'destroy' or erase past life memories and purge the Soul from sin as to start off life fresh...
Job 28:22 (NASB)
"Abaddon and Death say, 'With our ears we have heard a report of it"
As some of you know, many Children remember their past lives. This is due to the fact that Apollyon keeps certain memories intact for certain reasons.
One day Apollyon will be taken out of the way in order for the Man of Sin to be birthed with full memories intact. This person obviously will be very cunning and powerful.