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Here’s how it’s been explained to me:

Both Heaven and Hell are temporary. They are places where people go if they die before Jesus has returned to earth.

Those who were abiding in Jesus at the time of their first death will wait in Heaven.

When Jesus comes back, they return to earth to be part of Christ’s “kingdom of heaven on earth.” (See, e.g., the Lord’s prayer-—”your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.) They will be part of Christ’s global administration (”the government will be upon his shoulders”). This is the parable of the “talents” and the servants who, having been faithful and turning a profit, are given greater responsibilities when the Master comes back (”the charge of many cities”).

Those who were not abiding in Jesus at the time of their first death will wait in Hell, which is what the rich man was doing in the parable of Lazarus in Abraham’s arms. At the End of the Age, they, along with the people who lived on the earth during Jesus’ millennial reign, will be judged. (Those who were abiding with Jesus at the time of their first death were already judged-—they were *finally* judged-—meaning: they won’t be judged again-—to be righteous by the blood of Christ and, therefore, went to wait in Heaven.)

Since, at the End of the Age (the history of the world as we know it), the sheep will be separated from the goats, it seems that Hell was not based on *final* judgment. It was based on judgment at the first death-—that is, that the person was not abiding in Jesus at that time. So someone in Hell may take the opportunity to repent and bow to Jesus.

At the final judgment, the judged will either be brought into the Kingdom (the city outside of which is weeping and gnashing of teeth) or thrown into the pit and annihilated.

And that’s where Volume I stops. Sequel not yet published.