It is very clear that when a believer dies he goes immediately into the presence of God, and when an unbeliever dies, he goes immediately into the realm of conscious suffering. That is what Paul means when he speaks of THOSE WHO DIE WITHOUT HOPE. Their end is terrifying hopeless because they are in a place of suffering from which there is no escape.
Not so with those who belong to Jesus Christ. They experience the most blessed hope of all; glorious rewards and an eternity of unending joy in the presence of the Lord.