The passover is a remembrance of the time the Death Angel literally passed over the houses of those who had the blood applied. Everyone will experience a literal passover when their lives end, however, the destination is different depending on whether or not you've experienced a spiritual passover while you lived.
In the Bible, we are told that the literal passover occurred when a family killed a lamb and applied the blood to the doorposts of their house. The Death Angel went through the country looking for the blood, and where he didn't find it, he spilled it.
Exodus 12:3,5,7,11-13- Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The angel of the Lord went through Egypt and only those who were in a house with blood on the doorposts were safe. They lived to see the children of Israel leave Egypt.
This spiritual passover was followed by a physical pass over the Red Sea out of Egypt, and then later over the Jordan River into the promised land of Canaan.
Exodus 14:13-14, 21-22- And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Joshua 3:14-16- And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
The children of Israel passed over into the Promised Land. This is sometimes an analogy that is used during a funeral- they passed over the Jordan River and are in Heaven.
The people who obeyed God's command in Egypt were safe regardless of the type of person they were. The Death Angel was not seeking to find worthy people. God had given specific commands that those who were behind the blood were protected from death.
There is a saying that is sometimes attributed to C. S. Lewis, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." I am not going to argue whether he actually said this or not; whoever said it, the sentiment is true. George MacDonald said in "Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, And here let me interrupt the conversation to remark upon the great mistake of teaching children that they have souls. The consequence is, that they think of their souls as of something which is not themselves. For what a man HAS cannot be himself. Hence, when they are told that their souls go to heaven, they think of their SELVES as lying in the grave. They ought to be taught that they have bodies; and that their bodies die; while they themselves live on."
Everyone has a body that will die. But the soul will live on in one of two places- heaven or hell. What is the determining factor of where the soul will reside eternally? It is answered by what you did with Jesus Christ's sacrifice?
John 1:29- The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross of Calvary. And all who believe that He has died for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day proving that He was God manifest in the flesh, can apply this payment to their sin debt by obeying what God has told them to do.
This "blood on the door" of your life will protect you from the death of the soul in hell. God isn't looking for you to be worthy. Your works will never be enough. God wants you to believe in what He has already accomplished and confess that you are accepting His terms.
What are the terms?
During the church age, it is believing in what He accomplished on the cross of Calvary and confessing this belief to Him and asking Him for the soul's salvation through His sacrifice on Calvary.
I Corinthians 15:1,3-4-
Romans 10:9-10, 13- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
During the tribulation, it is faith in what He accomplished on Calvary (believing and asking Him to apply it to your sin debt) as well as not denying Him even if it means your death.
Revelation 12:11- And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The promise to those who accept the terms is the eternal life of the soul.
Revelation 21:3-4- And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
John 3:36- He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Those who do not accept the terms of this deal will, by default, have to pay their own sin debt. Just as the houses in Egypt had to give blood where no blood was found.
However, this is a debt no human will ever be able to fully pay. There is no timecard in hell. You will never be able to punch out and say, "I'm done".
Revelation 14:11a- And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,
Matthew 25:41,46- Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Revelation 20:10- And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The choice is yours: accept Christ's payment or pay for your sin yourself.
