Flip - Your opening statement was perfection. Don't think I have ever heard it put more clearly.
I had aunts, uncles, Grandparents who all spent their entire lives hanging on to those promises. They grew old and died. A couple of them had dementia in their old age. Lucky, in a way.
I still have an aunt and uncle living who are waiting. My Uncle was there in '35 when the "Jonadab' class of other sheep were distinguished from those of the annointed who could look forward to being transformed "in the twinkling of the eye" into eternal spirit creatues. My familiy were all "Jonadabs" and they suffered prison (draft) no education, blood issue crises, etc. for their whole lives.
Promises of what happens after death is the bedrock con-game of most all religions.