Based on your own scripture you posted above, the dead are "fallen asleep" - they are NOT in Heaven... looking down (in disgust I might add) at this sinful world. Just like Jesus said about Lazurus... he was "sleeping" even though he was dead.

You're confusing terms here hard. "Dead" vs "sleeping" refers to a spiritual death, not a physical one within this context. To be spiritually dead means to be lost and separated from God, to be damned to spend eternity in The Lake of Fire. Jesus talked about Hell and eternal damnation twice as often as he spoke of Heaven - and this term is abundantly clear in the difference.

Speaking of Lazarus and others who died before Christ - they were in a place called Paradise, which was inside/beside Hades - Christ went to speak to various people in Paradise as well as in the rest of Hades immediately following His death. This is very well established throughout the gospels.

There is NO everlasting burning hell either. Everyone who has died (except a couple of people) is "asleep" in their graves, not in Heaven or Hell. (aka - there is no eternal life w/o Jesus' blood/grace... that includes Hell)

This is blatant blasphemy.

We are all sinners: Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

The punishment for sin is spiritual death: Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God made a way for the penalty of our sin to be payed for us, since we could never pay it ourselves and not be damned for eternity: John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus's death on the cross on our behalf is the only way to heaven. He lived the perfect life that we never could, and died on our behalf so that we may be free of our punishment so long as we accept the free gift he has given us and trust in Him: John 14:6 - Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

Heaven will be lacking of all sin, therefore those who are not redeemed by the blood of Christ will not be present: Revelation 21:4 - and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

Nothing impure will enter Heaven, only those who are saved (name written in Lamb's Book of Life) shall ever come into heaven: Revelation 21:27 - and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The second death (spiritual death as opposed to physical death) is very clearly referring to sinners exclusively: Revelation 21:8 - But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Outside of Heaven are sinners: Revelation 22:15 - Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Only those who are saved enter Heaven: Matthew 25:34 - “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Lake of Fire is eternal: Matthew 25:41 - Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Eternal life for believers, eternal death for unbelievers: Matthew 25:46 - These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Eternal damnation: 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 - 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Eternal damnation described as a Lake of Fire: Luke 16:24 - 24 And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’

Revelation 20:14–15 - 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Eternal damnation described as an outer darkness, being separated from God for eternity: Matthew 8:12 - but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Clearly eternal: Jude 13 - wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.

Matthew 25:46 - These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Whoever you are listening to who says that Hell/Lake of Fire is not eternal is speaking straight blasphemy to you, and you should rebuke them, and never allow yourself to be corrupted by them again.

There will be a Harvest of those asleep and alive. In fact, there will be TWO resurrections from the graves, one for the Righteous, who will be caught up in the clouds with Jesus upon his glorious return - changed bodies (old bodies in graves -> new bodies), and will be with Him forever and ever.

Rapture does not occur at Jesus's Second Coming, which is at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period, but rather when Jesus meets us (a Greek word as if to meet a guest at the front door of the house, and to take the guests to the rest of the house - aka meeting us in the clouds and taking us to his kingdom) it will be at the beginning of The Tribulation.

The other resurrection will be for the wicked (unsaved) also from their graves.

They are resurrected so much as only so that they are dealt with at The Great White Throne judgement. They are not resurrected into new life in Heaven - ALL present at The Great White Throne judgement are condemned to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 20:11-15 : 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

For those alive at the time of His return, they will bypass the FIRST DEATH and will be taken directly - during His return... not before, not after...during. I think that many people believe this to be the "Rapture", but the false teachings seep in to trick and seduce believers.

You are the only one spreading false teachings here. Tell me, where is The Church mentioned during the events of Tribulation? Why is it that we are not present at all during the 7 year Tribulation period, yet you claim that we are not raptured until post trib? Moreover, you were just claiming in your last comment that there was no such thing as, "rapture" at all - what's changed your mind?

Do you not understand the entire purpose of Tribulation? It is God's punishment of The World for it's sin in rejecting Him. Why would believers be present and punished when God's wrath is unleashed? That is not to say that none will be saved during The Tribulation (this will be likely the greatest period of evangelism and salvation of all time), but rather that believers prior to The Tribulation are spared from God's Wrath, as we are not His intended targets.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 - For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 - 9 For they themselves report about us as to the kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Revelation 3:10 - Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth.

God explicitly promised to keep us from the hour of testing - we are not present on Earth during Tribulation, period. In actuality, the lack of Christians on Earth is in itself another example of God pouring out his wrath - the only ones left are not led by God and have no qualms with wickedness.

The word Church is used in Revelation 1-3, and doesn't show up again until Revelation 22 - because we are NOT present on Earth at all.

Jesus says he will come to snatch us up - or as we call it in English, The Rapture - "like a thief in the night" - This clearly couldn't take place during the Tribulation as we would be able to predict his coming by the time period:

Matthew 24:42-44 - 42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Revelation 16:15 - (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.”)

After the judgment there is a SECOND DEATH (death is not life everlasting even in hell) where the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire... where the SMOKE of their torment will RISE forever and ever(the Bible doesn't say they will be tortured for ever and ever. If it did, I would throw it in the trash because that's not a God I want to know or worship.)

1. For smoke to exist forever, there must be a fire to supply it
2. Guess you want to go to The Lake of Fire then, because God's righteous judgement of our sin is just, and eternal as I've clearly laid out above.

They will be CONSUMED by the fire and brimstone (Hell) and will cease to exist. (I believe that this ceasing to exist will actually be so complete that it will be as if they NEVER existed at all. That's why those who do gain eternal life will live in love and peace w/o sorrow (remembrance of those they loved who didn't make it.) That part is logical thinking on my part, but it makes sense once you discard the false teachings of "the Church").

Show me one verse that says that the person ceases to exist. You won't. Stop with your blasphemy.

I have more, but I'll stop here for now. Believing in some pre/post Tribulation "Rapture" is false teaching. It implies that if you are somehow "left behind" you'll get a "second chance". That is simply not true. When the Sanctuary is cleansed and the final moment arrives, you'll either be on one side or the other... no second chances.)

(Continued briefly in next comment)

PART 2/2 READ MY FIRST COMMENT FIRST

I have more, but I'll stop here for now. Believing in some pre/post Tribulation "Rapture" is false teaching. It implies that if you are somehow "left behind" you'll get a "second chance". That is simply not true. When the Sanctuary is cleansed and the final moment arrives, you'll either be on one side or the other... no second chances.)

You're looking at this from entirely the wrong perspective. You have been fed many dangerous lies. Those who reject Christ before rapture (NOT THE SECOND COMING) had knowledge and rejected anyways - they will not have a second chance, but will be given a great delusion during The Tribulation from God:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 - that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,

We are in the period of Grace, where we can always turn to God for salvation, but at the beginning of The Tribulation we are no longer in that period, and those who have rejected Him in this period lose their opportunity to do so in the next. Those who have not heard of Christ at all and enter into The Tribulation will have the opportunity to be saved, and will receive witness from the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel, along with the two witnesses (very likely Elijah and Moses), not to mention the resources that Christians leave behind, such as Bibles, written notes, digital outreach, etc.

Your assertions are in no way supported by The Bible, and follow an incredibly dangerous understanding of The Bible. You should rebuke whoever it is who is teaching you such lies, and turn towards God's Word.