Since I was the one who (perhaps unwisely) reopened this topic it seems only fair that I should put my own views out for scrutiny as well.
This will not be a popular post. I do not claim that my interpretation is proved by the Bible (I’m actually wary of claims--on this topic--of Biblical proof); rather, I claim that it is consistent with the Bible.
Asleep
The Bible frequently refers to the dead as “asleep”. This is clearly metaphorical—even without the advent of modern medicine people realized that there was a difference between being asleep and being dead. This is demonstrated by Luke 8: 52-53:
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not
dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
Jesus is contrasting death and sleep rather than comparing them. But “asleep” is a useful metaphor for death and the resurrection—sleep isn’t permanent—you will wake up.
To take it one step further, though, and argue that therefore the dead have no consciousness is I believe unwarranted. Not only do those who are sleeping have continued cognitive activity (i.e. dreams), but there are numerous instances in the Bible where people experience visions—and they are conscious of the experience.
Paul provides a useful example:
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body,
I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God
knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (2 Cor 12:2)
Paul is uncertain whether his body was left behind or not…but either way, Paul had no issue with the idea that someone could be conscious without a body.
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Spirit
The word commonly translated as “Spirit” in the New Testament is “pneuma” (and variations thereof) which literally means “breath” (see here).
This brings substantial light to the statement in Genesis 2:7:
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
God supplied something—something which is rendered over and over again in the Bible as “spirit”—and that gave man life. Many have concluded that humans have a spirit and a body—that the spirit dwells in the body while the person is alive, and departs the body at death.
This would make for a very straightforward interpretation of these passages:
…Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
(Acts 7:59)
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
(Luke 23:46)
They knew their body was dying but their concern was for their spirit - because they believed their spirit was going somewhere.
That “give up the ghost” is a euphemism (in English, not Greek) for death implies that this is a commonplace interpretation: something of a spiritual nature is leaving the body.
See also discussion of these ideas in Dave’s post here, and as Nihil Sine Deo has observed:
The body is a housing for the spirit. Jesus preexisted His birth in
the human body, known as the incarnation.
That a spirit can do things without a body is substantiated by the pre-mortal activity of Christ:
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that
Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was,
I am.” John 8:58
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The apostles believed a spirit could do things after death
The fact that the disciples in Luke 24 had to be told that Jesus was not a ghost/spirit presupposes the existence of the spirit—and that the spirit does not become dormant at death:
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had
seen a spirit. (Luke 24:37)
Jesus then confirms that spirits are a real thing:
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:39)
And the word used in verse 39 for spirit is none other than “pneuma”.
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The dead are conscious
Passages like the below have had people doing theological somersaults for centuries, but that’s a matter for SE-Christianity. The Bible does speak of conscious activity by the dead. It may not be clear where they are, but it is clear that they are portrayed as conscious agents.
Multiple passages speak of the message of Jesus being taught to the dead.
1 Peter 3: 18-20:
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein
few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1 Peter 4:6:
For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead,
that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live
according to God in the spirit.
Some understand Isaiah 9:2 to be teaching the same principle.
Note that these passages are not only indicating that the dead are conscious in that they are being taught, but they also speak of conscious activity by Jesus between His death and resurrection. They are spirits, and they are not dormant.
These passages are also interesting because they speak of both the righteous and the wicked.
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In Revelation 6:9-11, the dead here are speaking, being spoken to, and are being given robes. This suggests that not only are they conscious, but their disembodied spirits have substance. My thoughts on that passage are given in a separate post.
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The Thief in paradise:
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
This passage has also been rendered as “in the world of spirits”. Today? Neither the resurrection of Jesus nor the thief took place that day; suggesting Jesus was describing something other than post-resurrection--Peter offered some insight (see above).
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Sheol
It is relevant to consider the views held by the Jews at the time. I’ll offer in this section not a 21st century interpretation, but an attempt at a 1st century understanding.
Soldarnal offers an excellent description of Sheol here and a very insightful Jewish perspective is provided by Daniel Danjan Chaud here.
To the people who wrote the New Testament, Sheol (Hades in Greek) is where the spirit/pneuma went at death.
JewishEncyclopedia provides the following helpful statements on Sheol:
It connotes the place where those that had died were believed to be
congregated
[Sheol] seems to have been viewed as divided into
compartments...one beneath the other
Here the dead meet.
In the compartments of Sheol, one is often presented as a place of rest for the righteous, and one a place of anguish for the wicked.
Ecclesiastes 12:7:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit
shall return unto God who gave it.
This indicates:
- The physical "dust" or "clay" is no longer animated and goes into the
earth. (The flesh rotted and the bones generally were carefully
preserved).
- The spiritual goes to Sheol.
As noted in Ezekiel 37:
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause
breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and
ye shall know that I am the Lord.
These elements will return together in the resurrection (Note that this view was held by the Pharisees but not the Sadduccees in the 1st century. Also note that the word for "breath" and "spirit" are the same in Hebrew as in Greek).
Hippolytus' discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades (often incorrectly attributed to Josephus) is another useful reference--it provides quite the description of Hades ("Hades" is used in the LXX for "Sheol"), and is unambiguous in claiming that the dead were conscious (see here). This isn't a 1st century Jewish source but a very early Christian treatise saturated with Jewish concepts.
This means that to those who believed in resurrection Sheol was a place of temporary residence; and it was not a realm ruled by men but a realm of God.
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Hell
Sheol/Hades is a pre-resurrection abode, and should not be confused with the destination of the wicked after judgement. Though Sheol/Hades are sometimes translated "hell", this can be unhelpful if it leads to confusion with different concepts (see below) that are also translated as hell.
Gehenna & Outer Darkness are sometimes described as "the final hell" or the hell after judgement.
From W. Edward Bedore:
The Lake of Fire, or Hell, is a literal place of everlasting fire that
was originally created by God as a place of punishment for Satan and
the angels that followed him in his rebellion against God (Mat.
25:41)...it is referred to as the place of “outer darkness” (Mat.
8:12; 25:30)
...
Gehenna, or the Lake of Fire, might be referred to as the future, or
final, Hell because it is where all of the wicked from all ages will
finally end up. Satan, the fallen angels, and all of the lost of
mankind will reside in torment there forever and ever (see here).
Gehenna, in addition to being a physical place, was used to refer to a place of fiery punishment...somewhat comparable to modern notions of hell.
Note that there are a variety of interpretations about the length of one's stay in Gehenna--many Jews see it as something of a purgatory. See discussion on SE-Judaism here and here
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Death as separation
In the Bible death describes separation--physical death as separation of body and spirit and spiritual death as separation from God.
Physical life--body & spirit joining together:
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Genesis 2:7)
Physical death--separation of body & spirit:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit
shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Spiritual death is described in Isaiah 59:2:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
This is why Paul (Colossians 2:13) and the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15:24) can describe people who are decidedly alive as dead -- death is a separation.
See further discussion of death & separation on this site by Dave here & on bible.org here
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Putting the pieces together
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man is in Hades, not Gehenna or outer darkness. They're both in Sheol (different "compartments" thereof?), and final judgement has not yet occurred. And the rich man is conscious.
I propose that unconsciousness between death and the resurrection is not consistent with the beliefs of Jesus' time. Rather, the spirits of the dead would go to Sheol (often depicted in different levels), and would there be conscious and associate with other spirits.
At the time of the resurrection Sheol would deliver up the dead to appear before God to be judged. This is described in Revelation 20:12-13:
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of
life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written
in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every
man according to their works.
[note that the word "hell" here is ᾍδης (“hades”), not Gehenna or σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον("outer darkness")]
After judgement there is a place sometimes referred to as Outer Darkness, which is what is described in Revelation 20:14-15:
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire.
I understand that some find this idea theologically uncomfortable.
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Conclusion
"Hell" is sometimes used in English to refer to Sheol and sometimes used to refer to Outer Darkness, but this is not the message conveyed by the Biblical text--these are distinct states/places.
I conclude that "asleep" in 1 Cor. 15 (and comparable passages) is a metaphor for death,
but a metaphor that should not be taken literally. I suggest the Bible supports the view
that the dead--though lacking a physical body--are conscious between the time of death and the resurrection.
I recognize this is an unpopular view; my principal interest is not to discover what is popular but what is true. If you've read this far, thanks for taking a look at my efforts to describe where my search for truth has led me.
Appendix - thoughts on a variety of competing interpretations
I'll offer a non-soul sleep perspective to passages cited in other answers and in the comments.
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Ecclesiastes 9:5
Others have warned against proof-text theologies--this passage (in my view) has been the most popular proof text for the view that the dead are not conscious:
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any
thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is
forgotten.
I suggest that "the dead forget" is not conveyed by the text, but rather, "the dead will be forgotten".
In a separate question I raised several reasons why this interpretation should be preferred.
What about the dead not knowing any thing?
A very deep dive on the Hebrew grammar & the context of the passage is presented by ScottS here and determines:
- "Verse 10 helps understand v.5b. The focus is not necessarily knowledge ceasing to exist for those being dead, but rather that there is no more partaking in the things of life—no more knowledge being gained of what is occurring in life."
- "So context favors either...Hope of knowing those living...[or] Hope of knowing anything about life's occurrences"
- Applying this to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: "The rich man is not noted to have any awareness of what is currently happening among the living. He is only aware of the past and his present state among the dead."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 is not a promising proof text
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Man is unconscious in death
(Ps 6:5, Isa 38:18, Ps 88:10)
Ps 6:5 - The Psalm speaks of Sheol, discussed above.
Gill's commentary on this verse:
For in death there is no remembrance of thee,.... Of the goodness,
truth, power, and faithfulness of God; no notice can be taken nor
mention, made either of the perfections or works of God, whether of
nature or of grace, by a dead man to others; he is wholly useless to
men on earth with respect to these things; in the grave who shall give
thee thanks? for mercies temporal or spiritual; the dead cannot praise
the Lord among men, only the living; see Psalm 30:9; wherefore the
psalmist desires that he might live and praise the Lord: this argument
is taken from the glory of God, which end cannot be answered among men
by death, as by life. It does not follow from hence that the soul
either dies or sleeps with the body, and is inactive until the
resurrection morn, neither of which are true; or that the souls of
departed saints are unemployed in heaven; they are always before the
throne, and serve the Lord day and night; they remember, with the
utmost gratitude and thankfulness, all the goodness and grace of God
unto them, and praise him for all his wondrous works: but the sense
is, that when a saint is dead, he can no more serve and glorify God on
earth among men.
See also Revelation Lad's comments here
Ps 88:10 - this says nothing about consciousness or unconsciousness of the dead, but does perhaps suggest the futility of procrastinating turning to the Lord. It asks a question which is graciously answered elsewhere--yes indeed the dead will rise.
Isa 38:18 - this describes an absence of hope & joy, not an absence of consciousness
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Jairus' daughter
As discussed previously, far from proving that the dead are unconscious, it shows Jesus making a distinction
between sleep and death. If the culture of the time understood "asleep" to mean "dead and unconscious", those present wouldn't have laughed at Jesus.
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Spirits will perish
Ezekiel 18:4, 20, 24 -- As Dave has pointed out on this site many times, Biblically "death" means separation. What Ezekiel refers to is not
physical death (separation of body & spirit), but rather separation from God. This death entered the world as a result of the Fall of Adam & Eve;
redemption from this death is brought about by the resurrection which brings people to the presence of God to be judged.
This is spoken of in Revelation 20:12-13, after which follows:
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire.
For these individuals, separation from God is now permanent. A spirit dies by being separated from God; consciousness never enters the consciousness of these verses (sorry, pun intended).
Gen. 6:3 goes no farther than Ezekiel does. 1 Tim. 6:15-16 says nothing about the status of the dead, but does
indicate that overcoming the separation we call death comes only through Christ.
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Thoughts perish
(Ps 115:17, Job 14:2, 21, Ps 146:3, 4)
Dorotheus of Gaza explained this well:
As the Fathers tell us, the souls of the dead remember everything that
happened here - thoughts, words, desires - and nothing can be
forgotten. But, as it says in the Psalm, In that day all their
thoughts shall be brought to nothing. The thoughts he speaks of are
those of the world, about houses and possessions, parents and
children, and business transactions. All these things are destroyed
immediately when the soul passes out of the body, none of this is
remembered or considered. But what he did against virtue or against
his evil passions, he remembers, and nothing of this is lost. (see here p. 285)
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Metaphor of sleep
See discussion at the beginning of this post.
John 11:11-14, Acts 7:60, 13:36, 1 Cor 7:39, 11:30, 15:6, 18, 20, 51, 1 Thess 4:13-15, 5:10, 2 Peter 3:4 use this
metaphor, and certainly show that the metaphor was widespread. Taking the metaphor literally would not prove unconsciousness after death, as those who are sleep are
still conscious (e.g. dreams). As argued above, the metaphor should not be taken literally.
Note also that in John 11:11-14 the audience sees a clear distinction between sleep and death and is therefore confused by the metaphor, further
substantiating the view that in Jewish culture the metaphor was not intended literally.
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Overcoming the grave
(Acts 2:31, 1 Cor 15:51-54)
Acts 2:31 does not conflate but rather distinguishes between the soul in Sheol and the body in the grave.
See discussion on the distinction between Sheol and Qever discussed on this site here.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 speaks of overcoming physical death: "this mortal must put on immortality." It takes the sleep metaphor no further than do passages already considered.
With death recognized as separation, it is true that the resurrection overcomes both physical & spiritual death:
It is not the spirit but the body that molders in the grave; this says nothing to contradict the Jewish belief that the spirit goes to Sheol.
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Man only has the life given by Christ; man does not have life of himself
(1 John 5:11, 12, 1 Cor 15:21, 22, John 5:24, 25, 6:51, Luke 13:3, 2 Peter 2:12. Rom 2:7, 1 Cor 15:12-49, Rom 6:23)
As these passages state, eternal life is indeed given by Christ.
It is important to distinguish between immortality and eternal life (another unpopular comment of mine, I'm sure =) ). Immortality means living forever. Romans 2:7 itself distinguishes between immortality and eternal life. Paul speaks of different glories (1 Cor. 15:39-42).
Resurrection into an immortal body is promised to all:
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1
Cor 15:22)
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Cor 15:26)
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Cor
15:51-54)
Eternal life, on the other hand, is promised only to the faithful.
Both immortality and eternal life come through Christ. For a deeper discussion on "what is eternal life?"
my thoughts here.
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Destruction of the soul
(Matt 10:28, Eze 18:4, 20, 24, Mal 4:1, 3)
If spiritual death is separation from God, then the death or destruction of the soul is eternal separation from God.
(Note that the Malachi reference has also been taken to be a threat of impending physical destruction--the earth receiving a
physical baptism by fire, following its physical baptism by water)
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The wicked ultimately will be completely destroyed
(Ps 37:20, 92:7, Eze 18:20, Mal 4:1-3, Matt 10:28, Phil 3:19, 2 Thess 1:9, Heb 10:39, James 4:12, 2 Peter 2:6, 3:7)
The fate of the wicked after resurrection & judgement is not the focus of this question, nor does it provide an answer
to the state of the dead prior to the resurrection.
I'll offer just a few comments for what they are worth. The idea of a person's complete destruction is known as annihilationism; The earliest clear source for annihilationism would be Arnobius of Sicca in the 4th century; the idea is discussed in detail by Talbot here. Talbot points out that Arnobius' ideas were repeatedly opposed by his contemporaries and later generations.
Fire is a powerful metaphor often descriptive of death, devastation, and destruction. The Bible records & predicts instances of
physical destruction by fire, and uses fire to describe the punishment of the wicked.
Note that Matt. 10:28 equates "destroying the soul" with "going to hell". As discussed previously, Biblically death is
separation--in this case, separation from God. This is the fate described as the second death (second separation) in Revelation 20:14.
