Bible Verses About Soul Sleep And The Intermediate State

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

awakening from dust for resurrection

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

uses awakening language for future rising

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

The rest of the dead do not come to life until later.

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.

Death and Hades give up the dead for judgment.

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Dead come out to resurrection of life or judgment.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

direct resurrection passage with sleep language

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

says those who have fallen asleep will be brought with Jesus

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Shows saints' bodies raised from the graves after falling asleep.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

speaks of the soul going to fathers and not seeing light again

They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

speaks of the dead not rising in a judgment context

Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

describes the grave and morning in death language

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Resurrection of the dead and what is raised imperishable.

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.

Says the dead know nothing.

And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Affirms resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Says there is no remembrance in death and no praise in Sheol.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

The dead hear and then live.

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.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

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.

Dead stand before the throne for judgment.

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Christ is Lord of both the dead and the living.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

uses asleep for the dead in Christ

These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

Jesus says Lazarus has fallen asleep

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

clarifies Jesus meant death by sleep