What does the Bible say about soul sleep?
Question: "What does the Bible say about soul sleep?"
Answer: “Soul sleep” is a belief that after a person dies, his/her soul “sleeps” until the resurrection and final judgment. The concept of “soul sleep” is not biblical. When the Bible describes a person “sleeping” in relation to death (Luke 8:52; 1 Corinthians 15:6), it does not mean literal sleep. Sleeping is just a way to describe death because a dead body appears to be asleep. The moment we die, we face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27). For believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, death means everlasting punishment in hell (Luke 16:22-23).
Until the final resurrection, though, there is a temporary heaven—paradise (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4) and a temporary hell—Hades (Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14). As can be clearly seen in Luke 16:19-31, neither in paradise nor in Hades are people sleeping. It could be said, though, that a person’s body is “sleeping” while his soul is in paradise or Hades. At the resurrection, this body is “awakened” and transformed into the everlasting body a person will possess for eternity, whether in heaven or hell. Those who were in paradise will be sent to the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Those who were in Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people—based entirely on whether or not a person trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Present-day defenders of soul sleep include the Seventh Day Adventist church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, and others.
I got all of this from this website:
What does the Bible say about soul sleep?
I don't know that Jehovah's Witnesses believe in soul sleep, in the sense that seems to be described here.
We do believe that death is likened, or compared to sleep, because there is a coming resurrection, where Jesus will "call the dead out of death, and the grave" - raise them up, or resurrect them.
We however, do not believing that the soul exists as a form separated from the body, and dwells anywhere - either in heaven, or a fiery hell. The person is simply dead - not existing, except in God's "book of remembrance".
So, the person that died, is only asleep in God's "mind", and they are thought of this way by those expecting to see them alive again.
Acts 24:15
And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
Since the person doesn't exist except in God's memory, God is the one that will make a body for them and give them the spirit, that makes them a living soul - that's in the case of those who will be raised to life on earth.
John 5:28
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice
A living soul is a human person.
Those raised to heaven do not need the spirit, or a physical body, they are made spirits.
1 Corinthians 15:38
. . .but God gives it a body just as it has pleased him, and gives to each of the seeds its own body.
Do you understand this?