A term made use of to denote the state of the soul between death and the resurrection. From the Scriptures speaking frequently of the dead as sleeping in their graves, many have supposed that the soul sleeps till the resurrection, 1: e. is in a state of entire insensibility. But against this opinion, and that the soul, after death, enters immediately into a state of reward or punishment, the following passages seem to be conclusive, Mat 17:3. Luk 23:42. 2Co 5:6. Php 1:21. Luk 16:22-23. Rev 6:9.
See articles RESURRECTION, SOUL, and FUTURE STATE; Bishop Law’s Appendix to his Theory of Religion; Search’s Light of Nature pursued; Bennett’s Olam Haneshamoth, or View of the Intermediate State; Archibald Campbell’s View of the Middle State; Archdeacon Blackburne’s Historical View of the Controversy concerning an Intermediate State, and the separate Existence of the Soul between Death and the general Resurrection; in which last the reader will find a large account of the writings on this subject, from the beginning of the Reformation to almost the present time.
See also Doddridge’s Lectures. lect. 219.
Beside questions concerning the nature of the happiness of heaven, there have also arisen questions concerning the state of the soul in the interval between death and the general resurrection. If we believe, with Dr. Priestly, that the soul is not a substance distinct from the body, we must believe with him that the whole of the human machine is at rest after death, till it be restored to its functions at the last day; but if we are convinced of the immateriality of the soul, we shall not think it so entirely dependent in all its operations upon its present companion, but that it may exist and act in an unembodied state. And if once we are satisfied that a state of separate existence is possible, we shall easily attach credit to the interpretation commonly given of the various expressions in Scripture, which intimate that the souls of good men are admitted to the presence of God immediately after death, although we soon find that a bound is set to our speculations concerning the nature of this intermediate state. But when we leave philosophical probability, and come to the doctrine of Scripture, the only ground of certainty on all such subjects, a great number of passages are so explicit, that no ingenuity of interpretation has been sufficient to weaken their evidence on this point. One branch of the opinions that have been held concerning an intermediate state is the Popish doctrine of purgatory; a doctrine which appears upon the slightest inspection of the texts that have been adduced in support of it to derive no evidence from Scripture; which originated in the error of the church of Rome in assigning to personal suffering a place in the justification of a sinner; and which is completely overturned by the doctrine of justification by faith, and by the general strain of Scripture, which represents this life as a state of probation, upon our conduct during which our everlasting condition depends. The holy Lazarus is carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom; and the rich and careless sinner lifts up his eyes in hell, and is separated from the place of bliss by an impassable gulf. This at once disproves the doctrine of purgatory, and demonstrates an intermediate conscious state of happiness and misery.
INTERMEDIATE STATE.—See Dead, p. 426a.
INTERMEDIATE STATE.—See Eschatology, 3 (d), and Paradise, 3.
See Eschatology.
The period between death and resurrection. The condition of the person in the intermediate state is debated. One theory is that the person is without a body, yet is conscious, and that he will receive his body at the resurrection. Another theory states that the person has a different sort of spiritual body that will be lost at the resurrection when body and soul are reunited (2Co 5:1-4).
The intermediate state is the state of the human person after death and before the final resurrection. In other words, it is what happens to a person when they die before the resurrection. Such teaching is more developed in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. It is a mistake to think that reference to it is completely missing in the Old Testament (for example, Job 19:25).
What Does the Bible Say About the Intermediate State?
According to Christ in Matthew 22:32, the intermediate state is suggested in such texts as Exodus 3:6. Even in the New Testament, an account of the intermediate state is not given clearly. It is hinted at from teaching about the physical death and resurrection of all people, but mainly of believers. This is taught by Christ himself in Matthew 22:30–32. The apostles, particularly Paul, teach this as in 1 Corinthians 15.
In addition, the Bible teaches that a human being is a unity of soul and body and not simply a soul that happens to be embodied (Genesis 2:7). This provides some information about what happens to a person after death. From such details, two conclusions can be made about the intermediate state.
Physical death is not the total end of the life of the individual. The person lives on after this. This is not merely in the memories of those who survive but as a distinct personality. In the case of believers, they are aware of the loving presence of God (Philippians 1:23).
Such an existence is not how humans were intended to be. It is incomplete or unusual since having a body is essential for a person to be in God’s image. The individual, surviving death, waits for the resurrection of the body. In the case of a Christian, he or she will experience complete redemption, a state of complete freedom from sin in the presence of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:50–58).
The biblical data is less clear about the intermediate state for those who are not Christians. This includes the difficult passage about Christ preaching to the “spirits in prison” in 1 Peter 3:19–20.
What Is the Intermediate State Like?
Scripture is limited in the way it shows what life in the intermediate state is like. In Philippians 1:23, Paul says of himself that after his death he will be “with Christ, which is far better indeed," but he gives no details. It is not wise to look for these details in such biblical incidents as that of Saul and the "medium at Endor" (1 Samuel 28:7). A medium is a person who communicates with human beings in the spiritual world. This text has many different interpretations.
Christ’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31 is also difficult because of its symbolic character. The purpose of this parable is to teach about the importance of the present life for a person’s eternal fate. It must be treated with caution. Perhaps the most that can be said is that the dead in Christ are “immediately with God.” They rest in his loving presence until the resurrection. The unsaved are in a comfortless condition awaiting their resurrection to judgment (John 5:29).
The Intermediate State in Christian Thought
Throughout history, Christians have looked at three main ideas to better understand what the Bible teaches about the time between a person's death and the final judgment:
Greek philosophers, especially Plato, have influenced how some Christians think about faith. This influence has appeared many times throughout Christian history. Platonic thought separates the physical body, which is evil, from the soul, which is good.
The Bible includes Paul's teaching about the difference between flesh [physical body] and spirit. Some people misunderstood what Paul meant about this. They focused too much on the soul and not enough on the body.
This misunderstanding led to two problems:
People paid less attention to the Bible's teaching that God will raise dead people back to life.
Some people completely ignored that this raising of the dead will happen at the end of time.
People who follow Plato's ideas believe:
Physical things are less important than spiritual things
The soul is more important than the body
The physical raising of dead bodies is not very important
The belief that the soul lives on without a body after death is sometimes used instead of the idea of a temporary state before the resurrection. However, there is no clear support for this belief in the Bible. In modern theology, there is a tendency to downplay the historical aspects of faith, similar to how people used to downplay the physical body. This often leads to either making life after death seem only spiritual or even denying it altogether.
However, the Bible makes it clear that the intermediate state is a period between two forms of having a body: our current physical bodies and the “spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44). The second phase occurs at Christ's second coming (15:23).
During the Reformation, a controversy arose between John Calvin and some of the Anabaptists over “soul sleep.” Calvin strongly believed that the intermediate state is one of conscious awareness of God’s presence. This is something his opponents denied. For Calvin, such a denial was the same as holding that the soul is destroyed at death. It was the same as denying that Christ exercises rule over the dead before they are resurrected.
Calvin’s view is supported by Paul’s statement that nothing separates the believer from the love of God. "Nothing" means not even death can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35–39).
The biblical teaching that upon death the believer “sleeps” (1 Thessalonians 4:14) is interpreted to mean that the dead no longer communicate with the living on earth and no longer engage in labor, but are in a state of rest. To “fall asleep in Jesus” means to enjoy the presence of Jesus in a state without a body. The closest comparison is like a person dreaming who may be aware but does not depend on the function of any of the senses of the body.
Can people change spiritually after they die, or is their spiritual state permanent at death? This question includes three main parts:
Can people turn away from their sins (repent) after death?
Can people grow closer to God after death?
Can people be cleansed from their sins after death?
It is the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that death is followed by purgatory for all who are imperfect. In purgatory the soul is freed from the remnants of sin. The period of purgation may be lessened by the gifts, prayers, and masses of those who survive the deceased.
Most Protestants reject this idea as disagreeing with the biblical teaching. Three arguments are offered:
The work of Christ is complete and finished (Hebrews 9:28).
It is impossible for one human being to earn or otherwise gain grace for another (Luke 17:10).
The Bible teaches that the eternal state of the soul is determined by its condition at death (Hebrews 9:27).
See also Place of the Dead; Hades; Heaven; Hell; Paradise; Sheol.
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.