The State of the Dead

Luke 8 provides two episodes that shed light on the biblical teaching concerning death and the state of the dead. In verse 55, when Jesus restores life to Jairus' daughter, Luke records that "her spirit returned." This description offers an essential insight: death is the departure of the spirit from the body, and life is the return of that spirit. In the same chapter, verse 31 describes the plea of demons who beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss. This reveals that there is a place of confinement for disembodied spirits, a realm dreaded even by the enemies of God. These two accounts serve as biblical anchors for understanding what happens at death, how the spirit exists apart from the body, and what lies ahead according to Christian teaching.

Death: The Separation of Spirit and Body

The Bible consistently defines death as the separation of spirit from body. Ecclesiastes 12:7 explains that at death, "the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." James 2:26 adds that "the body without the spirit is dead." Luke's account of Jairus' daughter illustrates this clearly: when the girl died, her spirit departed. When Jesus restored her, her spirit returned, and she immediately rose to life. Death, therefore, is not the extinction of existence but the departure of the spirit from its earthly dwelling.

Waiting: The Intermediate State – Two Views

Restorationist teachers have generally agreed that the spirit continues beyond death, but they differ in how they interpret the period between death and resurrection. Two main views are represented: conscious waiting and soul sleep.

Conscious Waiting in Hades

This majority position holds that spirits remain aware in a temporary realm awaiting resurrection. Luke 16:19-31 (the rich man and Lazarus) is often read literally, depicting the dead as speaking, feeling, and remembering. Revelation 6:9-10 shows "souls under the altar" crying out for justice, suggesting consciousness. Luke 8:31 also supports this understanding since demons feared the abyss, implying conscious existence outside of physical bodies. Historically, leaders such as Alexander Campbell, David Lipscomb, and Guy N. Woods defended this view. Its strength lies in harmonizing with passages that depict personal awareness after death.

Soul Sleep

A minority within the Restoration tradition teaches that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection. Texts such as Daniel 12:2 ("many who sleep in the dust...will awake"), John 11:11-14 (Jesus likens death to sleep), and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 ("those who are asleep") all describe death in terms of sleep. Ecclesiastes 9:5 affirms that "the dead know nothing." According to this view, death is a state of unconscious pause, and the next moment of awareness comes at the resurrection. Teachers like T. W. Brents, R. C. Bell, and Hugo McCord leaned in this direction. This position underscores the resurrection as the focal point of Christian hope and avoids reliance on speculative models of Hades. Its strength is its simplicity and its focus on the resurrection as the believer's true hope.

Resurrection: Reunion of Spirit and Body

Both views converge at the same point–the resurrection. Scripture clearly teaches that at the return of Christ, all the dead will rise (John 5:28-29; I Thessalonians 4:16). The body will be transformed into an incorruptible, immortal body (I Corinthians 15:42-44). Jairus' daughter experienced a temporary revival of her earthly body, but believers will experience a permanent resurrection into an immortal state. The resurrection is thus the decisive event in which spirit and body are reunited in a glorified form.

Glorification: The Perfected State

At the resurrection, believers' bodies will be conformed to the likeness of Christ's resurrection body (Philippians 3:21). This glorification signifies not merely restoration but transformation–an end to sin, weakness, and mortality. In this state, believers will fully bear the image of the heavenly man (1 Corinthians 15:49). The glorification of the body is an essential part of salvation, completing what begins in the forgiveness of sins and sanctification of the spirit.

Exaltation: Eternal Presence with God

After resurrection and judgment, the final state of the faithful is eternal life in the presence of God (Revelation 21:3-4). This exaltation is the ultimate destiny of man's spirit, not merely returning to life but entering eternal fellowship with the Creator. The separation of death is overcome, and the perfected union of spirit and body is enjoyed forever.

Instructional Value of Luke 8

The return of Jairus' daughter's spirit and the fear of the demons in Luke 8 together provide a balanced instruction. They show that death is real, that the spirit continues beyond the grave, and that all spiritual existence remains under God's authority. Whether one holds to conscious waiting or to soul sleep, both views affirm the central biblical teaching: resurrection is the true hope of the Christian. By anchoring our understanding in Scripture and avoiding speculation, we keep our focus where the Bible directs it–on Christ's return, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life with God.

Luke 8:55 and Luke 8:31, read together, remind us that the human spirit does not cease at death and that ultimate destiny rests in the hands of God. The intermediate state may be understood in two ways within the Restoration tradition, but the conclusion is the same: the dead will rise, the faithful will be glorified, and the redeemed will live forever in the presence of the Lord.