Jehovah's Witnesses state there is only "soul sleep" and that Jesus' parable, rich man and his brothers who did not listen to Moses and the prophets (vv. 29-31), represent the Pharisees.
Either the Jehovah's Witnesses' Jesus made a mistake or The Watchtower made a huge error. He wasn't asleep in the grave; he was in a place of "torment." If hell is a place of knowing nothing or a reference to the grave into which we go at death, Jesus' statements about sheol make no sense. Even though it is a metaphor, the story does not add up correctly within the JW doctrine. In my understanding, this may very well be partially metaphorical and rest being true (hell). The part that is true is that of eternal punishment. Let's take a look at some passages to back up the meaning of Hades. He said that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, it would be better to remove it than to "go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43-48).
The Bible refers to the fate of the unsaved with such fearful words as the following:
• "Shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2)
• "Everlasting punishment" (Mathew 25:46)
• "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51)
• "Fire unquenchable" (Luke 3:17)
• "Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" (Romans 2:8,9)
• "Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
• "Eternal fire...the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 7,13)
Passages on life after death: Scripture teaches that the spirits of men are fully conscious after separation from the body at death:
1) They can speak: Isaiah 14:9-11 Ezekiel 32:21
2)They can cry:
Matthew 8:11, 12; 13:43, 50; 22:13 Luke 16:24-31;13:28 Revelation 6:9-11
3) They can hear:
John 5:25 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6
4) They can see:
Luke 16:23
John 8:51-54, 45
5) They can feel pain:
Luke 16:23, 24
Revelation 20;10
6) They have memory:
Luke 16:28