What Happens in the Waiting Period Between Death and Resurrection?

The bible does not describe eternity in the after life as some kind of disembody existence in the heavens. This first demonstrates the hope we can have in the eventual redemption of our physical bodies, which is ultimately what the resurrection will be. But in the meantime, what exactly occurs during that waiting period between death and resurrection? Many people, including me, believe that we'll experience something referred to as soul sleep - a state of unconsciousness before being awakened at the resurrection. However, this seems to stand in stark contrast to what we read in the bible.