Topical Bible: Natural Death is Described as Fleeing As a Shadow

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In the Scriptures, the concept of natural death is often depicted with vivid imagery that conveys the transient and fleeting nature of human life. One such metaphor is the description of life as a shadow that flees, emphasizing the brevity and impermanence of earthly existence.

The imagery of life as a shadow is poignantly captured in the book of Job. Job, in his profound suffering and reflection on the human condition, laments the brevity of life: "He comes forth like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure" (Job 14:2). Here, the comparison to a shadow underscores the idea that life, much like a shadow, is insubstantial and quickly vanishes.

Similarly, the Psalms echo this sentiment, portraying life as ephemeral and fleeting. In Psalm 102, the psalmist cries out, "My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass" (Psalm 102:11). This verse not only highlights the transient nature of life but also the inevitable decline that accompanies it, much like the fading of a shadow as the day draws to a close.

The metaphor of life as a shadow is further reinforced in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes, a book that delves deeply into the meaning and purpose of life, reflects on the fleeting nature of human endeavors: "For who knows what is good for a man during the few days of his fleeting life, which he passes like a shadow?" (Ecclesiastes 6:12). This rhetorical question underscores the uncertainty and brevity of life, urging readers to consider the eternal perspective.

The New Testament also alludes to the transient nature of life, though not explicitly using the shadow metaphor. James writes, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). This imagery complements the Old Testament portrayal of life as fleeting, reinforcing the notion that human existence is temporary and should be lived with an awareness of its brevity.

Throughout the Bible, the depiction of life as a shadow serves as a powerful reminder of the temporal nature of human existence. It calls believers to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that life on earth is but a fleeting moment in the grand scope of God's eternal plan. This understanding encourages a life of faithfulness, humility, and reliance on God's promises, as believers await the eternal life that transcends the fleeting shadows of this world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 14:2
He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Clearing-Up Storm in the Realm
... If this simple, natural meaning be taken here, it ... withdrawn, and the horrid hordes
here described free to ... witnesses, and were taken away without death, yet it ...
/.../vi a clearing-up storm in the.htm

Homilies on the Gospel of John.
... acknowledged Christ their Master, [685]41; described as willing ... prove the reality
of Christ's death in different ... 93; required in studying things natural, [889]88 ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the gospel of.htm

Letter xxii. To Eustochium.
... 467] To show that virginity is natural while wedlock ... encompass it I have, I think,
described shortly in ... not lawful to touch, was struck down suddenly by death. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xxii to eustochium.htm

Letter cviii. To Eustochium.
... his head a stone which in Zechariah is described as having ... shall deliver me from
the body of this death?" [2957]. ... of the apostle: "it is sown a natural body: it ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cviii to eustochium.htm

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... be overcome by sleep, but never by death; only one ... a verb of motion; it was too natural
to consider ... vii., where there is described the offerings which the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

From 1787 to 1791 Inclusive
... We believe he died not fearing death. ... It was indeed but natural for those who had
suffered so ... The next day was such a time as cannot be sufficiently described. ...
/.../a history of the methodist episcopal church volume i/chapter 2 from 1787 to.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... like olive plants, round about thy table." Therefore his grave is described as placed ...
For marriage ends at death; virginity thereafter begins to wear the crown ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... their sources in the region just described, have not all ... which he subsequently abandoned,
on the death of Khuniatonu ... of his subjects was but natural, since for ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... It gives, as is natural, no elaborated statement of ... that souls are delivered from
death by almsgiving. ... these Noetians, but we have carefully described his life ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... that 'it was through this valley of the shadow of death ... your terrors of conscience,
and fear of death and hell ... 4. As for my own natural life, for the time that I ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm