Topical Bible: Natural Life is Compared to a Sleep

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The metaphor of sleep is frequently employed in the Bible to describe the state of natural life, particularly in relation to death and spiritual awakening. This imagery underscores the transient and temporary nature of earthly existence, as well as the hope of resurrection and eternal life through Christ.

1. Sleep as a Metaphor for Death: In Scripture, death is often likened to sleep, suggesting a temporary state from which one will awaken. This is evident in the account of Jesus raising Jairus's daughter, where He states, "The child is not dead but asleep" (Mark 5:39). Similarly, in the account of Lazarus, Jesus tells His disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up" (John 11:11). These instances highlight the Christian belief in the resurrection, where physical death is not the end but a precursor to eternal life.

2. Spiritual Awakening: The concept of sleep is also used to describe a state of spiritual lethargy or unawareness. Paul exhorts believers in Ephesians 5:14, "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" . This call to awaken is an invitation to live a life of spiritual vigilance and righteousness, contrasting the spiritual "sleep" of sin and ignorance.

3. The Temporary Nature of Life: The metaphor of sleep emphasizes the fleeting nature of human life. In Psalm 90:5, Moses reflects on the brevity of life, stating, "You sweep them away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning" . This imagery serves as a reminder of the impermanence of earthly existence and the importance of living with an eternal perspective.

4. Hope in Resurrection: The comparison of death to sleep is imbued with hope, as it implies an awakening. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Paul comforts believers concerning those who have "fallen asleep" in Christ, assuring them of the resurrection: "For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him" . This assurance is foundational to Christian eschatology, affirming that death is not the final word for those in Christ.

5. Moral and Ethical Implications: The metaphor also carries ethical implications, urging believers to live in readiness and anticipation of Christ's return. Romans 13:11-12 exhorts, "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here" . This call to awaken from moral and spiritual sleep encourages a life of holiness and active faith.

In summary, the biblical metaphor of sleep serves as a profound illustration of the nature of life, death, and the hope of resurrection. It calls believers to spiritual alertness and readiness, emphasizing the transient nature of earthly life and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 90:5
You carry them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which grows up.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether the First Man Saw God through his Essence?
... He was, however, endowed with "a life of happiness ... far as he was gifted with natural
integrity and ... every creature is something obscure when compared with the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the first man saw.htm

Interruption of the visions of the Passion by the Appearance of St ...
... were likewise fearful, and she might truly be compared to a ... both body and soul revived
to a new life, as if ... After saying these words in such a natural tone of ...
/.../chapter xxiv interruption of the.htm

Biogenesis
... widest distinction in Nature, but compared with the ... set of characteristics"they eat,
sleep, work, think ... Indeed what natural Life is remains unknown, and the ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/biogenesis.htm

Human Life a Dream
... But which of all these arise from natural, which from ... inconsiderable is the glory
of that house, compared to that ... wonderful, then, now the dream of life is over ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 121 human life a.htm

Question of the Contemplative Life
... And the contemplation of truth is natural to man as a rational ... is indeed true that
the contemplation of God during this life is imperfect compared with our ...
/.../on prayer and the contemplative life/question clxxx of the contemplative.htm

Death by Adam, Life by Christ
... is but as dust upon the balance, if compared with the ... The sentence includes all the
natural evils, all the variety ... and strives within them, and their life is a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xli death by adam.htm

John Calvin. His Life and Character.
... But we look in vain for descriptions of natural scenery in the ... His last days were
of a piece with his life. His whole course has been compared by Vinet to the ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 56 john calvin his.htm

What is God's Will?
... laziness, or uncleanness, or the man who was careless and wanton of natural life? ...
this life, and that it was easy and smooth compared with the life we left ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/what is gods will.htm

The Present Life as Related to the Future.
... And not only does the natural man enjoy sin, but ... Compared with this anguish of soul,
all the afflictions which ... enough to poison all the comforts of life, and to ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the present life as related.htm

Introductory to Texts from the Gospels on the Incarnation. ...
... Arians compared to the Jews. ... it came from the earth, and how can its natural condition
pass ... to Him through His flesh, and henceforward inherit life everlasting ...
/.../chapter xxvi introductory to texts from.htm