The Sleep of Death by W. A. Blakely

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 11, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 23.

The Sleep of Death.

By W. A. Blakely

“Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Ps. 13: 3.

THE “sleep of death” as here brought to view by the psalmist, is repeatedly referred to in the word of God. It is asked, What is it to sleep the sleep of death? What is it to cease to live, to close our eyes and have our mortal bodies laid away in the cold and silent grave?

How like a sleep! For, though they in the graves do lie, When Jesus comes with trumpet sound, The saints arise; then they shall say, “O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory”!

“But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” Job 14: 10–12, 14, 15.

Job brings three points clearly to view in this text: (1) He will die or sleep; (2) He is to wait an appointed time till his change come, and (3) He is to awake at the call of God.

That it is “appointed unto men once to die” all will admit (Heb. 9: 27); but what is the “appointed time” of which Job speaks in verse 14? In verse 12 he says, “till the heavens be no more.” We find that the heavens pass away at the coming of Christ. Rev. 6: 14–17 says that the heavens depart as a scroll when it is rolled together.

That at this time the Lord calls we find stated in several places in unmistakable language. The following are a few instances:—

“For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ [asleep in Jesus, verse 14] shall rise first.” 1 Thess. 4: 16.

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15: 51, 52. See also Ps. 50: 4.

Thus we see that even the oldest inspired writing that we have teaches the resurrection, or awaking from the sleep of death, at the appointed time, i. e., at the second coming of Christ. (See also Jude 14.)

Now that we have found from positive scriptures that the term “sleep” is used to represent death, let us examine the nature of the sleep.

Man is mortal. Job 14: 17; 1 Cor. 15: 53, 54. He shall die. Heb. 9: 27. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Ps. 146: 4. They sleep in the dust. Dan. 12: 2; Job 7: 21. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” “For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” Eccl. 9: 10, 5, 6.

The psalmist says, “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Ps. 115: 17. “For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” Ps. 6: 5.

In the light of these texts, what is the only conclusion to which we can come? It certainly is, that the word of God teaches that death is like a sound sleep. The sleeper is unconscious of all around him. He knows not anything Eccl. 9: 5. He cannot ascribe praises to the Lord, nor does he know aught of what is transpiring in regard to his dearest friends. This is plainly said of those in death. “His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” Job 14: 21.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him [Jesus].” 1 Thess. 4: 13, 14. This will be brought to pass when the Lord descends from heaven. Verses 15–17. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6: 23. Then it is only through Christ, and by patient continuance in well doing, that we can obtain immortality (Rom. 2: 7; 1 Tim. 6: 12), and it is bestowed at the resurrection, when Christ who is our life shall appear. 1 Cor. 15: 52–54; Col. 3: 4.

The Bible teaches that it is the appointed lot of all to die; they go to the grave; they sleep in the dust; they are unconscious of everything, waiting their appointed time to be raised, which is at the second coming of Christ, when the heavens depart as a scroll when it is rolled together; Christ awakens the sleeping saints with a shout; they then arise with all the health and beauty of immortality, evermore to be with the Lord. It is thus Christ fulfills his promise: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14: 2, 3.

W. A. BLAKELY.