The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1
V. Sleep the Beautiful Euphemism for Death
1. FIRST A SLEEP, WITH RESURRECTION AWAKENING
Since the Bible states, “It is appointed unto [all] men once to die,” and after death the “judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), the “first,” or natural, death, is simply a temporary cessation of life, which the Bible pictures as a “sleep.” The gospel makes provision for another life through the resurrection awakening—a second and eternal life for all who accept the gospel of Christ (2 Timothy 1:10) and are fitted for it. CFF1 79.1
The same gospel also reveals the irrevocable “second death,” from which there is a resurrection unto damnation for those who reject the gospel (John 5:28, 29), and no hope for those who lack fitness for immortality. All those who reject the sole means of salvation will be lost forever. There will be no immortal sinners. But let us examine the figure of “sleep.” CFF1 79.2
2. IMPLICATIONS OF THE METAPHOR OF SLEEP
The Old Testament consistently speaks of death under this metaphor of “sleep”—like falling asleep at night. So this intermediate state, between death and the resurrection, is for good and evil alike, and is thus likened to the hours of unconscious rest. The resurrection is compared to the experience of awakening to a new day. Death is repeatedly declared to be a deep, unconscious, unbroken sleep until the resurrection morn. CFF1 79.3
Thus in Holy Writ, “Man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep” (Job 14:12). The psalmist said, “Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psalm 13:3). And the prophet Daniel adds, “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”—at the resurrection (Daniel 12:2). This is the unvarying testimony of the Old Testament. And the New Testament does not deviate from this in the slightest degree. Rather, it elaborates upon it. CFF1 79.4
Sleep, then, is a condition of suspended activity and unconscious rest. Thus the dead are repeatedly declared to be “at rest” (Job 3:17, 18; Job 17:16; Daniel 12:13; Revelation 14:13). And this intermediate state is defined as one of inactivity and silence (Psalm 6:5; cf. Revelation 14:13). The Hebrew concept of this unconscious sleep, in she’ol, or gravedom, is seen in such statements by the psalmist as: CFF1 79.5
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth [dust]; in that very day his thoughts Perish” (Psalm 146:4). CFF1 80.1
“In death [she’ol, the grave] there is no remembrance of thee” (Psalm 6:5). CFF1 80.2
“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence” (Psalm 115:17). CFF1 80.3
3. TIME OBLITERATED TO THE SLEEPER
Sleep obliterates the space, or span, between death and the resurrection. It has no perceptible passage of time. This Biblical concept of death as a sleep makes the Second Advent equally near to every generation and to every individual believer—to the first as verily as to the last. To both, our Lord is equally nigh, even at the door. CFF1 80.4
Death, as a sleep, is not therefore a long, conscious, stretching blank of centuries or millenniums. A century is as short as a moment, a millennium as brief as the twinkling of an eye. The next conscious instant after falling asleep will be the day of redemption. Death is followed by rising, going to sleep by awakening. CFF1 80.5
Such a gracious provision, it is to be noted, robs death of its gloom and its sense and dread of long separation. Thus the twilight hour of death is succeeded, through the resurrection, by the dawn of eternal day for the righteous. But, alas, it is followed by an everlasting night of utter destruction for the wicked, after their resurrection for the execution of the judgment (Revelation 20:5, 6, 14, 15; Revelation 21:8). CFF1 80.6
4. “SLEEP” IS UNDEVIATING SYNONYM FOR “DEATH.”
“Sleep” is consequently the common Biblical synonym for “death.” Beginning with its initial application to Moses (“Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,” 2 Deuteronomy 31:16), and then to David (“Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,” 2 Samuel 7:12), and Job (“Now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be,” Job 7:21), we find that this beautiful euphemism runs like an unbroken thread all through the Old and New Testaments, ending with Peter’s “since the fathers fell asleep” (2 Peter 3:4). 3 CFF1 80.7
This chosen synonym for death occurs no less than sixty-six times in seventeen books of the Sacred Canon, including its considered use by Jesus Himself (Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52John 11:11). These frequent occurrences are so important and significant, and impressive, that all Old Testament usages are tabulated here for reference, that the eye may quickly run down this meaningful tabulation. Thus the scope and weight of evidence quickly become apparent. The term, it will be observed, is used of good and evil alike—of Ahab as well as of David. Here are the texts: CFF1 81.1
Sleep, then, is beyond question the established Biblical term for man’s state in death. CFF1 81.2