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DOCTRINE OF SLEEP

A. Definition and Description.

1. Sleep is defined as a natural, temporary, and periodic diminution of sensation, feeling, and thought which can go from a state of heavy slumber to almost a complete cessation of conscious life.

2. It is used for being soporific, the state of lethargy or sleepiness; and for oscitant, the act of yawning or the state of being drowsy.

3. The intransitive use of the word sleep includes the suspension of the voluntary exercise of bodily functions and the natural suspension, either complete or partial, of consciousness.

4. Sleep means to become numb through the stoppage of circulation through certain parts of the body, e.g., your arm goes to sleep.

5. In its transitive use, sleep is used with a cognate object, e.g., to sleep one’s life away, to provide sleeping accommodations, to sleep off a hangover.

6. In English we use sleep for a state of inactivity, death, or to describe sexual activity (sleeping with someone).

7. The Bible uses sleep in a variety of ways, both literal and figurative: for death, indifference, lack of alertness, indolence, ignorance, and disorientation.

B. Literal Use of Sleep in the Bible.

1. Gen 2:21, Adam was put to sleep for the creation of the woman.

2. Gen 15:12, Abraham slept as a preliminary to divine revelation.

3. 1 Sam 26:12, Saul slept so David could infiltrate his bivouac and prove a point of grace.

4. In Ps 4:8, sleep is used for a manifestation of faith-rest.

5. Sleep is used for divine revelation through dreams and visions prior to the completed Canon, Job 33:15.

6. Prosperity was related to sleep. Ps 127:1-2, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain… It is a vain thing to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of hard work, for He gives to His beloved [mature believer], even his sleep.” Prov 3:24.

7. Evil men are related to sleep, Prov 4:16. They are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

8. Sleep is related to divine protection, Ps 3:5-6.

C. Sleep is used as an analogy.

1. Sleep is used as an analogy to laziness and lack of motivation, Prov 6:4-11, 10:5b, 19:15.

2. Prov 20:15, “Don’t love sleep, lest you become poor,” refers to a person who’d rather be on welfare than work.

3. In Eccl 5:12, sleep is used as an analogy to the conscience. Sleep is used for capacity for life; the full stomach is used for lack of capacity. The working man is tired, and therefore enjoys his sleep.

4. In 1 Thes 5:6, sleep as an analogy to alertness. “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and self-disciplined.” Sleep is lack of alertness and self-discipline.

5. Sleep is an analogy to reversionism. Eph 5:14, “Wake up you sleeping ones.” Rebound and perception of doctrine are the means of waking up. In Rom 13:11, waking up from sleep is learning and applying doctrine. Sleep can be a distraction in life.

D. Sleep is used as an anthropopathism.

1. Ps 34:23, “Why do you sleep, O Lord? Wake up, do not reject us forever.” Here sleep is regarded as indifference when someone needs help.

2. Ps 78:65-66, “Then the Lord woke up as from a sleep… and He drove His enemies backward.” The training of a soldier causes him to respond to the call to arms even though recovering from a drunken sleep. God is able to deliver us even though we have been awful. 3. Ps 121:4, “Behold, He who guards Israel will neither slumber or sleep.” God is aware of our needs from eternity past.

E. Sleep is used for Christian death in anticipation of resurrection.

1. Ps 13:3b, “...enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” In death, the body sleeps, but the soul and spirit remain alive with human life and eternal life.

2. 1 Cor 15:20, “...Christ the first fruits of those who are asleep.”

3. 1 Cor 15:51, “We shall not all sleep.” When the Rapture occurs, believers alive on the earth will not die.

4. 1 Thes 4:14, “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Him.” There is no such thing as soul sleep. Waking up is receiving a resurrection body.

5. 1 Thes 5:10, “Whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with Him.”

F. Sleep is used for the sin unto death of the reversionist, 1 Cor 11:30.

G. Waking from sleep is used for perception and application of doctrine, Rom 13:11. “This do also by having known the period of time [Church Age], that is, it is already time for you to wake up from sleep [reversion recovery], for now our deliverance [rapture] is nearer than when we first believed.”

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