On Monday, just 16 weeks after we buried my Mum – Dad has passed away too. Our family would like to thank the many kind folks that have expressed their support and condolences at this time. Dad celebrated his 94thbirthday a month ago while we were in Europe, and now he too is asleep until Jesus returns.
Why do I always refer to those who have passed away as being asleep when so many people think that heaven or hell is the next stage? This is one of life’s big questions, and it is worth considering - what does happen to us when we die? Our world is inundated with many philosophies, and there is no shortage of options. However, the truth is essential when it comes to the big questions. This is not a debate about which footy team is the best (we all think we know that!); this has far more significance and is important because eventually, we all reach that same doorway. The expression that ‘there is nothing more certain than death and taxes is attributed to Christopher Bullock (1716), and while we do know that some avoid the latter, the former cannot be avoided. For me, the answer is quite simple, and it involves using trusted sources that have a history of accuracy and reliability.
So when I examine the Bible, I note that it uses the word sleep to describe death not just once or twice but repeatedly. Well, over 50 times, the scriptures refer to death as asleep. Reading through Job and the Psalms, one will often find comments about death being asleep. In the wise man Solomon’s writing, we read that ‘the dead do not know anything’ (Eccl 9:5,6), which pretty well describes how we are when we are asleep. Also, the ancient prophet Daniel indicated that there would come a time when the many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2). Then, Paul wrote almost 30% of the New Testament, and he consistently referred to death as a night of sleep (1Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Ultimately we should get to the words of Jesus, and in Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, and Luke 8:52-53, all three writers record the story of how the daughter of Jairus was raised from the dead. At that time, when Jesus indicated the girl was sleeping, he was mocked and ridiculed because so many people knew and recognized that the girl was dead. However, what they did not understand was that Jesus was using the word ‘sleep’ to describe the girl’s condition. He then showed he had the power over death by raising her back to life.
In the same way, just before Lazarus was raised from the dead, Jesus indicated to the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping. Once again, the people around Jesus thought he was referring to our daily sleep, but then He clarified this for them (John 11:11f) and performed a fantastic miracle that turned many skeptics into believers.
