SLEEP THE SLEEP OF DEATH PSALM 13:3

 

In Psalm 13:3 it says, Consider and hear me O Yahweh my GOD, enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.

Jesus said in John 11:11KJV  After he had said this he went on to tell them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I am going there to wake him up.

Peter said in 2 Peter 3:4KJV  And saying, where is the promise of his coming ? For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.

1 Corinthians 15:17-18  And if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

1 Thessalonians 4:14  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again we also believe that GOD will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Throughout the scriptures sleep is used as an analogy for death. As with any analogy if you try to carry it out too far you will lose the intended meaning.  When you are asleep you are unconscious, unaware of your surroundings and unaware of the passing of time.  This is what death is like.  At death your human spirit returns to GOD in an unconscious state.  You are unaware of anything among the living or the passing of time.  Your human spirit requires a body in which to be alive. The mortal body of flesh is perishable but in the first resurrection when Jesus returns you will have a spirit body that is imperishable, immortal, and again you will be alive.  Your human spirit now has a body and can function again.  Until Jesus returns you are asleep, you are dead, you are not alive.  The saints all have died with this knowledge and understanding of the hope and promise of a resurrection from the dead.  

Acts 24:15  And I have hope in GOD, which they themselves also hold, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both for the just and the unjust.

The gospel we must believe is the absolute fact that Jesus died, fell asleep, and was not alive elsewhere in any way.  That just as Jesus was raised from the dead we too will be raised at his return. Anything other than this spiritual truth is a lie.  There is no immediate life after death.  There are certain scriptures that because of poor translation and improper punctuation can be twisted to falsely conclude that this idea of immediate life after death is true but the source of this is Satan.  Satan already has the unconverted world as he is their god. It is the saints that Satan is after, especially those newly converted because he knows that these babes have excess baggage from the world, things the world believes that the babe has not yet discarded.  In time as they grow the FATHER will lead them into the truth.