Spiritual Sleep

I want to talk about spiritual awakening in this teaching but I’m going to do it in an interesting way and that’s by addressing the idea of spiritual sleep. What I’m realizing is that it is so important to grasp this concept of spiritual sleep so that we can really understand the nature of spiritual awakening. If we can grasp the nature of awakening, we can more easily discern our individual and collective spiritual future. 

What I want to do is talk a little bit about spiritual sleep, look at a few passages, particularly the Lazarus story in the gospels, and discuss the implications for our personal faith and spirituality now and in the future.

Throughout the Scriptures, we can discern this re-occurring theme of spiritual sleep. What I am focusing on is the symbol or the metaphor of spiritual sleep, not a literal snooze. In the prophets, sleep is a metaphor for apostasy and idolatry, or falling away from God. This is why, for instance, Isaiah says the following: 

“Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck…” Isaiah 52:1-2 (NIV) 

In this Isaiah passage, the prophet calls to Israel to rouse them from their hopelessness and apathy, because the Lord will return to Zion and bring rescue and renewal (salvation) to its people. 

In this text, we can also see that the fruit of awakening is strength, splendor or glory, purity, and freedom from bondage. 

We can also see that the sleeping are covered in a “dust” which needs to be “shaken off.” This is the same spiritual dust that Daniel prophesies about elsewhere: 

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:2 (NIV) 

Here again arises the theme of spiritual sleep. The sleeping are those who have not awakened to the reality of the new creation and the kingdom of God. The “dust of the earth” isn’t the literal ground - Daniel isn’t writing about the reanimation of dead bodies - but spiritual death. Daniel says that many sleep in this dust - this spiritual death - but awakening will come and when it does God will bring both life and judgment. The wicked will receive their spiritual reward, as will the righteous.

Both of these prophecies from Isaiah and Daniel concern the “end times” or the “last days” when the Lord will act to bring justice, restoration, and rescue to His people. These last days - the days of justice, rescue, renewal, and salvation, have been upon us for two thousand years. We are shifting from the era of the old creation, called the “flesh” in the Scriptures, to the era of the new creation, the age of the Holy Spirit, or the “kingdom of God.” This shift is being accomplished through the Christ, the Lord of the new creation and the judge of all men (Acts 17:31). 

Let’s shift our focus and look at the story of Lazarus from John’s gospel. Could Lazarus’ story possibly be a parable about the salvation of the entire universe? Let’s read the passage and find out. 

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick…So [his] sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it…Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ His disciples replied, ‘Lord if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples throught he meant natural sleep.” John 11:1-13 (NIV)

Here we have an unfolding scenario of a man named Lazarus who has died. His sisters Mary and Martha have sent word to Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus delays his coming, promising that the sickness will not end in death and the glory of heaven will have the final word. 

What is interesting to note is that what the disciples call death, Jesus calls sleep. There is a reason for this. In this story, John reveals a clever metaphor for the spiritual state of Israel, God’s people. Lazarus is spiritually dead Israel and his sisters represent the believing Jews. God loves Israel - Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters.  

Sleep is a metaphor for spiritual death. Our spiritual sleep - our rebellion and falling away from God - can advance to such a point that we experience spiritual death. Spiritual death advances to death in the physical realm. Paul agrees in Ephesians: 

“You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead…” Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)

Spiritual death is to reject God’s presence. Spiritual death begins with spiritual sleep - apathy, ignorance, the preference for sin, and the rejection of God’s love.  

God’s antidote to spiritual sleep is grace, which is the energizing presence of God Himself in the human mind, body, and spirit. Grace awakens us, clothes us in splendor, and frees us from bondage (remember the passage from Isaiah 52?). It awakens us from the dust of the earth (sin) and raises us up with Christ so that we shine with the brilliance of wisdom and righteousness (Daniel 12).  

Now, we return to the end of the Lazarus story to see this power in action. 

“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days…When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled…Jesus wept…Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone…did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’... Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out…Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” John 11:17-44 (NIV)  

By all appearances, Lazarus is far gone. When Jesus finally arrives, he has been dead in the tomb for four days and smells bad. The Jews around him and his friends are hopeless and full of sorrow. 

In the Lazarus story, we see Jesus first identify with this sorrow. This sorrow is the sorrow for the nation of Israel, once a crown jewel among the nations but now in a state of darkness at the time of the Messiah. This is a powerful reminder that the Messiah identifies with us and shares our pain and suffering. But the power of God is not about death and decay, but revitalization. Jesus calls to Lazarus and the dead man emerges from the tomb.

John’s metaphor is that faith in Jesus Christ will revitalize the nation of Israel through a powerful injection of the divine Spirit. The dead will rise - in mind, body, and spirit - and walk with God once again. This is accomplished by a call - the Lord calls to Lazarus and he comes out of the grave. This call is the destiny of a new Israel, the Israel of faith (Galatians 3:7). 

In our present state of darkness, sleep, and death, God is not idle. Our global spiritual sickness will not end in death, but in glory, life, and immorality (Romans 2:7). Humanity is asleep to the reality of God. This sleep can look like death in the eyes of those who believe, but to God it is much less of a problem. In the proper time and season, God will accomplish all that He has ordained. 

The first ones who have been awakened out of death are the new Israel, the Body of Christ. Once we were dead in our sins and hopelessness, but now we are alive with the Spirit of Christ and seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The Body of Christ must radiate this message of awakening in mind, body, and spirit. This is why Paul says the following: 

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation (rescue and renewal) is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:11-12 (NIV) 

“Everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Ephesians 5:14 (NIV)

The light of Christ radiates in our darkness, waking us up to the current reality of the new creation and the kingdom of God. It is not the time to “sleep” in rebellion, apathy, and carnality, but to awaken to the Christ-life that has already been given. Spiritual sleep leads to physical death but spiritual awakening leads to eternal life and the power of God (Romans 8:6). 

As we receive the light of Christ and awaken, the rest of the world will soon follow. Everyone illuminated by Christ becomes a light that shines for Christ. The greater the illumination, the more powerfully we will project the divine image into the world.  

We must listen for the trumpet call of God - the declaration of life from the heavenly realm, just like Lazarus did when he heard the voice of Christ. We must respond to this call - in mind, body, and spirit, so that we can awaken to the fullness of God. As we do, the prodigal world will return to God and live in the power of His resurrection.