"but now he is comforted and you are tormented"
(Luke 16: 25)
At the end of the book of Daniel, an angel speaks of Daniel’s death, saying, “You will rest.” (Dan. 12:13) In the preceding chapter while looking at some of the ways in which death is described in the bible, by idioms and euphemisms, we ended with thoughts about how the believer enters into "rest" when he or she dies. There is one kind of rest for the body and another kind of rest for the spirit. In this chapter let us look at one other important text dealing with the rest entered by the believer upon dying. Wrote the prophet Isaiah:
"The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness." (Isa. 57: 1-2 nkjv)
First, notice how death is variously described in the above text. It is described first by the word "perishes." Of course, a spirit does not perish, so the reference is to the house (body) in which a spirit dwells. However, not all agree. Those who believe in the perishing of spirit will often cite verses such as we looked at from Ecclesiastes, or from such texts as this one from the Psalms:
"His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans ('thoughts' kjv) perish." (Psa. 146: 4 nkjv)
But, the thoughts that perish are 1) all wrong thoughts, 2) all purposes relating to life in the flesh/body, to the world known as the "land of the living." It is not a perishing of the mental faculty of spirit, nor of all conscious thought. Notice how the verse speaks of the spirit departing, which indicates that it did not perish as the body, which "returns to his earth." Dust returns to dust (down) while spirit returns to God (up).
Notice also how death is not only described as a perishing, but also as a being "taken away" or "gathered." We have already spoken of that way of describing death from other scriptures. Stephen's spirit was taken and received by Christ into heaven. So too the above text not only speaks of being taken away in death (exiting) but also of "entering" another state or place. "They shall enter into peace," which we stated at the end of the previous chapter was well described by the promise made to believers that they each shall "sit under his own vine and fig tree and none will make them afraid." The body does not "enter into peace." Enjoying peace can only be what a disembodied conscious spirit does.
Also, the righteous person not only enters into peace when dead, but also "rest in their beds." That description sounds like what the body does when it is laid in a coffin. In fact, many tombstone monuments have the words "rest in peace" on them. However, as previously stated, there is rest for the both body and soul, and the rest for the one is not exactly like the rest for the other.
Rest for spirit is unlike rest for a body (which has become dust and ashes). The rest or sleep of the body (death) is not recuperative, for one thing. Only a resurrection of the body can restore life to it, and in order for it to be resurrected and fully regenerated the spirit that exited the body at death must re-enter it for it to live again. The rest for the spirit that comes at death does involve a recuperation, and renewed vigor. The spirit and its faculties and attributes are liberated and become supra natural once it leaves the body of the heaven bound person.
Rest for the body comes to both righteous (saved) and unrighteous (unsaved). Even the bodies of the wicked dead cannot feel pain. When they are raised from the dead when Christ returns and brings on the judgment of the living and the dead, their wicked spirits will be reunited with their resurrected bodies and then sent body and spirit into the "everlasting fires" of "Gehenna," and they will once again feel pain in their physical bodies.
The body is not "enjoying" its rest, for it is unconscious (brain dead), and enjoying rest implies conscious emotion.
What kind of "bed" will the righteous lie in when they die? Is a coffin, sepulcher, casket, bier, alluded to? Or, is it a "couch" in which the righteous dead, in their spirits and temporary bodies, lay? Or, could it include both ideas? Notice that the text does not say "they shall sleep in their beds" but "they shall rest in their beds." I spend a lot of time in my bed while I am awake and watching television, meditating, musing, etc. The Hebrew word for "bed" is miškāḇ and does not always denote a place of sleeping, nor does the word "bedchamber" always denote what we call today a "bedroom." One of its meanings is "couch," or we might say "sofa," and as noted in previous chapters, Oriental peoples, as the Hebrews, often ate supper on couches around a table. Thus, the apostle John was able to recline on the bosom of Jesus while at the supper table. (John 13: 33) It is also what we envision in the scene in Hades where Lazarus is reclining in the bosom of father Abraham. Further, Jesus said: “many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 8: 11)
So, the words "they rest in their beds" could easily be translated as "they shall rest on their sofas." Keep in mind that the rest entered to by the believer at his or her death involves "rest from labors," and a "taking it easy," or a living on "easy street." So the Lord said to Moses - "Soon you will lie down with your ancestors." (Deut. 31: 16) So, the promise that the righteous, in dying, would "rest in their beds," may not be applicable only to the body, and the "beds" not equivalent to "coffins." Consider that resting in beds or couches is equated with "entering into peace."
It seems to me that this language cannot be confined to the body experiencing peace. Is it mental peace? Is such language appropriate for a dead brain that has become dust and ashes? I think not. Therefore, entering into peace at death, and resting on sofas (as a disembodied spirit in a temporary body in the intermediate state) cannot be limited to what the body experiences in being dead and decomposing. Mental peace seems to imply that the mind is consciously enjoying a state of mind.
That the state of the righteous dead is viewed as a conscious state, though the body is dead, is furthered proved by the fact that the text says that each of the righteous dead would be "walking in his uprightness." It is a picture of a soul walking in the afterlife. Surely Abraham and Lazarus walked in the afterlife in their righteousness (uprightness). Surely every saint now in Heaven also continues to walk in righteousness.
The righteous and merciful person perishes, is killed and what reaction does it get from people in the land of the living? The observation is that "no man takes it to heart" and "no one considers."
When rich and famous men and women of power (who are almost universally of the class of unrighteous and unmerciful people, rather than of the righteous poor and lowly) die, they are not often ignored by the people but rather praised and have lavish funerals and monuments. Many of them insure that they are not ignored when dead by naming landmarks, highways, etc., after them. But, what about the poor believer as Lazarus? The record seems to indicate that he did not even have a proper burial. Of the rich man it was said "he died and was buried." But we do not read where Lazarus was buried. Lazarus perished and no one probably noticed, except of course, the Lord, for "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." It is also no doubt a valid inference to say that all the occupants of heaven also took notice of the death of Lazarus (and of course of every righteous and merciful person). The Lord said that heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents and surely they rejoice also when they welcome that penitent believer into heaven. The angels did carry Lazarus to the place of rest and peace and joy.
Falling Asleep
In a previous chapter we stated that the scriptures that speak of dead people as being "asleep" is not language that is true of the spirit (or soul). But, why is death called sleep?
Said Dr. Henry Morris of Creation Research Institute (here):
"The Bible uses the term “sleep” to describe death only in the case of Christians—never for non-Christians (see John 11:11; etc.)."
However, this is not true. Notice Daniel 12: 2:
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Here "sleep" in the words "sleep in the dust of the earth" means "dead" or "not living" and it is a reference to the physical body and not the spirit, for the spirit of a human does not go down into the dust but rather up to God, unlike the spirits of brute animals. (Eccl. 3: 20-21) Further, it refers to both righteous and wicked "sleeping in the dust of the earth." I have a lot of respect for Dr. Morris, a great bible teacher, but he surely got this wrong.
Men are said to be asleep when dead for this is how they generally look when their bodies have been prepared for burial and laid in a coffin. Further, the bible calls death sleep because the state of death for the body is temporary. There will be a time for the dead to "awake" from the sleep of death and this is what is also called "the resurrection of the dead." Several new testament passages also teach what is taught in Daniel 12: 2 and affirm that there will be a resurrection of both saved and lost. (See John 5: 28-29; Acts 24: 15)
This awakening, involving a reunification of body and spirit, is described also in the Apocalypse.
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (Hades) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20: 13-15)
Here "death" speaks to the grave, whether in dust or in the sea, to the place where the body or bodily ashes are located. On the other hand, "Hades" ('hell') speaks to the place of departed spirits of the dead, and in this case, those who will be in Hades at the time of Christ' return and the resurrection day. So, when Hades "delivers up" the dead, it means the spirits of the dead (all who are wicked since the resurrection of Christ as we have seen in previous chapters) while Death "delivers up" the bodies of the wicked dead. The spirit reenters the bodies of the damned and they stand, body and spirit, before Judge Jesus, who will condemn them and send them, body and spirit, into Gehenna, to "the lake of fire," which is "the second death."
No doubt the wicked spirits in Hades dread the resurrection day for their bodies will begin to suffer the torments of the lake of fire. Recall that Jesus said that God was able to "destroy both body and soul in Gehenna." (Matt. 10: 28) "Destroy" does not mean "annihilation" either, but "ruin," the loss of all good.
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said (taken from Morning and Evening, emphasis mine):
"Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. “Today you will be with me in paradise” is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They sleep in Jesus, but their souls are before the throne of God, praising Him day and night in His temple, singing hallelujahs to Him who washed them from their sins in His blood. The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass...But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is “rest,” and that is the thought that the Spirit of God would convey to us. Sleep makes each night a sabbath for the day."
Asleep In Jesus
Jesus referred to Lazarus' death as "sleep." The record of scripture is: "After saying this, He told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." (John 11: 11-14)
In the earlier chapters in this study I asked the question - "where was Lazarus' spirit during the four days his body was dead?" I stated that it was in Sheol or Hades, in that place in the heart of the earth where all departed spirits went prior to the resurrection of Christ. The Lazarus of the above text, who was brother of Mary and Martha, went to the same place where another man named Lazarus went in the story of the rich man (Dives) and Lazarus. If that is not the case, then the spirit of Lazarus either went to heaven or stayed on earth (invisibly to mortal eyes) near his grave. So then, his spirit, in his bodily resurrection, either left Heaven, or the upper blissful side of Hades, or left lingering around the body in the ether.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." (I Thess. 4: 13-14)
This passage shows that the righteous dead are asleep as respects their bodies but their spirits are not asleep but are with Jesus as they wait reunion with their new bodies in the resurrection. He will bring the sleeping dead with him. They will accompany him. That is because when he leaves Heaven to come to earth in the day of judgment and resurrection the "spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12: 23) will come with him, for they are "registered as citizens in heaven" (Amplified). When Christ comes from Heaven he will "bring with him" all the sleeping saints who are with him in spirit and he will come "for" their bodies, calling them to life when he comes to the first heaven and utters his command "come forth." This is the way he comes "with" and "for" believers. He comes with them before he comes for them in this sense. For instance, Stephen the martyr, who was received in his spirit into Heaven, will come with Christ for his spirit is now with the Lord.
When Christ comes again he will be met by the resurrected believers "in the air." It is in the air, as a foyer, where reunification of spirit and body occur, and when the saints will be glorified. Then Christ will "come with" all the saints, and they will come the rest of way, body and spirit, to ground level with their Lord and conquering King. At that time they will join with the angels in executing the Lord's agenda for that great day. This is what the following text affirms:
"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 149: 5-9)
All attempts for Christians to do this now, apart from the presence of Christ, would be wrong. It can only be interpreted eschatologically as what will occur in the end of time at the day of judgment and vengeance.
1 Asleep in Jesus! blessed sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep!
A calm and undisturbed repose,
Unbroken by the last of foes.
2 Asleep in Jesus! O how sweet
To be for such a slumber meet!
With holy confidence to sing
That death has lost his venomed sting.
3 Asleep in Jesus! peaceful rest,
Whose waking is supremely blest!
No fear, no woe, shall dim that hour
That manifests the Savior's power.
4 Asleep in Jesus! O for me
May such a blissful refuge be!
Securely shall my ashes lie,
waiting the summons from on high.
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