He who knows not, and knows not he knows not, he is a fool—shun him; he who knows not, and knows he knows not, he is a child—teach him; he who knows, and knows not he knows, he is asleep—wake him … ‘ Arab Proverb
By Augustus Henry (PhD)
The last line may represent some Christians who know of Jesus’ return, but because of insomnia, are unconscious of the time: He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep.
Reacting to things we don’t know
There are some things that none of us know: No man knows how long he will be permitted to live on this earth. Neither does any man know when Jesus will come again. ”But of that day and that hour knows no man; not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” (Mark 13:32-37.) “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeared for a little time, and then vanished away” (James 4:14.).
What does the bible mean when it speaks of sleeping and watchfulness?
Watch – To look with expectation – Vigilance to avoid the traps of the unknowns
The word “sleep” is also used metaphorically of spiritual dullness, sloth, or lack of watchfulness (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).
So, sleep in the context of the Christians’ life is unproductivity and inability to keep abreast of the uncertainty of time. Finding you sleeping – “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14). The sign of the awakened person is the light of Christ in him. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). A symptom of sleep is a Christian who refuses to let his light shine or spread the teachings of Christ. However, there are costs associated with untimely sleep.
The dire consequences of sleep
Therefore, if you are not taking heed, or are not watching, you could be found asleep. We are totally ignorant and blind in sleep, and bad things happen when you fall asleep at the wrong time: Tiger Woods fell asleep driving, more than a year later, he is still recovering. Otis Redding died in a plane because he fell asleep in the cockpit. Several of his friends and fellow musicians died with him. We do not want to fall asleep driving, cooking or working on a roof. Electricians don’t fall asleep on the job. Figuratively, we don’t fall asleep during our children’s teenage years. If you sleep during a divorce, the consequences are dire. You will get fired if you sleep on the job. Most importantly, don’t go to sleep when the devil is on the prowl – be vigilant for the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour – If you go to sleep while he is on the move, you may be eaten.
I am sure that most of you have read that arresting little story entitled “Rip Van Winkle.” …Rip Van Winkle slept twenty years. But there is another point in that little story that is almost completely overlooked. It was the sign in the end, from which Rip went up in the mountain for his long sleep. When Rip Van Winkle went up into the mountain, the sign had a picture of King George the Third of England. When he came down twenty years later the sign had a picture of George Washington, the first president of the United States. When Rip Van Winkle looked up at the picture of George Washington—and looking at the picture he was amazed—he was completely lost. He knew not who he was (MLK).
It is not that Rip slept for 20 years that mattered. It did not matter that he was inactive for two full decades. It did not even matter, that he missed all his friends, the growth of children, missed new technology and new ideas; but it mattered that he slept through an entire revolution and didn’t know it.
Sleeping our way to where?
In the same way, it matters that we are sleep-walking our way to heaven; no, let me rephrase, we are snoozing our way to hell. Is it possible that we are snoring through the times of the ends, and the kingdom of God could already be upon us unawares? And what if the uncertainty of life, the uncertainty of the master’s return that is referenced here is death? What if we die in our figurative sleep? If you believe that there is a heaven and hell, spiritual sleep should give you pause.
If you believe there is a time coming when the atmosphere itself will melt with fervent heat, you need to awake. If you foresee a time when the sea will dry up, hail will fall from heaven upon men like rocks, get up from your slumber. If you believe there is a time coming when men will faint for fear at the sight of Jesus, stay vigilant. It is appointed unto a man once to die and after that comes judgement. The thing about that is for the dead person, there is no space between the time you die and your call to judgement. You see, the living knows he will die, but the dead knows nothing.
Your consciousness does not record the passage of time during your mortality. So that when you die, it will feel like a second later, you are summoned before the throne of God to answer for your actions.
So, the next thing you hear after dying is, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22: 11). If you die while you sleeping, what will your reward be?