Sleep And Death

Hoc enim vobis dicimus in verbo Domini, quia nos, qui vivimus, qui residui sumus in adventum Domini, non præveniemus eos qui dormierunt. Quoniam ipse Dominus in jussu, et in voce archangeli, et in tuba Dei descendet de cælo: et mortui, qui in Christo sunt, resurgent primi. Deinde nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aëra, et sic semper cum Domino erimus. Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis. Sunt qui hunc locum ita edisserant: Vivi appellantur qui nunquam peccato mortui sunt; qui autem peccaverunt, et in eo quod peccaverunt, mortui sunt, et postea conversi ad poenitentiam purgant antiqua delicta, mortui appellantur, quia peccaverunt; in Christo autem mortui, qui plena ad Deum mente conversi sunt. Porro qui vivunt et habent testimonium fidei, et necdum receperunt promissionem Dei, qui et de aliis melius quiddam cogitant, ut non absque his qui justi sunt coronentur, in eo habent beatitudinem quod fruuntur bono conscientiae, et vivunt, et relicti sunt in adventu Domini Salvatoris. Sed quia clemens est Deus, et vult salvare etiam eos qui dormierunt, et in Christo mortui sunt, non praevenient illos, neque soli rapientur in nubibus; sed, juxta exemplum evangelicae parabolae, unum denarium unamque mercedem et undecimae horae operarii, et primae, qui in vineam missi sunt, salutis pretium accipient. Nec hoc alicui videatur injustum, ut dispar labor unum praemium consequatur. Magna quippe diversitas est eorum qui post vulnera mortis sanati, et eorum qui nunquam viderunt mortis errorem. De his puto dictum: Quis est homo qui vivat et non videat mortem? redimet de morte animam suam? Neque enim, ut quidam putant, quis, pro eo quod est nullus accipitur: sed quasi dixerit: Quis putas? juxta illud quod scriptum est: Quis sapiens et intelliget haec? Et in alio loco: Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo? Et iterum: Quis cognovit sensum Domini. Residui ergo erunt de credentibus pacui qui adventum Domini videant secundum id quod Deus Verbum factum est, nequaquam in vilitate carnis, sed in gloria triumphantis. Et considerandum quomodo primum dormientes appellaverit: deinde in Christo mortuos, quos viventes praevenire non poterunt. Qui enim non custodierunt hoc quod scriptum est: 'Ne dederis somnum oculis tuis, neque palpebris tuis dormitationem, ut salvus fias sicut caprea de vinculis, et sicut avis de laquies,' dormiet et culpabili sopore torpescet; cumque dormierit, transibit in mortem. Sicut enim movetur qui vigilat, sic qui dormit jacet immotus, et mortis torpet similitudine. Quod autem dormitationem sequatur mors, et prima ad Corinthios Epistola docere nos poterit, in qua ita scriptum est: Nunc autem Christus surrexit ex mortuis, primitiae dormientium: quia per hominem mors, et per hominem resurrectio mortuorum; et post paululum: Non omnes dormiemus, sed omnes immutabimur, in momento, in ictu oculi, in novissima tuba. Canet enim tuba, et mortui resurgent incorrupti, et nos immutabimur. Cum ergo haec de dormitione dicantur et morte, et illud legamus in Apostolo, Surge qui domis, et exsurge de mortuis, et illuminabit te Christus juremus Domino, et votum faciamus Deo Jacob, unusquisque dicens in corde sui: Si ascendam super stratum meum, si dedero somnum oculis meis et palpebris meis dormitationem, donec inveniam locum Domino, haud dubium quin in anima sua tabernaculum Deo Jacob, ut Deus in illo aeterna sede requiescat. Origenes, In Epistolam I Ad Thessalonicenses Source: Migne PG 14. 1300a-1301b

We tell you this as a word from the Lord, that we who are living, who are left for the coming of the Lord, will not come before those who have fallen asleep. Because the Lord Himself will summon, with the cry of an archangel and the trumpet of God, coming down from heaven, and those who died in Christ shall rise first. Only after that shall we who remain be as one with them taken up into the clouds to meet Christ in the air, and so we shall be with the Lord for ever. Tell one another this for your consolation. 1 There are those who here have taught that those are named the living who never have died amid sin; for those who have sinned, in that they have sinned are dead, and having turned to penance they are purged of old errors, dead they are named, because they have sinned. They indeed are dead in Christ who have turned to God with the whole mind. Then they are those who live and have the testament of faith, and have not yet received the promise of God, who are thought better than the others, not as among the righteous who are crowned, in having the blessing which is the enjoyment of good conscience, and living are left behind for the coming of the Lord our Saviour. But because God is merciful and wishes to save even those who sleep and are dead in Christ, they shall not come first, not only they shall be siezed in the clouds, but, in accordance with the teaching of the Gospel parable, that one denariius and one reward is given to the workers, both those who come at the eleventh hour and those who come at the first hour, who have been sent into the vineyard, both will receive the reward of salvation. 2 Nor should this seem unjust to some, that for differing labours one reward follows. Certainly there is a great difference between those who are healed after the wounds of death and those who have never seen the error of death. Concerning this I think it is said: 'Who is the man who lives and does not see death? Who redeems his own soul from death? 3 For not, as some think, does this 'who' mean that 'no one' is to be understood; but it is as if it is said: 'Who do you think?' According to which it is written, 'Who is wise and understands these things?' 4 And in another place: 'Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle?' 5 And again, 'Who knows the mind of the Lord?' 6 Remaining, then, there shall be from the believers a few who shall see the coming of the Lord according to what God the Word has determined, not at all in the vile flesh but in glory triumphant. And one must consider how He shall first call those who sleep, then the dead in Christ, before whom the living are not able to come. For they who shall not keep what is written: 'You shall not give sleep to your eyes, nor touch on your slumbers, that you may be saved like a deer from bonds, and like a bird from the snare ' 7 he shall sleep and doze in culpable slumber, and sleeping he shall pass into death. For as he is animated who keeps watch, so he who sleeps is cast down immobile, and his sleep is a likeness of death. For what is that sleep that follows death, the first letter to the Corinthians is able to teach us, in which it is written: 'For now Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who sleep,' and after a little: 'Not everyone sleeps but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead shall rise uncorrupted and we shall be changed.' 8 When, then, these things are said concerning sleep and death, and we may read in the Apostle: 'Rise up, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall illuminate you,' 9 let us swear to God and make a vow to the God of Jacob, each saying in his own heart, 'Shall I climb upon my bed, shall I will give sleep to my eyes and enter into my rest, until I find the place of the Lord?' 10 by no means doubting that in his own soul is the tabernacle of the God of Jacob, that God might come to rest in that eternal seat. Origen, On the First Letter to the Thessalonians 1 1 Thess 4.15-16 2 Mt 20.1 3 Ps 88.49 4 Hosea 14.10 5  Ps 14.1 6 Rom 11.34 7 Prov 6.4 8 1 Cor 15. 20, 21, 51 9 Ephes 5.14 10 Ps 131. 2,4,5