The natural state of rest for the body and mind. In the Bible, sleep can mean three things:
physical rest
moral or spiritual inactivity
death
Sleep as Physical Rest
The sleep that the human body needs is seen as a precious gift of God (Psalms 4:8; 127:2). Sleep may be withheld, as God chooses and to serve his purposes (Esther 6:1; Daniel 6:18). God may also, give people deep sleep (Genesis 2:21; 15:12; 1 Samuel 26:12). When a person is sleeping, God may make his will known in dreams or visions (for example, Genesis 28:11–16; Job 4:13–17; Mt 1:20–24).
The book of Proverbs warns against a lack of discipline of life shown in too much love of sleep. For example, one proverb says, "Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food." (Proverbs 20:13; see also 6:9–11; 10:5; 24:32–34).
Sleep as Moral or Spiritual Inactivity
In a symbolic way, sleep is used to mean laziness, carelessness, or inactivity. Isaiah 56:10 speaks of those who failed in their responsibility as leaders of God’s people: "They are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber." In the New Testament, those who are the Lord’s servants are called to be alert, so that when their Master comes he will not find them sleeping (Mark 13:35–37; see also Matthew 25:1–13; 26:40–46). The challenge to be spiritually alert comes occurs in the New Testament letters:
"Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14).
"So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
Sleep as Death
The Bible often speaks of death as sleep. Commonly in the Old Testament, when a person dies, he is said to go to sleep with his fathers (for example, Deuteronomy 31:16; 2 Samuel 7:12).
Jesus spoke of death as sleep (Matthew 9:24; John 11:11). So did the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14). Some of these statements show that there is a temporary nature to death. This is why it is called sleep. Even Daniel 12:2 says that death is a sleep, until the dead "awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt."
Other passages in the New Testament are more specific. The full teaching of the Bible on the meaning of death should include the context Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 5:8, and Philippians 1:23, and 1 Thessalonians 5:13–14. In the first of these, Jesus says to the dying thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise." In the second, Paul speaks of death for him as going to be "at home with the Lord."