Awaking, in the biblical context, often refers to the act of rising from sleep, both physically and spiritually. It is a theme that appears throughout Scripture, symbolizing renewal, awareness, and the call to spiritual vigilance.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, awaking is frequently associated with God's intervention and the call to action. Psalm 57:8 states, "Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn." Here, the psalmist expresses a desire to rise and praise God, indicating a readiness to engage in worship and thanksgiving.

Isaiah 52:1 calls upon Zion to awaken: "Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion; put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city." This passage is a prophetic call for Jerusalem to rise from its state of desolation and embrace its divine destiny, symbolizing spiritual renewal and restoration.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, awaking takes on a more pronounced spiritual dimension. Romans 13:11 exhorts believers: "And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." This passage emphasizes the urgency of spiritual alertness and readiness for the return of Christ.

Ephesians 5:14 echoes this call: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Here, awaking is linked to the transformative power of Christ's light, urging believers to rise from spiritual lethargy and live in the illumination of Christ's truth.

Symbolism and Themes

Awaking in the Bible often symbolizes a transition from ignorance to knowledge, from sin to righteousness, and from death to life. It is a call to spiritual vigilance, urging believers to be aware of the times and to live in a manner worthy of their calling.

The theme of awaking is also connected to the resurrection. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 , the resurrection of the dead is described as an awakening: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." This ultimate awakening signifies the hope of eternal life and the fulfillment of God's promises.

Practical Application

For believers, the concept of awaking serves as a reminder to remain spiritually alert and active in their faith. It encourages a life of prayer, study of Scripture, and readiness for Christ's return. The call to awake is a call to live in the light of God's truth, to be vigilant against spiritual complacency, and to actively participate in the work of God's kingdom.

In summary, awaking in the Bible is a powerful metaphor for spiritual renewal and readiness. It calls believers to rise from spiritual slumber, embrace the light of Christ, and live with an awareness of God's presence and purpose in their lives.(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Awake.

Light in the Dark, Before the Dawn Awaking
... MORNING Light in the dark, before the dawn awaking. tr., John Brownlie ... I. Light in
the dark, before the dawn awaking. Brings in the east the growing light of day ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/light in the dark before.htm

Morning Awakes, and Morn Awaking Sings;
... EASTER IV Morning awakes, and morn awaking sings; 10,10 Christos aneste
ek nekron. (II). Morning awakes, and morn awaking sings; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/iv morning awakes and morn.htm

See, in the Darkness, the Dawn is Awaking,
... MORNING"NOON"NIGHT. MORNING X See, in the darkness, the dawn is awaking,.
11,10,11,10. See, in the darkness, the dawn is awaking,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/x see in the darkness.htm

The Peace-Bringer in the Natural World
... He sleeps, but He never over-sleeps, and there are no too-lates with Him. Note next
the awaking cry of fear. ... He has no rebuke for their rude awaking of Him. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the peace-bringer in the natural.htm

The Two Awakings
... Both describe the future to which they look as an awaking, and both connect with
it, though in different ways and using different words, the metaphor of an ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the two awakings.htm

Index of First Lines
... Morning" [4]The morning dawns; on gilded height 59 [5]See, from the eastern hills,
the morn 61 [6]Light in the dark, before the dawn awaking 63 [7]Awake! ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/index of first lines.htm

Morning Blessing.
... My head and members Lay wrapt all in slumbers, But now awaking, And sleep from
me shaking, Heaven's bless'd sunshine doth gladden my sight. ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/morning blessing.htm

Celsus Next Makes Certain Observations of the Following Nature...
... Celsus next makes certain observations of the following nature: "Again, if God,
like Jupiter in the comedy, should, on awaking from a lengthened slumber ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxxviii celsus next makes.htm

Of the 3D, 41St, 15Th, and 68Th Psalms, in which the Death and ...
... the prophet chose to point it out to us as something great that He had slept and
risen up, unless that sleep had been death, and that awaking the resurrection ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 18 of the 3d 41st.htm

The Awakening of Zion
... The awaking of the arm of the Lord is followed by the awaking of the Church. ... III.
The beginning of all awaking is the Church's earnest cry to God. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the awakening of zion.htm

Awaking (24 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Awaking (24 Occurrences). Matthew 8:25 And they came to
him, and, awaking him, said, Help, Lord; destruction is near. (BBE). ...
/a/awaking.htm - 13k

Awake (83 Occurrences)
... a-wak' yaqats, ("to waken"; `ur, "to rouse up" from sleep; egeiro, "to arouse from
sleep"): The ordinary terms for awaking from natural slumber: as of Jacob at ...
/a/awake.htm - 33k

Destruction (734 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 8:25 And they came to him,
and, awaking him, said, Help, Lord; destruction is near. (BBE). ...
/d/destruction.htm - 39k

Sleeping (69 Occurrences)
... Mark 4:38 And he himself was in the back of the boat, sleeping on the cushion: and
they, awaking him, said, Master, is it nothing to you that we are in danger ...
/s/sleeping.htm - 27k

Awakening (2 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The act of awaking, or ceasing to sleep. ... (BBE). Psalms 73:20 As a dream from
awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest. (YLT). ...
/a/awakening.htm - 7k

Conscious (93 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Genesis 28:16 And Jacob, awaking from his sleep, said, Truly, the
Lord is in this place and I was not conscious of it. (BBE). ...
/c/conscious.htm - 33k

Awaketh (11 Occurrences)

/a/awaketh.htm - 9k

Award (4 Occurrences)

/a/award.htm - 8k

Sleep (136 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Luke 8:24 Then they came to him and, awaking him out of his sleep,
said, Master, Master, destruction is near. And he, when ...
/s/sleep.htm - 38k

Keeper (72 Occurrences)
... Acts 16:27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the
prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself ...
/k/keeper.htm - 30k

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