The reading of all the oldest manuscripts is “Up!” or, “Rouse thee!” a phrase used in stirring men to activity. The words are a paraphrase of Is 60:1, 2, not an exact quotation. The word “Christ,” shows that in quoting the prophecy, he views it in the light thrown on it by its Gospel fulfilment. As Israel is called on to “awake” from its previous state of “darkness” and “death” (Is 59:10; 60:2), for that her Light is come; so the Church, and each individual is similarly called to awake. Believers are called on to “awake” out of sleep; unbelievers, to “arise” from the dead (compare Mt 25:5; Ro 13:11; 1 Th 5:6, with Eph 2:1).

The world in which we live is filled with dangers and deceptions. It is not always easy to live an enlightened life even when we want to. We can get tripped up or ambushed by events and people without even being aware of the danger. We must be very careful to live our life rooted in wisdom, using our time wisely. Not to do so would be foolish. The will of the Lord is that we live carefully, cautiously, always matching our lifestyle with the teachings of Scripture.

“Awake” (egeire) literally means “rise,” and is a word used for resurrection. One who sleeps, is one in darkness (i.e., in a state of absence from God), but Christ can give that one light. (“Sleep” is also a common metaphor for death from which Christ also calls believers.) Christ delivers people from the dominion of darkness to that of light (cf. 1 Pet 2:9), and Christ will give light for the resulting new life.

Ephesians 5:14–15 are related. Paul appeared to be saying, “Don’t walk in your sleep! Wake up! Open your eyes! Make the most of the day!” It is sad to see many professed Christians “drift” through life, like sleepwalkers, who never really make the most of opportunities to live for Christ and serve Him. Paul presented several reasons why we should be accurate and careful in our walk.

The call to wake up is seen as the enlightenment that comes to those who are awakened from the sleep of ignorance to the knowledge of their true spiritual nature.

ILLUMINATION All those things to reject belong to the darkness of the past life. The Christian is now filled with God’s light and shows forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This demands separation from sin and leads to personal revival and illumination

I. THE CHARACTER OF THOSE ADDRESSED. 1. If you allow yourself in the practice of known wickedness, your conscience is asleep. 2. If you live in the customary neglect of self-examination, you are in a state of slumber. 3. If you have never been in any degree affected with a sense of your guilt, and of your dependence on the mercy of God in Christ, you are among those who are asleep. 4. If you have no conflicts with sin and temptation, you are in a state of slumber. 5. The prevalence of a sensual and carnal disposition is a sign of spiritual death. 6. Stupidity under the warnings of God’s word and providence, indicates such a state of soul as the Scripture compares to sleep.

II. APPLY THE CALL. 1. This awakening must suppose and imply a conviction of your sin, and a sense of your danger. 2. This awakening from sleep, and arising from the dead, implies a repentance of sin and turning to God. 3. They who have awoke from their sleep and risen from the dead will experience the properties, and maintain the exercises of a holy and spiritual life.

III. THE ENCOURAGEMENT—“Christ shall give thee light,” shall shine upon and enlighten thee. 1. This may be understood as a promise of pardon and eternal life on your repentance. 2. The words farther import God’s gracious attention to awakened souls, when they frame their doings to turn to Him. The call is, Awake, arise from the dead, repair to the Saviour. Say not, “We are unable to discern the way.” Christ will shine upon you and give you light. Say not, “We are unable to rise and walk.” He will meet you with His grace. Arise, He calleth you. He will guide your steps. (J. Lathrop, D.D.)

Awake:—

I. IMAGES OF THE SINNER’S STATE. 1. Sleep. This state, though usually benign and refreshing, is sometimes one of great danger. The traveller who sleeps when exposed to excessive frost, the sailor who sleeps upon the mast, are examples. 2. Darkness. This is emblematical of ignorance, error, and iniquity, and especially of the want of any certain prospect for the future. 3. Death. The insensibility, powerlessness, and immovableness of the corpse are an awful representation of the sinner’s state.

II. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SINNER’S NEED. 1. Awakening. 2. Enlightening. 3. Raising to life. The ministry of our Lord Jesus affords us many and striking instances of the exercise of a Divine power in these ways.

III. A REVELATION OF THE SINNER’S HOPE. 1. A Divine command: Awake! arise! There is something for man to do in order that he may enjoy the blessings of the gospel. 2. A Divine promise: Christ will enlighten thee. (Clerical World.)

The Church aroused:—

I. THE STATE OF MIND INTO WHICH A CHRISTIAN MAY SOMETIMES GET. 1. The insidious character of it. (1) A Christian may be asleep and not know it. Indeed, if he did know it, he would not be asleep. (2) A man who is asleep may be kept in very good countenance by his neighbours. They may be in the same state, and sleeping people are not likely to be very active in rebuking one another. (3) One who is asleep may have taken care before he went to sleep to prevent anybody coming in to wake him. There is a way of bolting the door of your heart against anybody. (4) A man can do a great deal while asleep that will make him look as if he were quite awake. For instance, some people talk in their sleep, and many professors will talk just as if they were the most active, the most earnest, the most gracious, the most warm-hearted people anywhere. 2. What is the evil itself? It is an unconsciousness of one’s own state, and a carelessness of such a kind as not to want to be conscious of it. The man takes everything for granted in religion. He seems, too, to be perfectly immovable to all appeals. The best argument is lost on a sleeping man, and then this slumbering spirit spreads itself over everything else. There is a heartlessness in the manner in which everything is gone about. 3. Now, two or three words upon what makes this evil of Christians being asleep a great deal worse. (1) It is this: they are Christ’s servants, and they ought not to be asleep. If a servant is set to do a certain duty, you do not continue him in your service if he drops off asleep. (2) It is so bad for us to be asleep, too, because it is quite certain that the enemy is awake. You recollect old Hugh Latimer’s sermon, in which he says that the devil is the busiest bishop in the kingdom. (3) And meanwhile souls are being lost. 4. What is it that sends us to sleep? (1) We are inclined to slumber from the evil of our nature. (2) It is easy to send a man to sleep if you give him the chloroform of bad doctrine. (3) The sultry sum of prosperity sends many to sleep. Fulness of bread is a strong temptation. (4) In some people it is the intoxication of pride. (5) In others it is the want of heart which is at the bottom of everything they do. They never were intense, they never were earnest, and consequently they have such little zeal that that zeal soon goes to sleep. This is the age of the Enchanted Ground. He that can go through this age and not sleep must have something more than mortal about him. God must be with him, keeping him awake. You cannot be long in the soporific air of this particular period of time without feeling that in spiritual things you grow lax, for it is a lax age—lax in doctrine, lax in principle, lax in morals, lax in everything—and only God can come in and help the Pilgrim to keep awake in this Enchanted Ground.

II. CHRIST’S MESSAGE TO THOSE OF HIS PEOPLE WHO ARE ASLEEP. 1. Jesus speaks this in love. He would not say “awake,” were it not the kindest thing He could say to you. Sometimes a mother’s love lulls her child to sleep, but if there is a house on fire the mother’s love would take another expression and startle it from its slumbers; and Christ’s love takes that turn when He says to you, “Awake! awake! awake!” 2. It is His wisdom as well as His love that makes Him say it. He knows that you are losing much by sleeping. 3. It is a voice, too, which you ought to own, for it is backed up by the authority of the person from whom it comes. 4. It is a voice which has been very often repeated. Christ has been saying, “Awake! awake!” to some of us many hundreds of times. You were sick, were you, a few months ago? That was Christ, as it were, shaking you in your sleep, and saying, “Awake, My beloved, awake out of thine unhealthy slumbers!” 5. A personal cry—“Thou.” Not, “Awake all of you”; but, “Awake thou!” Shall I pick you out one by one? 6. He puts it very pressingly in the present tense. “Awake! awake now.” Not a few years hence, but now. This moment.

III. THE PROMISE WITH WHICH CHRIST ENCOURAGES US TO AWAKE—“Christ shall give thee light.” What means this? 1. Instruction. 2. The light of joy. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Christ the Spiritual Light:—

I. THE CHARACTERS HERE ADDRESSED. “Asleep,” “dead”—expressions applicable to the natural state of man.

II. But to such THE GRACIOUS INVITATION is given—“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” This invitation or command, very naturally divides itself into two branches—the external call of the gospel, and the internal call of the Holy Spirit.

III. THE PROMISE that is made—“And Christ shall give thee light.” We have already observed, that sin has darkened the understanding, depraved the affections, and rendered us insensible to every form of moral worth. It is altogether the result of Divine power, therefore, to enlighten the understanding, to purify the heart, and to bring us into subjection to the obedience of Christ. In closing our discourse, we observe—1. That none will be able to urge, at the last clay, that they were compelled to sin, or prevented from forsaking it, by the providential arrangements of God. 2. Nor can you say that you have not sufficient means and opportunities for obtaining the blessings of redemption. 3. None will be able to say that they humbly, earnestly, and perseveringly sought the assistance of the Holy Spirit, without obtaining it. 4. Neither can you plead your inability to obey God, as an excuse for continuing in sin. (A. Gilmour.)

awake ye that sleep, from your sleep, and ye that slumber rouse up from your slumber, and search into your actions, and return by repentance, and remember your Creator;” whether any reference may be had to this, may be considered: the words are spoken not to unregenerate men, for though they are asleep, and dead in sin, and need awaking out of sleep, and raising from the dead, yet they are never called upon to awake and arise of themselves; such a sense would countenance the doctrine of man’s free will and power, against the preventing and efficacious grace of God; but to regenerate persons, professors of religion, to whom the epistle in general was written; and who are spoken to, and exhorted in the context: awake thou that sleepest; the children of God are sometimes asleep, and need awaking; of the nature, causes, and ill consequences of such sleeping, and of the methods by which they are sometimes awaked out of it, see the note on Rom. 13:11