At least; almost nobody. I was reading some tributes recently on social media to a much-loved British actor who just died. Of the hundreds of comments, one said “sleep soundly mate.” How often to we wish that the person who has just passed away “rest in peace?” (RIP) Did you ever consider that the one fan’s comment and the well-wishes of rest in peace are both very Biblical? Jesus told the disciples that his friend Lazarus “sleeps,” when describing his death. Jesus had no reason to employ euphemisms. Jesus described Heaven as “paradise.” Since we know that Heaven is a billion times more wonderful than life on earth, would Jesus have forced Lazarus to leave the splendor of Heaven and return to this earth? Would Peter have done the same …
