Ecclesiastes: The Bible’s Strangest Book

 

Ecclesiastes: The Bible’s Strangest Book – Government to Shut Down in 11 Days - Africa's Renaissance Through BRICS – South Africa Communists Bankrupt - Elon Musk’s Neuralink - Panic Hits the CIA, Rockefellers, NATO, UN Regime - Derek Johnson Decode With SGAnon - Eagle Pass Crisis and more.

Research & Comments by Pastor Gary Boyd

Sept. 21^st 2023

 

 

X22 Report Live: Deep State Just Played Their Hand! You Are Witnessing the Destruction of the Old Guard! – Video - Wednesday, September 20, 2023 20:54 - The [DS] just played their hand in regard to the election. They are pushing Covid and the illegals to vote. They are doing this on a scale that we have never seen before. The problem is that in the end they will not have enough votes so they will need to take another tactic and most likely try to postpone the election with a cyber attack. This is what the patriots want, the military is the only way forward, you are witnessing the destruction of the old guard. https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/09/x22-report-live-deep-state-just-played-their-hand-you-are-witnessing-the-destruction-of-the-old-guard-must-video-3673178.html  

New Benjamin Fulford: UN 666! Thursday Mass Geopolitical Intel! The World is Heading for a Showdown at the UN Corral - Thursday, September 21, 2023 9:56 - The world is headed for some sort of showdown as the failed UN gathers this week for another irrelevant General Assembly meeting. The only so-called leader of the 5 permanent members of the Security Council to attend will be the fake US “President” Joe Biden. The UN failed to achieve its year 2000 goals of ending poverty and stopping environmental destruction and it is failing to meet the same goals after moving the goal post to 2030. To understand what the UN really represents, take a look at their 666 building in West Africa…. https://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2023/09/new-benjamin-fulford-un-666-thursday-mass-geopolitical-intel-the-world-is-heading-for-a-showdown-at-the-un-corral-2545240.html

National Guard Deployed! Major Announcement: Biden Admin Offers 500,000 Venezuelans Ability To Live & Work In US Legally! Half Of Million People! - Real GS News - Thursday, September 21, 2023 9:40 - https://beforeitsnews.com/immigration/2023/09/national-guard-deployed-major-announcement-biden-admin-offers-500000-venezuelans-ability-to-live-work-in-us-legally-half-of-million-people-real-gs-news-2474052.html

Real Reportage With George Webb! - The Jerry Prather Brief - Thursday, September 21, 2023 12:19 - Thank you for bringing George Webb on, he is definitely the go to for everything hidden, a great patriot that has the amazing ability to uncover everything unseen and unknown. Been hunting him down wherever he goes for his knowledge ever since his short stint with Jason Goodman. Another Prather intel drop. Thanks to all involved. - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/09/real-reportage-with-george-webb-the-jerry-prather-brief-3673213.html

WILLIAM REED: Juan O Savin Reveal "Red October" Sept 21, 2023 - Thursday, September 21, 2023 13:44 - Red Alert! U.S. Doomsday Plane Turns Off Transponder Mid-Flight! The U.S. Government’s VIP Plane Heading to a Bunker! The Truth Behind the Recent Military Activity! https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/09/juan-o-savin-reveal-red-october-sept-21-2023-3799454.html

WILLIAM REED: Bombshell!!! The Quantum Awakening - The Ultimate Guide to Redemption Centers and the QFS Revolutionizing Our World! - Thursday, September 21, 2023 13:28 - Hold onto your seats and prepare to dive deep into the world of financial revolution; something is shifting in the ether, and it’s not just the balance in your bank account. Welcome to the era of the Quantum Financial System (QFS) and the impending global transition to the ‘Rainbow Currency’ – a gold-backed medium set to redefine your understanding of wealth. We’ve all dreamt of a world where money would magically appear in our accounts whenever we needed it. But what if that wasn’t just a pipe dream? In certain parts of the U.S. and across the globe, the QFS might just make this dream come true. Here, financial institutions will ensure that you have access to funds whenever required. Still, it won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. Based on undisclosed criteria, every individual will receive varying sums of money. https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/09/bombshell-the-quantum-awakening-the-ultimate-guide-to-redemption-centers-and-the-qfs-revolutionizing-our-world-3799452.html

ETHAN WHITE: Urgent: EBS’s 10 Days of Global Silence Explained! Global Banking Crisis, the Startling GESARA Transition, QFS+RTGS Innovations, and China’s Mysterious Empty Metropolises! - Thursday, September 21, 2023 13:03 - t is undeniable. The global banking system is collapsing. Banks are shutting down around the globe. Financial districts once pulsating with power and authority, like Washington DC, now stand as hollow shells of their former glory. Why? Because of a covert attack by Germany’s Deutsche Morgan Stanley. The traps have been sprung, and the rats – CEOs, corporate leaders, and bank officials – are being exposed and arrested, charged with heinous acts of treason. But what if I told you this wasn’t the end of it? What if I told you this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg? Listen closely because there’s more to this than meets the eye. Insider sources have confidentially revealed that out of the top 100 banks, 97 are undergoing transformation, preparing to operate under the QFS+RTGS system. As for the remaining 82 smaller central banks? They are gearing up for the same transition. And come October 1st, they won’t have a choice. Every bank will be required to collaborate with QFS. https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/09/urgent-ebss-10-days-of-global-silence-explained-global-banking-crisis-the-startling-gesara-transition-qfsrtgs-innovations-and-chinas-mysterious-empty-metropolises-3799451.html

REAL RAW NEWS: Treasonous Army CSM Who Planned War Against Trump Supporters Scheduled to Hang - By Michael Baxter -September 20, 2023 - The trial of an Armed Forces member who mustered a personal militia for a future war against Trump supporters lasted only one hour, ending when the accused, Army CSM Nema Mobarakzadeh, a radicalized Muslim infiltrator, shouted “Allahu Akbar” and said he would avenge himself upon the jurors unless they found him not guilty on the charge of high treason. He said “his people” were everywhere, and no one was beyond their reach. https://realrawnews.com/2023/09/treasonous-army-csm-who-planned-war-against-trump-supporters-scheduled-to-hang/

 RBS NETWORK: ‘THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO SHUT DOWN IN 11 DAYS,’ SAYS REP. BYRON DONALDS - written by Jessica Marie Baumgartner - September 20, 2023 - https://www.rsbnetwork.com/news/the-government-is-going-to-shut-down-in-11-days-says-rep-byron-donalds/

THE CRADLE: The west destroyed Africa, Eurasia will revive it - Africa's renaissance is already underway through partnerships with Eurasian powers Russia and China, whose significant contributions are already visible in security, economic, and institutional sectors throughout the continent. – By Matthew Ehret - SEP 19, 2023 - In Africa, injustice looms large, marked by poverty, warfare, and famine. Despite post-WWII political gains, economic independence, a vital component of true freedom as envisioned by Pan African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, and Haile Selassie, remains elusive. After decades of restrictive IMF and World Bank loans, poverty, hunger, and conflict persist throughout the continent. While many attribute this to Africa's governance challenges, in reality, a deliberate imperial agenda has hindered the continent's development in all political, economic, and security sectors…. https://new.thecradle.co/articles/the-west-destroyed-africa-eurasia-will-revive-it

NATURAL BLAZE: Elon Musk’s Neuralink Gets Greenlight To Recruit Humans For Brain-Chip Trial - Thursday, September 21, 2023 0:22 - Elon Musk’s brain implant startup has been granted permission by an independent review board to begin recruiting patients with paralysis to test its experimental brain chip…. https://beforeitsnews.com/health/2023/09/elon-musks-neuralink-gets-greenlight-to-recruit-humans-for-brain-chip-trial-3053355.html

Judy Byington: The Best is Yet to Come, It's TIME, Never Give Up Hope. God Has a Plan. Special Intel Report For Thurs. 21 Sept. 2023 (Video) - Thursday, September 21, 2023 5:52 - The World rising up against the Globalist Elites is vital to Military Operations that are staging a World resistance revolt to the Deep State Cabal Agenda Operations. Even CIA Asset Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox news, could not censor the two massive reports and drops that came from FOX NEWS. The Military Alliance knew Tucker Carlson would get more views through Twitter than to be on Fox News, so the stage was set and Tucker was released from Fox onto Twitter X intentionally. The Deep State G20 power was in collapse. This means the UN and NATO were collapsing as the same Deep State elites and Cabal power control these operations. The Rothschild, Rockefellers CIA regime, UN, G20 operations were in a panic as over 70% of African nations decline to attend the summit. The most notable surprise not in attendance was President of CHINA and CCP executives. PANIC has hit NATO/UN/CIA/MI6/G20 that their money laundering operations through the G20 countries is coming to an end as Africa hides its resources and becomes allies with Russia China and coming BRIC’S invitation for African countries to join. As panic hits the CIA, Rockefellers, NATO, UN regime, a powerful vaccine exposure begins. Congress dives into exposure of Fauci/CIA vaccine connections and start private behind the scenes investigations. Publicly Trump comes out against the vaccines and lockdowns. The Military Generals are well aware 2024 elections will not happen. Exposure of the Plandemic and death of vaccines is coming for 2024. Trump will testify and give all information in Military Tribunals connected to the first batches of fake vaccines/ saline placebos that were released through his Warp Speed. https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/09/judy-byington-the-best-is-yet-to-come-its-time-never-give-up-hope-god-has-a-plan-special-intel-report-for-thurs-21-sept-2023-video-3799418.html

Situation Update 09/21/23 ~ Trump Return - Q Post - White Hats Intel ~ Derek Johnson Decode. SGAnon - Thursday, September 21, 2023 9:23 - https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/09/situation-update-092123-trump-return-q-post-white-hats-intel-derek-johnson-decode-sganon-3799444.html

TIM BROWN: FBI Official: FBI Lost Count of How Many Paid FBI Informants Were at Capitol on Jan. 6 - Thursday, September 21, 2023 8:36 - https://beforeitsnews.com/u-s-politics/2023/09/fbi-official-fbi-lost-count-of-how-many-paid-fbi-informants-were-at-capitol-on-jan-6-2607778.html

MAIL ONLINE: Rupert Murdoch, 92, to step down as chairman of Fox and NewsCorp after 70 years - with son Lachlan set to take over - By MARTIN ROBINSON, CHIEF REPORTER and EMMA JAMES - PUBLISHED: 09:08 EDT, 21 September 2023 | UPDATED: 10:06 EDT, 21 September 2023 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12545017/Rupert-Murdoch-step-chairman-Fox-NewsCorp.html

MAIL ONLINE - Eagle Pass crisis: Biden administration sends 800 troops to help as 10,000 migrants cross over in 24 hour period - An estimated 4,000 migrants arrived in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday  - Homeland Security has sent 800 troops to help the Texas National Guard - Greg Abbott slammed Biden for creating the crisis yesterday  - Since January, Biden has granted work permits to nearly 500,000 Venezuelan migrants - By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM - PUBLISHED: 00:41 EDT, 21 September 2023 | UPDATED: 10:00 EDT, 21 September 2023 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12543161/eagle-pass-texas-border-greg-abbott-razor-wire-migrant-crossings.html

ZERO HEDGE: NATO Fractures: In U-Turn, Poland Announces It Will No Longer Arm Ukraine - BY TYLER DURDEN - THURSDAY, SEP 21, 2023 - 05:25 AM - The dam is breaking on unified Western support for Ukraine, and the timing couldn't be worse for Zelensky, given tomorrow he's expected to meet with President Biden at the White House. On Wednesday evening there is monumental news out of Poland which could potentially change the entire course of the war. "Poland will no longer arm Ukraine to focus on its own defense," Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced just hours after Warsaw summoned Ukraine's ambassador related to a fresh war of words and spat over blocked grain, according to the AFP. Warsaw has throughout more than a year-and-a-half of the Ukraine-Russia war been Kiev's staunchest and most outspoken supporter. Will this massive and hugely significant about-face mark the beginning of the end? Are peace negotiations and ceding of territory in the Donbas inevitable at this point? https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nato-fractures-u-turn-poland-announces-will-no-longer-arm-ukraine

HARBINGER DAILY: FedNow Goes Live, Paving The Way To A Central  - September 20, 2023 - On June 29th, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced that 57 firms have been certified to utilize its new instant payments system called “FedNow.” The Federal Reserve said 41 banks and 15 service providers would be “early adopters” after its late July launch. The Federal Reserve officially launched this “wonderful” new product, and FedNow is now live at 35 banks. Major banks, such as JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, are two of the early adopters, as is the U.S. Treasury. What is FedNow? FedNow is a new service that will immediately allow the transfer of funds… https://harbingersdaily.com/fednow-goes-live-paving-the-way-to-digital-currency/

RAIR FOUNDATION: Giorgia Meloni's Betrayal: Collaborating with Globalists to Flood Italy and Europe with Illegal Migrants (Video) -

 By Amy Mek - September 19, 2023 - With Italy’s native population already shrinking, if PM Meloni continues to allow mass illegal migrants to flood its shores, it will be culturally suicidal - Embattled Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen joined forces during their Sunday, September 17 visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Their mission was clear: to call on Italy’s European partners to step up and share the so-called “responsibility” of managing the influx of illegal migrants arriving from North Africa. Rather than advocating for the immediate deportation of these individuals, globalist-tied Meloni and Von der Leyen insisted that other European countries, already struggling with their own migrant populations, provide refuge to those who had crossed the Mediterranean and invaded Italy’s shores. https://rairfoundation.com/giorgia-melonis-betrayal-collaborating-with-globalists-to-flood-italy-and-europe-with-illegal-migrants-video/

THE EXPOSE: The waning Sun instantly flushes climate alarmists’ claims of never-ending rising temperatures down the pan - BY RHODA WILSON ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 - In recent years, the Sun has been at its weakest state in more than a century. Low solar activity impacts Earth’s weather/climate through several different mechanisms, the most immediately noticeable one being the effect on the jet streams. Jet streams are narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere. On Earth, there are four primary jet streams: two polar jet streams near the north and south poles, and two subtropical jet streams closer to the equator. Low solar activity leads to a weaker, more meandering jet stream. This can lead to cold snaps in one region of the world but at the same time cause warmer periods in another. But, discussion of the effects of solar activity is no longer permitted in scientific debates about the climate or the weather…. https://expose-news.com/2023/09/20/waning-sun-instantly-flushes-climate-alarmists/

Some surface analysis of yesterday’s protest and other items inserted into the news cycles: Links 1 for September 21st, 2023 - Thursday, September 21, 2023 12:57 - https://beforeitsnews.com/eu/2023/09/some-surface-analysis-of-yesterdays-protest-and-other-items-inserted-into-the-news-cycles-links-1-for-september-21st-2023-2710031.html

 

 

Ecclesiastes: The Bible’s Strangest Book

By Dennis Pollock & David R. Reagan

Published on: December 3, 2021

Researched by Pastor Gary Boyd

Sept. 21^st 2023

 

Why is Ecclesiastes so negative?

 

In my opinion, Ecclesiastes has to be the strangest book in the Bible. It begins with an evaluation of life with which no Christian today would ever agree: that life is vain and purposeless. Solomon begins his strange thesis about life on earth with the words: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” In using the word vanity, Solomon is not talking about ego. He is declaring that life is vain — all life, all our lives, all our activities, and all that happens “under the sun” (one of his favorite expressions) is in vain and without any real purpose.

 

This is hardly a Christian worldview. We who are in Christ see life as incredibly significant and purposeful. We must wonder, “How is it that Solomon could be so gloomy?” The general tenor of the book of Ecclesiastes seems more philosophical than theological, and it is a pretty gloomy philosophy at that.

 

We must understand that during the days of the Old Testament, there was no widespread revelation of eternal life. In fact, the Old Testament says very, very little about the afterlife — so little that there was a major theological group existing in Jesus’ day who firmly insisted that there was no afterlife. Once you died, that was it, so if God was pleased with you, you could be sure you would be blessed in this life — since there were no blessings and indeed no life at all after death. This group was known as the Sadducees. Their main argument for believing as they did was by reason of omission — you just couldn’t find plain, clear references to Heaven or any life after death in the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy).

 

Early Sadducee

 

Solomon seemed to be of this persuasion long before the Sadducees appeared on the scene. He had a great life for the present. He was the king of Israel and the wealthiest and wisest man on earth. He had all his heart could want in possessions, wives, concubines, entertainers, gold, silver, and just about anything and everything a man of his times could ever desire. He was a royal, and he lived royally.

 

But as Solomon aged, something began to bother him. The reality of his own eventual death became more and more depressing to him. Sure, he had it all for now. And he would probably enjoy these blessings for a while. But sooner or later, he would do as all the rest of the world did. He would age, he would weaken, and he would finally die and leave everything. Every bit of his gold and silver, all his wives, all his servants, all his fancy robes and crowns, everything he possessed, all he had accomplished, and all which gave him such pride and satisfaction would remain, but he would be gone.

 

Throughout the twelve chapters of the little book of Ecclesiastes, the gloomy king complains again and again about this inevitable and irresistible conclusion to human life. Let’s consider a few of his ramblings on this subject. In chapter one, we read (Ecclesiastes 1:3-4, NKJV):

 

“What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun. One generation passes away, and another generation comes.”

 

Solomon was a hard worker. Throughout his life, he was constantly building, creating, and improving Jerusalem. He took much pride in his accomplishments, but it just didn’t sit well with him that one day he would die, and all his labor, all his efforts, and all his accomplishments would fall into the hands of others. He uses a phrase here that we will see repeated throughout the book. That phrase is: “What profit…?” He might have said, “What good does it do?” Regardless of how skilled we are and how hard we work, and all that we manage to accumulate, it will all at some point be unceremoniously ripped from our cold, dead hands. So what is the point?

 

No Remembrance

 

Later in the first chapter, Solomon laments the fact that the day will probably come when he will be entirely forgotten and receive no credit by future generations for all he has done. He states: “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after” (Ecclesiastes 1:11). Not only will he die and have to leave everything behind, but in future generations, everything he has done, all his labors and triumphs and sorrows and memories will be forgotten. What’s the use?

 

In the second chapter, Solomon carries this theme further still. He writes (Ecclesiastes 2:14-16):

 

“The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. So I said in my heart, ‘As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?’ Then I said in my heart, ‘This also is vanity.’ For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!”

 

Solomon feels it would be acceptable if only fools and wicked people died while the wise and righteous people live on. But to his consternation, it doesn’t happen this way. Wise men die as well as fools; godly people die right along with the wicked. And to make matters worse, wise men are forgotten just about as quickly as the fools! No matter how much you accomplish, no matter how many people you help, no matter how high you may rise in this life, you will die right alongside the village idiot, and both of you will eventually be forgotten. It just isn’t fair!

 

What Solomon was saying and seeing was not something particularly novel or brilliant. Everybody knew that death was both real and inevitable, from the peasant farmer to the highly educated scholar. But Solomon felt it far more keenly than most. Perhaps this was partly because he had so much to lose.

 

But another reason was simply the very nature of the man. Solomon was by temperament a philosopher. He didn’t just observe life; he thought about it, analyzed it, pondered its meaning, and desperately tried to make sense of it all. But he could never get around the immoveable, impenetrable, distasteful reality of death — particularly the thought of his own death.

 

Dead Like a Dog

 

As the gloomy king observed life and death, he came to a miserable conclusion: the deaths of men and women aren’t all that different from the deaths of animals, which made him wonder if we are all that superior to the beasts. He wrote (Ecclesiastes 3:18-20):

 

“I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’ For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.'”

 

Who is wiser: a dead man or a dead dog? Who is happier: a dead lady or a dead mouse? As Solomon pondered these questions — questions which few men and women ever paused to consider — he came to some unhappy conclusions. Although men and women may be smarter and cleverer and accomplish far more than the animals, we all die the same way. We all appear to go into a state of eternal unconsciousness where we see nothing, do nothing, say nothing, enjoy nothing, and are, in effect, non-existent.

 

It was not a pleasant thought, especially for the philosophically-minded king who had so much to lose at life’s end and had so much time to think about it while he still lived. And as he wrote this little book we call Ecclesiastes, these kinds of melancholy thoughts and meditations were freely distributed throughout his essay.

 

A Severe Evil

 

As we move through the book, we find more of the same. (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16):

 

“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return…. And he shall take nothing from his labor…. And this also is a severe evil — Just exactly as he came, so shall he go.”

 

This idea of dying and being unable to take even the smallest possession or accomplishment with you seems to Solomon a great tragedy. He does not call it evil; he declares it is a “severe evil.” It is strange that what billions of men and women have accepted without much thought (the idea of our eventual death) throughout earth’s history is, to Solomon, a huge problem. This is not some small thing; this is a big, big deal!

 

And of course, he is right if you subtract God and Christ, and the promise of eternal life through Christ, from life’s equation. Without the hope Jesus gives, life becomes a cruel joke, a terrible Shakespearian tragedy foisted upon billions of people who live out their lives, and work and sweat, and attempt great things, as though life has some purpose, which in fact it surely does not — if there is nothing beyond the grave.

 

If the soil and the worms and a permanent state of extinction and non-existence are the destiny awaiting every one of us, what does it matter whether we live nobly or poorly, whether we achieve much good or no good at all, whether we try with all our might to “make our lives count” or live selfishly and foolishly all our days? Eventually, even our earth itself will cease to be, and all the struggles and accomplishments and the collective memories of billions of people and families and nations will be erased with a permanent, cosmic deletion. No one will be left to know or care or remember anything any one of us ever did or said or wrote or achieved.

 

Solomon concluded that in light of all of this, the only thing we can do is to try to enjoy our vain lives while we still live: “So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry….” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).

 

Paul recalled this statement as he wrote in his epistle to the Corinthians about the resurrection from the dead. He made the point that apart from a hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

 

Vivid Contrast

 

We may be tempted to wonder why God would include this pessimistic, melancholy little book in the Holy Scriptures, particularly since its tone entirely contradicts the writings of the Apostles and the teachings of our Lord Jesus. Does God really want His children going around spouting, “It’s all vanity. Life has no purpose. We might as well eat and drink it up, for we’ll all soon be dead!”

 

I am convinced that God wanted to give us a vivid picture of what life would be like apart from the hope that springs through the Cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Solomon had no such hope. In his mind, the grave was a place of total cessation: all joy and work and consciousness end when we take our last breath. Solomon wrote: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

 

This is the polar opposite of the theology espoused by the Apostle Paul, who wrote: “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:22, 23).

 

What a contrast! Solomon sees death as the ultimate enemy; Paul sees it as a doorway to a greater life with His Savior, Jesus Christ. Solomon sees it as loss; Paul sees it as gain. This sure and joyous expectation of a life after this life in the presence of Jesus is known biblically as our “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:13).

 

But this idea of hope is more than wishful thinking. It is a glorious looking forward to a wonderful future that Jesus has promised us. And with this hope, we can endure all things, counting them, as Paul did, a “light affliction, which works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

 

Afterthoughts by Dr. Reagan

 

I’m sure many of you must be thinking at this point, “How could one of the wisest men who ever lived end up with such a pessimistic, unbiblical view of life?”

 

Not only was Solomon gifted with great wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14 and 4:29), he was also a man who believed in God and who greatly honored his Creator when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem. On that occasion, he offered a sacrifice to the Lord of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63). He also led the priests and the people in a magnificent prayer that began with these words: “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants.…”

 

Solomon is also the one who wrote the following words, recorded in Psalm 72:18-19, NASB:

 

“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.”

 

Why the Depression?

 

So, why all his despair in the book of Ecclesiastes? Well, as Dennis Pollock so well points out in his article, Solomon did not have a clear conviction of life after death. And so, as he approached death, he began to wallow in self-pity over the seeming meaninglessness of life. He was wrestling with the idea that “we are here today and gone tomorrow,” soon to be forgotten like a dead dog.

 

But there is more to it than that. Despite his wisdom and his spirituality, there came a point in Solomon’s life when he got his eyes off God and strayed significantly from the center of God’s will for his life. There were problems from the beginning. He was hardly coronated as king when he decided to engage in a political marriage with one of the daughters of the Egyptian Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1). This act constituted a severe violation of God’s command against marriages with non-Hebrew women (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). He also burned incense on high places that were dedicated to false gods (1 Kings 3:3).

 

The Descent into Apostasy

 

The turning point in Solomon’s life occurred in the year that he received 666 talents of gold (1 Kings 10:14). From that point on, almost to the end of his life, he was obsessed with money, horses and women (1 Kings 11:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 1:14-15).

 

In the process, he became deeply involved in idolatry, paying tribute to Ashtoreth (the goddess of the Sidonians), Milcom (the god of the Ammonites), Chemosh (the god of Moab) and Molech (the god of Ammon). As the Scriptures put it, “his heart turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel” (1 Kings 11:9).

 

Looking back at this turning point in Solomon’s life, is it any wonder that the number, 666, came to symbolize apostasy? Undoubtedly, it is the reason the number is used in Revelation 13:16-17 to signify the coded name of the Antichrist.

 

I believe Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes while he was caught up in his spiritual apostasy, and it is, therefore, an expression of the emptiness of a life being lived in rebellion against God.

 

The Revival

 

But the good news is that Solomon must have repented before his death and was reconciled in his relationship with God. This is reflected in the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, which begins with his admonition to young people: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them'” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It’s pretty obvious that he is speaking of his own experience.

 

Further, in verse 5, he refers to the dead going to their “eternal home.” He declares that the body will return to dust, but “the spirit will return to God who gave it” (verse 7). He even refers to judgment after death (verse 14), and judgment by God certainly gives meaning to how we live here and now.

 

This last chapter of Ecclesiastes clearly indicates that Solomon got his eyes back on God, either by special revelation about the reality of life after death, or else through the Holy Spirit directing him to relevant passages in the portions of God’s Word that existed at that time.

 

Resurrection Scriptures

 

One of those passages is contained in what scholars consider to be the oldest book of the Bible — the book of Job. In Job 19:25-27, the author affirms that a day will come when he will be resurrected and stand before his Redeemer here on earth.

 

Resurrection to eternal life for believers can also be found in the writing of Solomon’s father, David. In Psalm 16:10, David says he is confident that his soul will not be abandoned in Sheol (the holding place of the spirits of the dead). And in the next psalm, David declares that he will one day “behold the Lord’s face” when he awakens from the dead (Psalm 17:15).

 

In Psalm 133:3, David speaks of “life forever.” And in his most famous psalm, David proclaims that believers “will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6).

 

The sons of Korah, a priestly choral group from the time of David, affirmed the resurrection of the soul in Psalm 49:15, where they wrote: “God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.” The prophet Asaph, also a contemporary of David, wrote in Psalm 73:24 that a day will come when believers will be “received to glory.”

 

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are many other references to resurrection and eternal life for believers, but the ones cited above should have been available to King Solomon.

 

Conclusion

 

As he read these passages from his father and his contemporaries, King Solomon must have begun to understand that life really does have meaning, and so does the way we live it. This resulted in his ending his maudlin book in chapter 12 with these glorious words of triumph:

 

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (verses 13-14).

 

His declaration that all of us will face judgment before God for the way we live gives meaning to life. So, as Solomon faced death, he must have ceased his repetitious muttering of “vanity, vanity, vanity!” Instead, his heart must have been filled with rejoicing that he would see his God.