What Can We Learn From The Book Of Ecclesiastes?

What Can We Learn From The Book Of Ecclesiastes? The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes contains a vital message for our salvation and is linked to the God-ordained Feast of Tabernacles. [Please download and study the article God s Ordained Festivals And Holy Days found under the sub-heading Covenants for an understanding of the Feast of Tabernacles.] The author of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, was wealthy, wise and well thought of. Yet Solomon was not satisfied with life, in fact he was filled with depression and despair. Why? And what does this have to do with the Feast of Tabernacles? And how does it apply to our lives? Leviticus 23:1-2, 34, 39-43 [New King James] And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. God gave the Feast of Tabernacles to Israel as a seven day festival to be held every autumn, celebrating the autumn agricultural harvest in the northern hemisphere. Temporary dwellings [a tabernacle is a temporary dwelling] were to be constructed to remind the Israelites of their journeys in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. Contrary to what many believe today, this Festival is still to be kept. Jesus showed that the God-given law that includes the annual festivals remains in effect, [Matthew 5:17-19]. Both Jesus Christ and the early New Testament Church kept the festivals, [John 5:1; John 7:2; Acts 2:1; Acts 18:21]. Zechariah 14:16-19 [New King James] And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 1

In the future after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ all nations will keep the Feast of Tabernacles. [For more information on the Creator God s true festivals and what each pictures, download and study the article, God Ordained Christian Festivals And Holy Days listed under sub-heading Covenants ]. The symbolic meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles goes far beyond what most people realise. Celebrating the physical harvest as it occurred in the area of Israel, pictures the first 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth after His Second Coming. Revelation 20:6 [New King James] Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. A time when all Christians who are in the first resurrection will teach and harvest millions of human beings who are still alive after the tribulation, into the created family of the Creator God, that is the Kingdom of God, a family that has grown big. This 1,000 years [millennium] will be a time of prosperity, peace and obedience to the Creator God s laws that will flow out from Jerusalem, the headquarters of Jesus Christ s ruling Kingdom. Zechariah 14:8-9 [New King James] And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be, The LORD is one, and His name one. Living waters is the work of the Holy Spirit working through these firstborn teaching the people the truth about Jesus Christ and the reason for their existence as human beings, [John 4:10-11; John 7:38; Revelation 7:17; John 16:13]. Staying in temporary dwellings portrays our own pilgrimage in this present evil world, and the fact that all during this 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ, after His Second Coming, are but pilgrims in their physical lives, [Exodus 6:4; Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 2:11]. With this in mind, let us consider the life of Solomon and why he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon inherited the throne of Israel from his father King David. Some time after his coronation, Solomon went to offer sacrifices to the Creator God at Gibeon, where God appeared to him in a dream and asked him what he desired, [1 Kings 3:4-9]. This request pleased the Creator God Who fulfilled his request and also gave Solomon riches and honour, [1 Kings 3:10-13]. Through the years, Solomon acquired and enjoyed wisdom, power and fame. But something was missing, something that caused Solomon to hate life. This brings us to the book of Ecclesiastes which Solomon wrote, most likely towards the end of his life. The theme of Ecclesiastes is vanity, [Ecclesiastes 1:2]. The word vanity Hebrew word hăbêl means emptiness, transitory and unsatisfactory. What caused Solomon to look at life this way? Solomon could see that life was full of sorrow, [Ecclesiastes 2:22-23]. Ironically, as Solomon learned more about the world around him, he grew even more sorrowful, [Ecclesiastes 1:18]. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 2

Solomon saw rampant injustice, [Ecclesiastes 4:1]. Solomon saw problems that defy solution, [Ecclesiastes 1:15]. Solomon saw desires that remain unfulfilled, [Ecclesiastes 1:8]. Solomon saw terrible tragedies, [Ecclesiastes 6:2]. Solomon saw bitter envy and strife all around him, [Ecclesiastes 4:4]. Beyond these debacles, Solomon saw death which so deeply disturbed him that he came to hate life, [Ecclesiastes 2:17]. Sad, isn t it? Here was a man who possessed and enjoyed all the things that many people are striving for, and yet he said it was worthless. Before we conclude that Solomon was completely wrong, consider the words of the apostle Paul, that are so true. 1 Corinthians 15:19 [New King James] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. Hope that ends in the grave is totally insufficient, it leaves us wanting and craving more. This is the position that Solomon found himself in, facing death and desiring more, wondering that there must be something else to our existence. But there wasn t any more, for Solomon s understanding and wisdom were limited to this present life. Unlike his father David, Solomon s eyes were apparently blinded at that time to the resurrection of those who die. Why? Solomon became a victim of sin, which limits spiritual understanding. 1 Kings 11:1-6 [New King James] But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. We are warned in the New Testament by Paul not to allow the worship of pagan gods to blind us to the Creator God s way of life, [Ephesians 4:17-19]. Yet this is what is happening to the vast majority of human beings today, even among those who claim to be Christian. [Please download and study the articles on this website under the heading of Religion ]. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 3

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 [New King James] Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. As true Christians we do have awesome hope beyond the grave, [Paul calls death a sleep and we all know we do awake from a sleep]. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 [New King James] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Solomon finally, in old age, realised the value of building a right relationship with the Creator God, even though he had failed to do so throughout his life up to that time. How deeply Solomon came to understand God s judgement is uncertain. From some comments, it could appear that he only saw God s purpose in the light of physical blessings and cursings. As true Christians, we understand that God s judgement involves our fate for all eternity, [Matthew 25:31-46]. What does all this have to do with the Feast of Tabernacles? Plenty, for the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the time when the Creator God will establish His Kingdom on earth, at the time of His Second Coming to the earth. The first fruits [James 1:18] of the created family of God will teach and rule over all the humans who have come through the tribulation at the return of Jesus Christ, [Matthew 24:3-31]. Working under Jesus Christ as priests [teachers] and kings, rulers. These people who were part of the first resurrection will lead the people still alive towards repentance and a new life, as the Holy Spirit works through them, [John 16:8]. All of us who as true Christians preparing to receive the gift of eternal life in the created family of God, both now and after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, must see the futility of striving only for material success, [Luke 12:16-21; Matthew 6:33]. We all should look on ourselves as a pilgrim, a temporary sojourner whose ultimate purpose is to become a created child of God, having the very characteristics of our Spiritual Father, God and His only Son Jesus Christ. This does not mean that all physical pleasures and pursuits are wrong, not at all. But we must see them for what they are, and rightly use them but very secondary to our seeking the Kingdom of God, [Matthew 6:33]. To be blessed with a place in God s Kingdom we must build the right relationship with our Creator God. Such a relationship requires fearing God, standing in awe of Him, responding to His authority, [Psalms 111:10]. There are in Ecclesiastes and the parallel messages of the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles, lessons to be learnt. Coming out of the vanity [worthlessness] that this world offers. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 4

1 John 2:15-17 [New King James] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. Everything that this world offers, as a goal, is very short-lived when compared with eternal life as a created child of the Creator God. Revelation 18:1-4 [New King James] After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. Babylon is symbolic of all the false pagan religions that are the inspiration and power over people of Satan and his demons, [2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9]. John 17:14-21 [New King James] I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. Jesus Christ s prayer to the Father for those who had become His disciples. We are not to strive for personal acclaim and adoration from other people in this world. [Philippians 2:3; Galatians 5:26]. Colossians 3:1-5 [New King James] If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. The Creator God looks upon any focus we have on the things that this world offers as idolatry. Psalms 32:11 [New King James] Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! May we find joy in living God s way of life. Psalms 35:9 [New King James] And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation. Rejoice in the way we have been shown the only way for salvation from eternal death, [Acts 4:12]. The rewards for deeply respecting and revering the Creator God are many. We will avoid the wrong and evil way of life, [Proverbs 16:6]. Our wisdom will increase, [Proverbs 15:33]. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 5

We will be greatly blessed, [Psalms 145:19]. Our fears will be replaced by godly confidence, [Psalms 118:6; Proverbs 14:26]. Psalms 37:7-9 [New King James] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Don t be deceived by the wealth and fame of those around us, it is only temporary, soon it will pass away. Think about the promise that some day, if we are faithful to the Creator God and His way of life we can inherit the earth, with our Saviour Jesus Christ. Romans 8:16-17 [New King James] The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. As we await this glorious day, now soon to come, learn the vital lessons taught by Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles. Genesis 25:29-34 [New King James] Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary. Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, Sell me your birthright as of this day. And Esau said, Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me? Then Jacob said, Swear to me as of this day. So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Don t follow the example of Esau, who despised his birthright and inheritance that went with it. Genesis 1:26-27 [New King James] Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. All human beings have been given life in the image of the Creator God, the Hebrew word translated image is tselem meaning resemblance, shadow, outward form or material representation. But not the Creator God s likeness the Hebrew word demûwth meaning attributes or character. Character only comes from spending time with and following the example of the One whose likeness we seek, this is how we are to use the time of our physical pilgrimage on this earth. Galatians 5:22-25 [New King James] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the very characteristics of the Creator God, which we have to take on if we are to be a created child of God in His Kingdom. What Can We Learn From The? www.handbook-for-life.org.uk Page 6