20150606 Saturday, June 6 2015
Ecclesiastes 08: The Time Of Judgment

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Whoso keepeth the Commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and Judgment"

Throughout human history, from the most-ancient times to the present, some have been given the means to understand the existence of the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and What Did Jesus Say About His Name?) and the prophesied process of Salvation that He is now fulfilling - as portrayed by His true Christian Holy Days (see the Fact Finder question below).

For all of those called in that way (as we will read, to serve the greater number that will come later), their Judgment Day was the duration of their physical lives from their time of calling to the time of their deaths. If they held true to the end, they will have been judged worthy of Salvation - which for those of the first calling will occur on the Day of the Messiah's return. At that moment, they will have made it to eternal life - the verdict of their Judgment will be delivered to them on that day (see Paul's Resurrection Lesson).

"4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 KJV)

"15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54 KJV)

"20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6 KJV)

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:5, quoted above) is a plain statement. At that time, most of humanity (i.e. apart from the relatively small number that will have been in the first resurrection) that have ever lived will be resurrected physical (as portrayed in the famous "dry bones" prophecy of Israel, quoted below, but which will be done with billions of others) and be given their opportunity to do what those of the first calling had done, or refused to do. Then will come the final Judgment of them, as well as those who, from all time, had their opportunity but refused it.

"20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished..." (Revelation 20:5 KJV)

"37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:13-14 KJV)

"20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15 KJV)

King Solomon surely had known the LORD very well (see Solomon's Wise Years), but he became a corrupt idol worshiper later in his life (see What Caused Solomon's Idolatry?). Ecclesiastes is the rambling result of his self-inflicted confusion (see Solomon's Ballad To Losers) - after he had been given the cure for it (see The Cure For Confusion).

What Judgment awaits King Solomon? The LORD will deliver that verdict in due time.

"8:1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

8:2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. 8:4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

8:5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

8:7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

8:9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 8:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 8:13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. 8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

8:16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." (Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) How do we know that "the LORD God" was born as Jesus Christ? (b) What are the true Christian Holy Days - that portray the step by step process of Salvation?
(a) See The LORD God Our Saviour
(b) See The True Christian Holy Days and The Holy Days Of Jesus Christ, The LORD