Ecclesiastes

[Roger12345]

I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes and the thought crossed my mind that the author probably did not believe in life after death. At least not in the sense most modern Christians think about it. It mentions the spirit being the breath of life which exists in animals as well as people and goes back to God upon death, but that seems to be about all.

 

[GEddie]

I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes and the thought crossed my mind that the author probably did not believe in life after death. At least not in the sense most modern Christians think about it. It mentions the spirit being the breath of life which exists in animals as well as people and goes back to God upon death, but that seems to be about all.

Human eschatology is one of several doctrines in Scripture that were not developed all at once, but took generations to bear fruit.

At the time of Ecc, there was not much of an expectation for a human “afterlife.” That developed over time, and even 1,000 years later, was still being debated by Pharisees and Sadduccees at the time of our LORD.

ICXC NIKA

 

[MarcoPolo]

If I recall right, the idea of a resurrection is more developed in Daniel. Although Ecclesiastes seems to elude to some eternal stage. For example:
*Eccl. 12:5-7 man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;
[6] before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. *Full context of Ecclesiastes here.