What does it mean, the dead know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5)?
Ecclesiastes is a very important book which some confuse, but it teaches that life is random and uncontrollable, so how do we live well under these circumstances? The author of Ecclesiastes, is feeling that any attempt to try and control our lives, is pointless. But life itself is not! But why does the Bible say the dead know nothing? And would we really want them to?
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5
God doesn’t want us to be deceived, to go off looking for hope in the wrong places. He doesn’t want us to waste our lives trying to reach out to those we’ve lost.
So often, we get dragged down with our own grief and wish there was some way for us to bring the ones we love back to us, to speak to them and see their faces. But perhaps, rather than calling to our loved ones and trying to drag them back into this sinful, damaged world, we should let them rest in God’s care, knowing He loves them and will bring them back again when He returns.
Losing someone hurts. That’s the sad truth. But through that pain, we have to remember that God loves that person too, even more than we do. He looks after them, giving them a peaceful place where they can rest and wait, free from sin and sorrow.
Those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, have had their spirits transformed from death unto Life, and like the thief on the cross, the minute they die, their spirit goes to be with the Lord. Remember that Jesus told the thief on the cross that today he would be with him in Paradise. Why? Because "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ." Romans 8:1
In other words, their sins have been forgiven and forgotten....erased by the blood of Jesus and by their faith in Christ to save their souls from the condemnation that sin placed on them. Their sins have been "Paid In Full" by Jesus Christ and therefore, sin can no longer condemn them, for they are free in Christ. They are now seen as righteous by God and can go straight to heaven when they die, as promised in John 3:16 and 17.
But what happens to their bodies? God's Word gives us the answer. Look again at the importance of this key verse:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
The Spirit is clean, but the flesh is still wanting to sin...so it remains in the grave to rest in its spiritual sleep, until it can be resurrected and finally made sinless and whole by the Spirit of Christ. That is when it joins the spirit in heaven...on Resurrection Day! God will transform the dead in Christ's bodies and make them pure, sinless, and ready for heaven!
"The dead have “no further reward” in this life; they no longer have the ability to enjoy life, hear, speak, or think, like those who are living. They are asleep!" Eccle. 9:5. You're not aware of your surroundings when you're sleep. You are simply resting. Oblivious to the world around you.
God has given us a lot through His inspired word. He’s given us the explanation ofhow death worksand what it’s like, so that we don’t have to be afraid to face it when our time comes.
He’s given us warnings against Satan and his deceivers, so we won’t be tricked and led down the wrong path.
God’s also given us hope, a way to look past death and know it isn’t the end of everything. He’s given us a promise that one day He will return and set everything right again.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him, those who have fallen asleep through Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Suppose what would happen if God didn’t have such strict boundaries regarding what happens to people after they die. Suppose that, out of feeling sorry for humanity, He allowed those who have died to have limited contact with people who were still alive.
Some of us might say this would be a great improvement, that it might offer many grief-stricken people the comfort and closure they crave. This idea is also romanticized in stories, often showing dead loved ones subtly guiding the ones they left behind, or showing up at important moments to provide a hint of inspiration or hope.
But let’s think about this for a moment.
If the dead were conscious, be it in Heaven or Hell, and were able to look down and watch the world, what do you think they would see?
They might see their children grow up. They might watch over their spouse and make sure they’re doing alright. But they’d also have to watch all the grief and suffering that came with their death. They’d have to witness the giant hole their absence left, in those who loved them. They’d be forced to watch in silence, unless someone among the living decided to try and contact them. Would you want to spend eternity like that, waiting around like a shadow in the corner, until someone decided to contact you? This would not be heaven. It would be miserable for both sides.
They’d be perpetually aware of this undefinable presence floating around them, just out of reach. They would feel as if they were being constantly watched and they wouldn’t know what to do about it.
And even supposing they did know what to do, if they somehow made contact with the dead person watching over them at every single moment, who’s to say it would be a pleasant conversation? It might be extremely unsettling. We wouldn't really want them to see us and what's happening to us, as it would make them awfully sad, and there's no sadness in heaven. I wouldn't wish that on any of my loved ones that have passed. I know they're waiting for me. That is enough. We don't depend on them, anyway. We depend on God, who has our best interests at heart, at all times.
When it’s all said and done, we have no guarantees that the ability to contact the dead would be as pleasant or comforting as we sometimes imagine it might be. God knew what He was doing when He made it so the dead are put to rest, rather than entering a wandering, conscious state. It’s more comforting to think of those we love, in a peaceful, restful sleep, where they can wait until Jesus resurrects them.
God alone, knows the thoughts of the heart: yet others know them, in so far as these are revealed to them by God. The saints don't hear our prayers directly, as though through some cosmic message. Not one verse in the Bible supports it. God said directly, don't pray for the dead.
Prayers to saints are an offense to Christ. The Bible says, “There is only one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5)
One thing to consider why God is so against the practices of spiritualism and contacting the dead, is that He knows the dead can't speak back and doesn't want His children to be tricked or misled by another strange entity/spirit. He also doesn't want them taken advantage of, by those who could use their time of grief to get money or attention.
The only communication with spirit beings that is allowed in Scripture, is that of prayer to God and He alone. Biblical texts like Deut. 18:10-11 and Isaiah 19:3—each of which condemns necromancy—say “communication with the dead” is absolutely condemned.
God does give believers in Christ, the promise that we shall know those in heaven, and shall unite and live with them forever in peace and harmony. No more death, no more disease, no more sin or sorrow, but everlasting joy, peace, and love.
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5
God doesn’t want us to be deceived, to go off looking for hope in the wrong places. He doesn’t want us to waste our lives trying to reach out to those we’ve lost.
So often, we get dragged down with our own grief and wish there was some way for us to bring the ones we love back to us, to speak to them and see their faces. But perhaps, rather than calling to our loved ones and trying to drag them back into this sinful, damaged world, we should let them rest in God’s care, knowing He loves them and will bring them back again when He returns.
Losing someone hurts. That’s the sad truth. But through that pain, we have to remember that God loves that person too, even more than we do. He looks after them, giving them a peaceful place where they can rest and wait, free from sin and sorrow.
Those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, have had their spirits transformed from death unto Life, and like the thief on the cross, the minute they die, their spirit goes to be with the Lord. Remember that Jesus told the thief on the cross that today he would be with him in Paradise. Why? Because "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ." Romans 8:1
In other words, their sins have been forgiven and forgotten....erased by the blood of Jesus and by their faith in Christ to save their souls from the condemnation that sin placed on them. Their sins have been "Paid In Full" by Jesus Christ and therefore, sin can no longer condemn them, for they are free in Christ. They are now seen as righteous by God and can go straight to heaven when they die, as promised in John 3:16 and 17.
But what happens to their bodies? God's Word gives us the answer. Look again at the importance of this key verse:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
The Spirit is clean, but the flesh is still wanting to sin...so it remains in the grave to rest in its spiritual sleep, until it can be resurrected and finally made sinless and whole by the Spirit of Christ. That is when it joins the spirit in heaven...on Resurrection Day! God will transform the dead in Christ's bodies and make them pure, sinless, and ready for heaven!
"The dead have “no further reward” in this life; they no longer have the ability to enjoy life, hear, speak, or think, like those who are living. They are asleep!" Eccle. 9:5. You're not aware of your surroundings when you're sleep. You are simply resting. Oblivious to the world around you.
God has given us a lot through His inspired word. He’s given us the explanation ofhow death worksand what it’s like, so that we don’t have to be afraid to face it when our time comes.
He’s given us warnings against Satan and his deceivers, so we won’t be tricked and led down the wrong path.
God’s also given us hope, a way to look past death and know it isn’t the end of everything. He’s given us a promise that one day He will return and set everything right again.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him, those who have fallen asleep through Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Suppose what would happen if God didn’t have such strict boundaries regarding what happens to people after they die. Suppose that, out of feeling sorry for humanity, He allowed those who have died to have limited contact with people who were still alive.
Some of us might say this would be a great improvement, that it might offer many grief-stricken people the comfort and closure they crave. This idea is also romanticized in stories, often showing dead loved ones subtly guiding the ones they left behind, or showing up at important moments to provide a hint of inspiration or hope.
But let’s think about this for a moment.
If the dead were conscious, be it in Heaven or Hell, and were able to look down and watch the world, what do you think they would see?
They might see their children grow up. They might watch over their spouse and make sure they’re doing alright. But they’d also have to watch all the grief and suffering that came with their death. They’d have to witness the giant hole their absence left, in those who loved them. They’d be forced to watch in silence, unless someone among the living decided to try and contact them. Would you want to spend eternity like that, waiting around like a shadow in the corner, until someone decided to contact you? This would not be heaven. It would be miserable for both sides.
They’d be perpetually aware of this undefinable presence floating around them, just out of reach. They would feel as if they were being constantly watched and they wouldn’t know what to do about it.
And even supposing they did know what to do, if they somehow made contact with the dead person watching over them at every single moment, who’s to say it would be a pleasant conversation? It might be extremely unsettling. We wouldn't really want them to see us and what's happening to us, as it would make them awfully sad, and there's no sadness in heaven. I wouldn't wish that on any of my loved ones that have passed. I know they're waiting for me. That is enough. We don't depend on them, anyway. We depend on God, who has our best interests at heart, at all times.
When it’s all said and done, we have no guarantees that the ability to contact the dead would be as pleasant or comforting as we sometimes imagine it might be. God knew what He was doing when He made it so the dead are put to rest, rather than entering a wandering, conscious state. It’s more comforting to think of those we love, in a peaceful, restful sleep, where they can wait until Jesus resurrects them.
God alone, knows the thoughts of the heart: yet others know them, in so far as these are revealed to them by God. The saints don't hear our prayers directly, as though through some cosmic message. Not one verse in the Bible supports it. God said directly, don't pray for the dead.
Prayers to saints are an offense to Christ. The Bible says, “There is only one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5)
One thing to consider why God is so against the practices of spiritualism and contacting the dead, is that He knows the dead can't speak back and doesn't want His children to be tricked or misled by another strange entity/spirit. He also doesn't want them taken advantage of, by those who could use their time of grief to get money or attention.
The only communication with spirit beings that is allowed in Scripture, is that of prayer to God and He alone. Biblical texts like Deut. 18:10-11 and Isaiah 19:3—each of which condemns necromancy—say “communication with the dead” is absolutely condemned.
God does give believers in Christ, the promise that we shall know those in heaven, and shall unite and live with them forever in peace and harmony. No more death, no more disease, no more sin or sorrow, but everlasting joy, peace, and love.
