Help with Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

[ElainaMor]

I grew up a Jehovah Witness and only left the organization 4 years ago. JWs use Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 as one of their proof scriptures that there is no afterlife, no one goes to heaven or hell. I've tried to unwrap this scripture myself but to me this scriptures still points to the JW interpretation of no consciousness after death/no after life. Any help with this scripture would be appreciated.

 

[ebedmelech]

I grew up a Jehovah Witness and only left the organization 4 years ago. JWs use Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 as one of their proof scriptures that there is no afterlife, no one goes to heaven or hell. I've tried to unwrap this scripture myself but to me this scriptures still points to the JW interpretation of no consciousness after death/no after life. Any help with this scripture would be appreciated.

This passage is making it clear that we will all face death, and once we die, we have no involvement or knowledge of what is going on on earth. I highlight key phrases that make it clear:
Ecclesiastes 9:3-6:
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.
4 For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.
6 Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

So basically we will all die...and when we die we are forgotten by the living and know nothing of them. It is not making any mention of where the dead are...just that they no longer know anything of earthly life.

 

[SharonL]

If you believe the Bible it says that absent from the body present with the Lord. That is an exciting afterlife.

 

[seeingeyes]

I grew up a Jehovah Witness and only left the organization 4 years ago. JWs use Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 as one of their proof scriptures that there is no afterlife, no one goes to heaven or hell. I've tried to unwrap this scripture myself but to me this scriptures still points to the JW interpretation of no consciousness after death/no after life. Any help with this scripture would be appreciated.

The JW's believe that some people go on to an afterlife, no? So how did they reconcile this verse with those rare individuals that receive eternal life?

 

[ElainaMor]

The JW's believe that some people go on to an afterlife, no? So how did they reconcile this verse with those rare individuals that receive eternal life?

I'll answer from the JW point of view...please note that this is no longer my belief.

Only the 144,000 spoken of in Revelation ( and these would be JW only) have the heavenly hope. All others, the Great Crowd, have the hope of living forever on paradise earth. Scriptures speaking of heaven are only meant for the 144,000. JW's believe that those of the Great Crowd once they die, there is nothing that survives death. They are " asleep" until Jehovah ressurrects them to live on paradise earth. So for them Ecc. 9:5-6 is just a way to prove that.

 

[Clare73]

I grew up a Jehovah Witness and only left the organization 4 years ago. JWs use Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 as one of their proof scriptures that there is no afterlife, no one goes to heaven or hell. I've tried to unwrap this scripture myself but to me this scriptures still points to the JW interpretation of no consciousness after death/no after life. Any help with this scripture would be appreciated.

The problem Solomon is addressing is that in life he found so little difference that was made between good and bad men in the management of events.

In v. 5-6, Solomon is saying that the dead know nothing of what transpires on earth after they die. They have lost all opportunity in this life for enjoyment and reward from labor.

 

[seeingeyes]

I'll answer from the JW point of view...please note that this is no longer my belief.

Only the 144,000 spoken of in Revelation ( and these would be JW only) have the heavenly hope. All others, the Great Crowd, have the hope of living forever on paradise earth. Scriptures speaking of heaven are only meant for the 144,000. JW's believe that those of the Great Crowd once they die, there is nothing that survives death. They are " asleep" until Jehovah ressurrects them to live on paradise earth. So for them Ecc. 9:5-6 is just a way to prove that.

I see, so in their view, no one went to heaven in Solomon's time, therefore the Ecc verse is accurate?

 

[trentlogain2]

we need to understand the context of the book of eccl. while it's every bit authoritative as the rest of the 65 books of the bible are, it would be wise to consider a little interpretation before cherry-picking scripture. here is what scofield has as a preface to the book of ecclesiastes.

"This is the book of man "under the sun," reasoning about life; it is the best man can do, with the knowledge that there is a holy God, and that He will bring every-thing into judgment. The key phrases are "under the sun;" "I perceived"; "I said in my heart." Inspiration sets down accurately what passes, but the conclusions and reasonings are, after all, man's. That those conclusions are just in declaring it "vanity" in view of judgment, to devote life to earthly things, is surely true; but the "conclusion" ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ) is legal, the best that man apart from redemption can do, and does not anticipate the Gospel."

i have to ask you, OP. what do you do with myriad of other scripture texts that deal with eternal life (hell or heaven)?