The End

Life is Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 1 ESV

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. 12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Here we must see a few things:

Solomon is showing the reality of evil, injustice, and death

His father, David shows us this same understanding in:

Psalm 39:4–6 NET

4 “O Lord, help me understand my mortality and the brevity of life! Let me realize how quickly my life will pass! 5 Look, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. 6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

Life is fleeting. Life is but a breath. Life is frustrating. Life is meaningless.

What does vanity mean? In Hebrew it means hebel 73× breath; by extension: something with no substance, meaninglessness, worthlessness, vanity, emptiness, futility; idol.

Mounce, W. D. (2006). Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (p. 922). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Empty false gods worship

Signify insubstantial or vain human efforts

Temporary or futile nature of a thing.

What brought this about?

As I was in Rome I was able to see many of the ruins and heard about the many aspects of the downfall of the Roman Empire. People will look at you and say that it is amazing that you’re able to see these types of things. They wish they could see more of what I’m able to see. However, the more and more I see of the world the more I become disappointed with my own life. It brings up many questions for myself.

Is the life I’m living worth it?

If I were to die soon would I have had any impact on cultures and societies other than a couple of churches?

How many people have I led to Christ?

Do I stay in the military or get out?

The questions you can ask yourself.

Is the type of life you live worth it?

If you were to die soon would anyone remember you?

How many people have you led to Christ?

Is your current job(s) taking you away from pursuing the blessings of Christ?

Are your hobbies taking your eyes off of Christ?

There are many questions that you could ask yourself or even ask God to reveal what is taking you away from what Christ wants for the world. Only you will know.

Is The End Upon Us?

I bring up these few verses because it is the wisdom of man that is leading to some of these and they too are in vain.

Matthew 24:6–8 ESV

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Matthew 24:6-

We are seeing the Father move upon the earth right before our eyes.

I have a website that tracks every earthquake that is higher than 6.0 and today I counted 74 that has occurred throughout the world.

This morning another one hit Mexico, N. Korea

i. Then you have President Trump and Kim Jun Un calling each other names, only escalating issues rather than trying to deescalate the issue.

ii. Russia and China is trying to keep the USA from attacking by saying there will be retaliation.

iii. Iran claims they will wipe Tel Aviv off the face of the earth.

iv. You have lone wolf attacks happening around the world more and more.

You have viruses coming from nowhere

We just had the 4th hurricane in just a month and there are more coming they believe.

Matthew 24:37–44 ESV

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:37 CSB

As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

Matthew 24:

This is why I believe we can take heed in what Paul states on the subject of marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:32–35 ESV

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

The Only Thing That Lasts

Paul shows us what matters throughout his letters to the churches.

1 Corinthians 10:23–25 ESV

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12-

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians

The Message Bible ends it this way:

I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Matthew 24:35 ESV

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

We must understand that we must embrace the difficulties life brings us.

We need to also understand that anything that is apart of the will of our Father, preaching the gospel, making disciples, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is done in vain.

Hebrews 10:25 CSB

not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

As we see the day dragging near, where our only hope lies let us apply .

Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.