The Messiah’s Secret – Ecclesiastes 3 Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15. 

Ecclesiastes – The Preacher.

It is generally thought that the first section of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, even though his name is not mentioned, however, Chapter 1: 1 would indicate that Solomon is the author.“The words of the Preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.”

King Solomon asked God not for long life or wealth but for wisdom. 1 Kings 3: 9 – 12

Further evidence that he was the author in verses 16,

” I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”  1: 1, 16,

Solomon discerned in his wisdom that God has put eternity into our minds.

In the early days of the church, people’s hearts were being changed, the time had been fulfilled were God had revealed eternity in his Son, Jesus.

Jesus has united earth and heaven in his death, resurrection and ascension.

The Spirit of God that has been sent from heaven to the earth and through faith in Jesus unites us to where Jesus is in heavenly places in eternity.

In the Spirit Philip was taken by the Spirit in bodily form from one place to another in a moment of time, he didn’t travel the distance. “”and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” Acts 8: 39, 40.

In the book ‘Heavenly Man’ Brother Yun was taken in a moment of time from one place to another in bodily form.”Suddenly, even though I didn’t feel anything or notice anything happen, I found myself entering my home village  without any time passing! What should have taken a few hours just took a few moments.” Page 39 “The Heavenly Man” Paul Hatterway, Monarch Books.

The Time dimension we live in.

In science the space program is travelling in earth time, it took 16 months to reach Pluto and longer to go beyond our solar system.

Our experience in relation to ‘time’ a constant movement between one state to another “A time to be born and a time to die”. From being a baby to child, child to adolescent, youth to maturity, adult to old age followed by death.

 “A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what was planted.” Seasons ebbing and flowing: summer to Autumn, autumn to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer. The cycle of planting  and watching the growing process until the time arrives when the plants are cleared and the ground is prepared to start the process again.

“A time to kill and a time to heal.” The miracle of our human body, the white blood cells in our blood kill off bacteria and re-construct through the DNA in the white cells.

“A time to breakdown and a time to build up.”

God appointed time to fulfil a purpose. 

Sir Winston Churchill wrote, “There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for what a person is born, that special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfil his mission for which he was uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.”

During those war years many people wept and mourned their loss of family and friends. At the end of the war people embraced each other in laughter and people danced for joy.

Memories

Forgiving those who had hurt others in a time of war on both sides takes time, those who sought answers as to what had happened and why it had happened could  perhaps see that knowledge doesn’t over time change the heart of man, only God can do that.

“A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time cast away; a time  to rend, and a time  to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time to war, and a time for peace.” 

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1: 9 

Only God can change our ‘time’ to eternal time Jesus has made it possible for those who believe in him to enter into eternal time, a continual never ending time,  for ever more

Amen