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DOES ECCLESIASTES 9:4-6 TEACH ANNIHILATION?

Updated - 1/11/10

We read in Ecclesiastes 9:4-6:

4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

These verses have been used as a proof text for the annihilation of the unsaved.

In this study we are going to examine these verses. One rule we must keep in mind is that of 1 Corinthians 2:13 which states that we are to compare Scripture with Scripture to understand what God is teaching.

When we read a verse, it may seem to teach something, but we have to see how God uses that same language in other parts of the Bible to make sure that we are arriving at a Biblical conclusion.

For example, we read statements like “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” in Acts 16:31 and in other verses. These statements may seem to teach that we can get ourselves saved by believing in Christ. However, we have to factor in other verses that teach that we must believe “with the heart” (Romans 10:10). Yet, before salvation our heart is “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). When Romans 10:10, Jeremiah 17:9 and other verses are considered, we learn that we cannot fulfill Acts 16:31 until after God has already saved us.

Therefore, we must examine how God uses words and phrases in other parts of the Bible to make sure we are understanding what God is teaching.

Let us being our study by looking at the statement that the dead “know not any thing” that we find in Ecclesiastes 9:5. This phrase may seem to teach that the unsaved have no consciousness in eternity future. After all, if they do not know anything, doesn’t that mean that they don’t exist?

However, before we jump to a conclusion, we have to examine how God uses the phrase “know not any thing” in other parts of the Bible.

This phrase is made of two Hebrew words. The same two Hebrew words are found in Genesis 39:6. We read there:

And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

The phrase “knew not ought” in Genesis 39:6 is the same two Hebrew words found in the phrase “know not any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5. Therefore, we can use Genesis 39:6 to help us understand what God can mean by the phrase “know not any thing” that we find in Ecclesiastes 9:5.

In Genesis 39, Joseph is working for his Egyptian master, Potiphar. God was blessing Joseph in his service to Potiphar so that Potiphar entrusted Joseph with everything that he had.

We can understand the situation better if we read the first 6 verses of Genesis 39:

1 ¶ And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

We see that the LORD was with Joseph and blessing all of his actions. Verse 3 indicates that Potiphar could see this also. In verse 5, Potiphar made Joseph ruler of his whole house. As a result, the LORD blessed the whole house of Potiphar.

We read in verse 6 that “he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand”. Potiphar entrusted everything that he had to Joseph because whatever Joseph did, the LORD blessed it.

Then we read about Potiphar, “he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat”.

Does this mean that Potiphar did not know anything about what he had except for the bread that he ate?

No. It does not mean this.

Potiphar had a house to sleep in at night and he knew about his house. Potiphar knew about his other possessions as well.

Rather, the phrase “he knew not ought he had” means that Potiphar did not pay any attention to what he had, except that which he did eat. Joseph was doing such a good job in managing Potiphar’s possessions that Potiphar did not need to pay any attention to them.

In Genesis 39:6, God is using this Hebrew phrase “he knew not ought he had” to signify that Potiphar was not paying attention to what he had. Joseph was handling everything so well, it was not necessary for Potiphar to concern himself with those things.

This statement does not mean that Potiphar did not know anything about his possessions, like his house. Neither does this statement mean that Potiphar did not have any consciousness. The statement reflects to what Potiphar was paying attention.

In the same way, when the unsaved die from this world, they will no longer pay any attention to what they had in this world. They have lost that forevermore. However, just like Potiphar still had consciousness, the phrase “know not any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5 does not teach that the unsaved will not have consciousness.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 gives further help in understanding the phrase “know not any thing”

We read in Ecclesiastes 9:6:

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 is teaching that once the unsaved leave this world, they have lost all the blessings that God had provided for them in this world. They have lost everything they had.

The unsaved shall not have “any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun”.

The word “portion” is often used to refer to the blessings that God gives to all mankind in this world. In this world, God gives mankind a “portion” of many blessings. But, when the unsaved leave this world, they lose all of that.

The true believers will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). It will be an earth recreated as a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). They will receive a “portion” that they can keep forevermore.

But, the unsaved will lose the “portion” that they had.

The phrase “under the sun” can have two meanings.

Man in this world is “under the sun” and many of the blessings of this world originate from the “sun”. This includes blessings of sunshine, warmth, food, trees for building materials, etc. Finally, these blessings come from God. God created the “sun” and the earth.

The greater meaning is that the Lord Jesus is the “sun” (Malachi 4:2) that provides all of the blessings, including the blessings of the “sun”.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 emphasizes that once the unsaved leave this world, they lose everything that they had in this world, including all of the blessings of God.

The unsaved have lost all of the blessings that they had in this world.

Just like Potiphar did not “know” or pay any attention to the things under Joseph’s control, the unsaved that have left this world will not “know” or pay any attention to the things of this world anymore. They have lost whatever they had.

Let’s continue to look at other verses that help us understand the phrase “know not any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5.

We read in Genesis 39:8:

But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth <03045> not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Genesis 39:8 has the same Hebrew word “know” that we find in Ecclesiastes 9:5. Here it is translated “wotteth” which is the Old English word for “know”, but the Hebrew word is the same.

Genesis 39:8 conveys a similar idea as Ecclesiastes 9:5 because they both talk about “not knowing”. Genesis 39:8 is a follow onto verse 6.

In Genesis 39:8 the fact that Potiphar did “not know” what was with Joseph did not mean that Potiphar did not know that he had a home or servants. Rather, Potiphar did “not know” in the sense that he did not “pay attention to” those things that Joseph was doing.

God was blessing everything that Joseph was doing so that Potiphar did “not pay attention” to those things that were under Joseph’s control.

In the same way, once the unsaved depart from this world, they will have lost everything that they had in this world. They will no longer pay any attention to it.

Let’s look at a few verses with this word translated “any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5.

We read in Genesis 22:12:

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing <03972> unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Genesis 22:12 has the same Hebrew word translated “any thing” that we find in Ecclesiastes 9:5.

In Genesis 22:12 this word “any thing” means not to do “any thing” harmful to Isaac. It means that Abraham was not to hurt Isaac nor to kill him.

In this verse, this Hebrew word translated “any thing” does not refer to anything at all. Abraham would do things to Isaac. Abraham would talk to Isaac and walk home with Isaac and certainly explain to him about God’s provision of a sacrifice.

In Genesis 22:12, this Hebrew word “any thing” signifies “any thing harmful”. It is conditioned by the context.

It ties into the statement “Lay not thine hand upon the lad” which conveys the idea of harming Isaac.

So, when we see this Hebrew word “any thing” from Ecclesiastes 9:5, it does not necessarily mean “any thing” at all. Rather, it can be limited by the context at hand.

This Hebrew word translated “any thing” can mean “any thing of the context”. In the case of Genesis 22:12, it was “any thing harmful” to Isaac.

Let’s review verses 4-5 to see the context:

4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Verse 4 gives the context of the “hope” of salvation that those in this world still have. Verse 5 says that those in this world “know” that they shall die. When we die from this world, we lose all “hope” of salvation. In that sense, those in this world “know” about the “hope” of salvation.

But, the unsaved that have left this world, they “know not any thing” of the “hope” of salvation. Any “hope” of salvation is gone for them. They have lost it all.

We are seeing that this Hebrew word translated “any thing” can be limited by the context of the passage. The understanding “any thing of the hope” of salvation fits the context very well. The unsaved that have left this world know nothing of that “hope”.

We read in Genesis 30:31-32:

31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing <03972>: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

The Hebrew word translated “any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5 also appears in Genesis 30:31.

In Genesis 30, Jacob is negotiating with his father-in-law, Laban, to continue to care for Laban’s flocks. In verse 31, Laban asks Jacob what he should pay Jacob so that Jacob will continue to care for his flocks.

Jacob tells his father-in-law, “Thou shalt not give me any thing <03972>:”

Does this mean that Jacob was not going to be paid anything at all?

No. In the next verse Jacob will describe what pay he wants. Jacob wanted to receive the lightly-esteemed cattle.

Then, how do we understand Jacob’s statement above?

We could understand it this way: Jacob tells his father-in-law, “Thou shalt not give me any thing <03972> of the valuable cattle.”

This is one way to understand Jacob’s statement in Genesis 30:31.

In other words, the Hebrew word “any thing” is being used in Genesis 30:31 in the sense of “any thing of value”. It is not “any thing at all”. This word is limited by the context.

This is the same way this Hebrew word is being used in Ecclesiastes 9:5.

In Ecclesiastes 9:5, God is saying that the dead “know not any thing of hope”

Let us consider another verse with this same Hebrew word translated “any thing”.

We read in 1 Samuel 20:39:

But the lad knew not any thing <03972>: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

In this passage, Jonathan is delivering a message to David who is hiding and watching. Jonathan is shooting arrows and this “lad” is fetching the arrows.

By how far Jonathan shoots the arrows and by the instructions he gives to the lad, Jonathan is communicating to David a secret message. The lad did not know any thing about this, but Jonathan and David knew about it.

So, when we read that the lad did not know “any thing”, it means that he did not know “anything of the message” being delivered.

1 Samuel 20:39 is not teaching that the lad did not know “any thing at all”. Rather, the lad did not know “any thing of the message”. So, this Hebrew word translated “any thing” can be limited by the context of the passage or the context of the Bible.

We have seen that this Hebrew word translated “any thing” is used in several verses to indicate “any thing of the context”. Therefore, in Ecclesiastes 9:5, God is not necessarily saying that the dead do not know “any thing at all”. Rather, they do not know “any thing of the hope of salvation”.

Let’s look at verse 5 along with the previous verse to again examine the context.

We read in Ecclesiastes 9:4-5:

4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

In verse 4 God talks about “hope”. Those in this world still have “hope”. They have the hope of salvation.

In verse 5, God says “For the living know that they shall die”. This statement ties back to the idea of “hope”.

The unsaved in this world know that someday they will die. At which point, there will be no “hope” for them. The unsaved know that they shall die and after that, there will be no hope for them.

Once the unsaved die, they “know not any thing” of the hope of salvation. This understanding is possible, because we have seen other verses, including Genesis 22:12, Genesis 30:31 and 1 Samuel 20:39, in which this Hebrew word translated “any thing” can have the meaning of “any thing” of the context.

The context of Ecclesiastes 9:4-5 is that the unsaved know that they shall die and that will be the end of any “hope” for them.

Let’s summarize the points about the phrase “but the dead know not any thing”:

1. The same two Hebrew word phrase translated “know not any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5 is used in Genesis 39:6 to indicate “not to pay attention to any thing”. The same phrase describes the fact that Potiphar “knew not any thing” that was under Joseph’s control except for the bread that he ate.

2. The same Hebrew word translated “know” in Ecclesiastes 9:5 is used again in Genesis 39:8 to indicate the sense of to “not pay attention to”. Potiphar did not pay attention to his things that were under Joseph’s control.

3. Just as Potiphar did not “know” or “pay attention” to any of the things under Joseph’s control, the unsaved that have departed from this world will not “know” or “pay attention” to any of the things of this world or the “hope” of salvation.

4. The Hebrew word translated “any thing” in Ecclesiastes 9:5 is used in other verses to refer to “any thing of the context” and not everything. The context of Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 is that the unsaved have lost “any thing” of the “hope” of salvation and God’s blessings they had in this world.

Let’s continue our study with the next phrase from Ecclesiastes 9:5.

Next, we read in Ecclesiastes 9:5; “neither have they any more a reward”.

The Hebrew word translated “reward” is often used to refer to pay or some reward people receive in this world.

Here are a few verses with this same Hebrew word:

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward <07939>.

Genesis 30:18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire <07939>, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

Genesis 30:32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire <07939>.

Numbers 18:31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward <07939> for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Deuteronomy 15:18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth <07939> a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward <07939> for their labour.

In Genesis 15:1, the “reward” that Abraham was God Himself and the Kingdom of God. That is the true eternal blessing.

The unsaved in this world receive many “rewards” for their labor. These things have been blessings of God for them.

However, when they leave this world, they lose all of these “rewards”. For them, “neither have they any more a reward”. They have lost all of the blessings and potential gain from this world.

Next, we read in Ecclesiastes 9:5, “for the memory of them is forgotten”

This phrase leads us to believe that God will “forget” the unsaved.

The fact that the unsaved are “forgotten” or not “remembered” by God leads some people to conclude that they have ceased to exist.

However, to understand what it means that God will “forget” or not “remember” the unsaved, we must follow the Biblical rule to compare Scripture with Scripture.

A detailed study has been prepared on what does it mean that God “forgets” or does not “remember” the unsaved in eternity future.

However, let’s consider 3 verses here:

We read in Psalms 42:9:

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

In this passage, the Psalmist is suffering affliction. Presently, God is not relieving his affliction. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Psalmist asks God, “Why hast thou forgotten me?”

We see the concept of God “forgetting” someone in this verse.

Has the Psalmist ceased to exist because God has “forgotten” him?

No. The Psalmist has not ceased to exist.

Presently, God is not helping him. God is not answering his cries.

In Psalm 42:9, God is providing definition for what it means for God to “forget” someone. It does not mean that the person does not exist. Rather, it can mean that God is not answering his cries for help.

Let us consider another verse. We read in Psalms 44:24:

Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

Here, the Psalmist is crying out to God and asking God, “Wherefore hidest thou thy face?” God is not helping him. God has “forgotten” his affliction and oppression.

In Psalm 44:24, we see again that God is defining what it can mean that God “forgets” someone. It can mean that God is not answering his cries for mercy.

Let’s look at one more verse. We read in Psalm 13:1-2:

1 <<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

In Psalm 13:1, David is asking God, “How long wilt thou forget me?”.

The fact that God has “forgotten” David does not mean that David has been annihilated. Rather, it means that God has “forgotten” to answer David’s cries for mercy.

We have seen 3 verses in which God uses the idea of God “forgetting” someone to indicate that God is not answering his cries for mercy. In these verses, the Psalmist still exists. It is simply that God is not answering his prayers for help.

We must remember that God defines words and concepts by how He uses them in the Bible.

Therefore, when we read that God “forgets” the unsaved at Judgment Day, it does not mean that the unsaved have ceased to exist. Rather, with the help of Psalm 13:1-2, 42:9, 44:24 and other verses, we see that God uses this language to indicate God is not answering cries for mercy.

Sadly, at Judgment Day, God will “forget” the unsaved in the sense that He will not answer any of their cries for mercy.

We have prepared a detailed study on this question:

PLEASE SEE THE STUDY: THE UNSAVED ARE REMEMBERED NO MORE

Let’s consider the next statement in Ecclesiastes 9:5-6.

We read in Ecclesiastes 9:6

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

When we see the word “perish” we may think of a cessation of existence. However, when we study the Bible carefully, we find that the word “perish” is like the word “dead” which means to be separated from God, who is called “life” in the Bible. We have some studies that help examine the Bible teachings on these and related words:

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Please see the study on A BODY “SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”

DOES THE FREQUENCY OF WORDS LIKE “PERISH”, “DEATH”, “DESTROY”, “CONSUME”, ETC. TEACH ANNIHILATION?

PLEASE THE STUDY OF 10 PROOFS OF THE CONSCIOUS RESURRECTION OF THE UNSAVED

Ecclesiastes 9:6 is teaching the important truth that when unsaved man leaves this world, he loses all of the things that he had.

Whatever unsaved man had in this world he loses it upon death from this world. Some of what they had were the result of their evil character. We see that in the phrase, “their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished”.

Whatever the unsaved had in this world, whether it was good or bad, they have lost it upon departure from this world.

God builds upon this in the next phrase of verse 6, “neither have they any more a portion for ever”.

The word “portion”, which is sometimes also translated as “part” is frequently used to refer to some possession in this world. Here are some verses with this same Hebrew word:

Genesis 31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion <02506> or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Deuteronomy 10:9 Wherefore Levi hath no part <02506> nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.

Joshua 19:9 Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part <02506> of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.

2 Chronicles 10:16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion <02506> have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

Ecclesiastes 2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion <02506> of all my labour.

Lamentations 3:24 The LORD is my portion <02506>, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Lamentations 3:24 tells us the that true believer’s “portion” is not in this world, but the LORD is his “portion”.

The last part of Ecclesiastes 9:6 is very important.

WWe read there “in any thing that is done under the sun.”

We talked about this phrase earlier, but it is important because it sets the context for Ecclesiastes 9:5-6.

There are two ways that we can understand this phrase:

1. We can think about the “sun” as the star that provides light to this world. In that case, the phrase, “in any thing that is done under the sun” refers to this world. When the unsaved die from this world, they lose everything, both good and bad, that they had in this world.

The true believers inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) which has been recreated as a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). However, the unsaved lose everything. This is the important message of Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

2. We can also think of the “sun” as the Lord Jesus (Malachi 4:2). Once the unsaved depart from this world, they lose all of the blessings they had in God.

God has provided many blessings in this world. God has given the unsaved “portions”. God has allows them to gain many “rewards” or “hires” for their activities in this world. However, when unsaved mankind departs from this world, he loses everything.

We can summarize the teaching of Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 phrase by phrase:

1. “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing,”

From Genesis 39:6 & 8 and other passages we learn that this phrase “know not any thing” can signify not paying attention to something. It does not necessarily mean to have no knowledge at all.

Once the unsaved leave this world, they have lost everything they had.

Also, we have seen that the Hebrew word translated “any thing” can be limited by the context. The context of verses 4-5 is “any thing of the hope” of salvation. Salvation is the important “hope” that is possible for mankind in this world.

2. Verse 4, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion”, provides help in understanding the first part of verse 5.

The unsaved in this world, still have the “hope” of salvation. They know that death from this world is coming, but while they are in this world, they still have “hope”. But, once the unsaved depart from this world, there is no “hope” for them.

3. “neither have they any more a reward … Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

The next part of verse 5 is combined with verse 6. These statements have a similar theme.

The unsaved in this world are able to gain a “portion” or “reward” or “hire” for their actions. Finally, these things are a blessing from God. However, when the unsaved depart from this world, they lose all of that. They have no more “portion” or “reward”. All blessing from God is gone.

Also, everything they had, whether it was sinful or not is gone. This truth is indicated by the words “love”, “hatred” and “envy”.

4. “for the memory of them is forgotten”.

God provides help in understanding what it means for God to “forget” or not “remember” the unsaved in Psalm 13:1-2, Psalm 42:9, Psalm 44:24 and other passages.

It means that God will no longer listen to the cries of the unsaved with any intention of showing them mercy. God will have “forgotten” to be merciful to them. God will not “remember” to show them any mercy.

There is an important principle to keep in mind in studying the book of Ecclesiastes.

A big theme of the book of Ecclesiastes is that everything in this world is finally vanity and has no lasting value.

We see this theme in Ecclesiastes 1:2 where we read:

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

This is true for both the saved as well as the unsaved. Both the true believers and the unbelievers will finally lose everything that they had of this world.

We see this theme in Ecclesiastes 2:14-17 where we read:

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

In these verses the “wise” represents the true believer and the “fool” represents the unsaved.

Ecclesiastes 2:14-17 makes the point that both the “wise”, the true believers, and the “fools”, the unsaved, have to depart from this world and lose everything of this world.

This is the “one event” that happens to all mankind, both the unsaved and the unsaved.

Notice that it says for both the saved and the unsaved in Ecclesiastes 2:16, “For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever”.

This agrees with Ecclesiastes 9:5 which says that when anyone dies from this world, “the memory of them is forgotten”.

Once we leave this world, whether we are saved or unsaved, everything we had in this world is gone and finally any remembrance of us in this world passes away.

We have examined Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 following the Biblical rule of 1 Corinthians 2:13 and have found that it does not teach annihilation. Rather, it teaches that when the unsaved depart from this world, they lose all blessings they had in this world and they will no longer pay attention to anything of this world. There will no longer be any “hope” for them.

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