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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 For, every thing, there is a season,–and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens:– |
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| 2 A time to be born, and a time to die,–A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted; |
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| 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal,–A time to break down, and a time to build up; |
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| 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh,–A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy; |
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| 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to heap up stones,–A time to embrace, and a time to be far from loving embrace; |
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| 6 A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost,–A time to keep, and a time to cast away; |
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| 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew,–A time to be silent, and a time to speak; |
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| 8 A time to love and a time to hate,–A time of war, and a time of peace. |
Hate – Despise that which is contrary to the principles of justice and righteousness. "I hate thee with a perfect hatred." (Psa. 139:22) Q783:T
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| 9 What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled? |
What profit – Solomon sees man laboring hard to amass wealth, and wisely inquires thus. R1532:3
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| 10 I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein: |
To be exercised – By experience. R1533:5
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| 11 Everything, hath he made beautiful in its own time,–also, intelligence, hath he put in their heart, without which men could not find out the work which God hath wrought, from the beginning even unto the end. |
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| 12 I know that there is no blessedness in them,–save to be glad, and to do well with one's life. |
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| 13 Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it is, the gift of God. |
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| 14 I know, that, whatsoever God doeth, the same, shall be age-abiding, unto it, there is nothing to add, and, from it, there is nothing to take away,–and, God, hath done it, that men should stand in awe before him. |
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| 15 That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been,–but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away. |
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| 16 Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness. |
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| 17 Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge,–for [there will be] a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work–there. |
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| 18 Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them,–and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves. |
Sons of men – None of Adam's children are called "Sons of God" until Jesus gave himself a ransom. R1005:2
Beasts – Those who, by wilful sin, forfeit and lose the likeness of God are to be treated as "natural brute beasts made to be destroyed." (2 Pet. 2:12) R1005:2
The distinction is not in the kind of breath of life, but in that man has a higher organism than other animals. R1880:4
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| 19 For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all,–and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:
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For that which – Death. E315
Even one thing – Even the same thing. E315
The destruction of the tissues goes on, so everything that had life in the body perishes--a process common to both man and beast. R5166:1
So dieth the other – Your senses can discern no difference between them. R4792:5
Death is not sleep; it is destruction. R5166:1
Such as die the Second Death are not sons; they will be treated as brute beasts, destroyed. R1006:6
But though there is no hope for the future life for the brute, God's Word stands pledged for a future life for humanity. HG646:2
Have all one breath – Life is not a created element at all, but a principle or force transmuted into different organisms. R822:1*
One kind of ruach, spirit of life; an invisible power or influence. E174, E389; R1880:4
All life is the same whether in fish, fowl, beast, man or angel. R822:2*
But with different bodies and organic quality. E327
No preeminence – Mankind is not possessed of any power of life beyond that of a beast, except by God's provision; nevertheless, our Creator has made provision for everlasting life for man. R4792:5
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| 20 all, go unto one place,–all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust. |
Unto one place – But for God's mercy the infidel view would be true--no beyond, no future for man after death. SM29:1
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| 21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of men, whether it, ascendeth, above,–or the spirit of the beast, whether it, descendeth, below, to the earth? |
Who knoweth – Who can prove the popular theory? E315
The wise man challenges any proof, any knowledge to such effect. R1880:4
Spirit of man that – That the ruach, spirit of life, of man. E315
Goeth upward – Controverting the heathen theory that man had some inherent quality which would prevent his death, even when he seemed to die. R1880:4; HG331:2
Spirit of the beast that – That the ruach, spirit of life, of the beast. E315
Goeth downward – The distinction between man and beast is not in the kind of breath or life, but in man's likeness to God and the provision for his resurrection. R1880:5
Such as die the Second Death will be treated as "brute beasts," destroyed. (2 Pet. 2:12) R1006:6
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| 22 So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion,–for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him? |
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