Eternal oblivion or Afterlife

Question

The Christian Bible is based on the concept of hell and heaven yet it contradicts itself by revealing eternal oblivion instead of afterlife:

Ecclesiastes 9:5-10

5: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.

6: Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.

7: Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

8: Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.

9: Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

10: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

What is this supposed to mean? Does Ecclesiastes go against the rest of the bible and is that why many consider the books of Ecclesiastes source of negative wisdom?

Answer 1

The translation used in the question describes the next life as "the realm of the dead". The actual Hebrew is more explicit, using the word Sheol (בִּשְׁא֕וֹל), as we can see in other translations:

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (ESV): Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

So, the Preacher did not believe the dead cease to exist, simply that they went to a place of semi-consciousness, Sheol, where they could still be contacted by the living. As a concept, this is not limited to Ecclesiastes, with parallels elsewhere in the Old Testament. Job 26:6 refers to the same afterlife (however the word is translated in English):

Job 26:6 (ESV): Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.

The role of Sheol changed over time, especially during the post-Exilic period. Uta Ranke-Heinemann says, in Putting Away Childish Things, page 234, "Only the Sadducees continued to view Sheol as the eternal and unchanging kingdom of the dead." She goes on to say (Page 236), "Sheol was increasingly losing its importance not just for the good, but ultimately for the wicked, too." Only from around 130 BCE, the "valley of Gehinnon" became a separate destination where punishment was meted out.

Since the souls in Sheol could be contacted in the right circumstances, the ancient Jews did not regard this realm of the dead to be entirely a place of oblivion. In late post-Exilic times, the unrighteous even suffered punishment, whether in Sheol or (later) Gehinnon, so oblivion was generally not their lot. Some modern Jews believe that the truly unrighteous may simply cease to exist after the mandatory twelve months of punishment, while others believe the punishment may continue forever. I have not found that most people regard Ecclesiastes to be a source of negative wisdom, although many do find in it a source of confusion, from a modern Christian perspective.

Answer 2

Daniel 12:2 says

• ורבים מישני אדמת עפר
  • Then many from sleep of soil of ground
• יקיצו אלה לחיי עולם
  • shall arise those to life eternal
• ואלה לחרפות לדראון עולם
  • and those to be-spited to eternal shame.

To paraphrase,

Many from among they who sleep in the ground shall they arise to eternal life. And then those who will be spited to eternal shame (without ever arising).

But Eccl 9 says

• v4:

  • כי מי אשר יבחר
    because they-who which shall be selected
  • יחבר אל כל החיים ישבטחון
    shall they accompany all those shall-be-assured living
  • כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת
    because to be a living dog is better than a dead lion

• v5:

  • כי החיים ידעים שימתו
    because the living know that they shall die
  • והמתים אינם ידעים מאומה
    and then the dead know nothing
  • ואין עוד להם שכר
    and no longer are they paid wages
  • כי נשכח זברם
    because they shall be forgotten

Eccl 9:4 onwards actually says,

There are those who will be selected to be among the company of the assured-living. Those currently living know that they shall die.

So if you want to be among those who are dead, who will no longer know anything, and no longer trade in wages/rewards as they shall be forgotten, where furthermore, their loving and hatred and jealousy shall have perished, where there will not be apportioned anymore forever in all that they have done under the sun

• go on eat, drink and be merry with a good conscience, because G'd had desired your deeds.
• put on clean clothes, live a luxurious life.
• because all you do shall be pointless.

If you do not wish to be among those selected for assured-living, then live your current life carelessly and carefree and in good conscience. G'd has already had desired of your deeds.

Yes, tell yourself with good faith and with good conscience that you do not need to perform good works, but live in your prosperity gospels. Destroy the planet with your consumerism. Yes tell yourself you are saved by faith alone without good deeds - because G'd has given up on you.

What about "Sheol"?

If you know a little bit Arabic and Hebrew, you should know that [שאל / ShAL ] = ask or question.

• passive declension [שאול / ShAUL] = asked, which is king Saul's name
• passive declension [שאול / ShEOL] = unknown. Mystery.

Conclusion

That is, regardless if you have a lot of references to all the hermeneutics experts in the world, but just reading the Hebrew of the Bible boils down to

• there is/shall be no such thing as living in eternal damnation.
• if your deeds do not select you for assured-life eternal, do whatever, believe whatever, live with your good conscience, because G'd has given up on you, and you live in vain. You will be forgotten forever in shame.
• you are not saved by faith alone. There is no such thing as justified by faith alone.