WHY IS THE BIBLE BOOK OF “ECCLESIASTES” THUS NAMED?

by Shawn Brasseaux

The title is derived from the Greek word (“ekklesia”) for “church, congregation” (literally, “a called-out assembly”). Think of our English word “ecclesiastical” (church-related matters).

Whomever the Holy Spirit used to write Ecclesiastes—and the extensive internal evidence leads us to conclude it was King Solomon—the man calls himself “the Preacher” (1:1-2,12; 7:27; 12:8-10). In Hebrew, the word is “Qoheleth,” meaning “assembler, lecturer.” (Compare this to the Greek term above.)

Now, the overall picture comes into view. The Book of Ecclesiastes is about a speaker who has gathered a class or audience to listen to what he has discovered firsthand in life. He has some important advice to issue for their welfare. The emphasis of his sermon is his “learning the hard way” about the disappointments and futility of living for the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Conducting one’s life apart from the one true God (the Lord Jesus Christ) will lead to such indescribable deception, frustration, hopelessness, and misery.

Although the intended audience is the nation Israel as she faces—and ultimately overcomes—Satan’s lie program under the Antichrist, we as the Church the Body of Christ can benefit as well. The same evil world system attempts to corrupt us too, so we need to be on guard with sound Bible doctrine (dispensational Bible study). See also 1 Corinthians 1–3, Colossians 2:8, and 1 John 2:15-17.

Also see:
» Why do some Christians persistently live like lost people?
» Has God’s Word failed?
» Must one be a “King James Bible Pauline dispensationalist” to have eternal life?