The Hebrew word translated “spirit” in Ecclesiastes 12:7 is from Ruach, not from nehphesh, which is the word that some of the times it is used it is translated “soul.” Ruach is translated breath, wind, spirit, etc., but never translated “soul.” It is the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), that came from God and made both man and beast “living beings,” that returns to God. In Ecclesiastes 11:4 it is, “He who watches the wind (ruach).” If Ecclesiastes 12:7 did prove that a person has an immortal soul that returns to God in Heaven, then it proves that the same immortal souls preexisted with God in Heaven as a rational, intelligent, thinking being before the birth of the body. By misusing this verse to prove a person now has something in them that is now immortal and it is this immortal something in a person goes back to God at death, then it would prove more than they want to prove. If the spirit that returns to God is an inward part of a person that is immortal, and it came from God, this inward immortal thinking being had to preexist in Heaven with God before the person was born. Most do not want preexistence before birth of ALL, neither do they want ALL, both the saved and the lost going back to Heaven unto second coming of Christ, but if their view were right, that the spirit is an immortal inter part of a person that came from God at birth and them returns to God at death, there would be no way around it. The incorrect use of this passage to prove a person is born with an immortal soul undeniably implies the preexistence of that soul, that it existed in Heaven a living being before the birth of the person, and that at death all souls, the saved and the unsaved and also the souls of animals leave the person or animal it was put in and returns to God who is in Heaven, back to where the soul was before the person or animal was born. Whatever came from God, whether it was life, or a living intelligent being that was in Heaven is what returns to God. It does not say that what came from God was a created intelligent living being (as are the angels) that was in Heaven, but that is what is inferred when this passage is used to prove the doctrine that person has an immortal soul or an immortal spirit in him or her that returns to God at death.
It would prove:
If the spirits that came from God is man’s immortal souls then:
According to the teaching of many, this immortal soul was a living, conscious, thinking being before it came from God,
(1) It existed in Heaven as a living, thinking being,
OR
(2) Whatever came from God was not an immortal, thinking soul that we are told that all have.
It is the "spirit," not "an immortal soul" that returns to God. What is the spirit that existed before the birth of the person? "Then the Lord God formed a man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man (the body of dust) became a living being (a soul-nehphesh - Genesis 2:7). A body made of dust + the spirit, the breath of life from God (Genesis 2:7) = a soul, a living creature whether it is a person or an animal. The spirit (breath of life) all life comes from God the only source of life, whether the life of a person, or the life of an animal, and this life returns to God. When the life returns to God, the body returns to dust, and we will have no work, device, knowledge, or wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:10) unto the resurrection when life comes from God. All life is from God.
If the spirits that came from God is man’s immortal soul then:
Would not this make the immortal soul or immortal spirit that came from God and had returned to God that had been in David be some kind of being that was in David, but was not David? That this being is now in Heaven, but David is not in Heaven?
Ecclesiastes 12:7 is the reverse of the process in Genesis 2:7.
Today's theology tells us two conflicting things.
The way Ecclesiastes 12:7 is misused to prove a person has an immortal part that cannot die makes this passage prove:
According to today's theology the only thing that can change for the soul is its location. Birth, death, and the resurrection are only three moving days for it. There could not be a real death for an immortal soul, or a real resurrection for a soul that was not dead.
Most Eastern religions, most New Age believers, and many Christians believe in the preexistence of the soul, literally billions. Many Christians believe God creates a new soul for each at birth, some at the time of conception, some at the time of the first breath, which they believe to be only a part of a person that is immortal, and it is only this immaterial something in a person that will be in Heaven or Hell. However, if Ecclesiastes 12:7 is used to prove a person has an immortal soul that will live forever, there is no way to get around preexistence of the soul that came from Heaven at birth, or that all (the saved, the lost, and all beasts) will go back to Heaven at death.
Proves Universalism, but not the same Universalism taught by the Universalist. If this "spirit" that returns to God is an immortal soul, then it proves all, both good and bad will go to Heaven at death without the "attitude adjustments" taught by the Universalism, but it may not last forever for, according to their doctrine, ALL will be taken out of Heaven and return to earth at the judgment; then if one is a Christian, or not a Christian, his spirit that came from God at birth goes back to Heaven to God at death, but all spirits will leave Heaven for judgment, and only some spirits will go back. If the “spirit” that came from God were an immortal part (soul) of a person, them most of the all that was with God in Heaven before their birth will end up in Hell after the judgment; even if they do not believe what their incorrect use of this passage would prove, it would still prove it.
Job said, "If He should gather to Himself His spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust" (Job 34:14-15). “And the breath (nshahmah—sprit) of the Almighty gives me life’ (Job 33:4). The breath of life came from God and returns to God, it was not a conscious immortal being before it came from God, and is not a conscious immortal being after it returns to God. The spirit that returns to God at death is not an immortal soul, and is not the spiritual body that the dead in Christ will put on at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:44). In Genesis 2:7 Adam was made from the earth, then God breathed into Adam the breath of life and Adam, not part of Adam became a living being (soul), in Ecclesiastes 12:7 when Adam returned to the earth, the spirit or breath of life that came from God returned to God. When the “spirit departs” (returns to God) the “thoughts perish” (Psalm 146:4); if the spirit that departs were a living being with separate existence it would have no thoughts.
It is said that the dead do not know anything was only, "The way the world perceives the dead" at the time Solomon wrote this, but that is not true. Most of the world at that time, other than the Jews, believed in reincarnation, and believed the dead had some kind of life and thoughts in the underworld until they were reincarnated. Egypt, where the Jews had just come from believed the dead lived and had always lived and would always live; therefore, they would have had thoughts and known something. Many Pagans believed the soul has always existed, and must always exist, that the soul is self-existence; it has always been reincarnated, and always will be. If a person has an immortal soul that came from God and will go back to God, it lived before the person was born, and it will live when the person is dead. The inescapable conclusion would be that the pagans were right, and all that I am, all that I think and do is just a temporary passing thing just as my body is; it is only the soul that existed before me and was put in a prison in my body for a short time, and it (not me) will always exist. This is no surprise for it is just what the pagans teach, and is the source from which the church fathers brought this teaching into the church.
Old age and death are the subject in Ecclesiastes 12:7. All are born and all die and when "it" the spirit (Ruach–breath of life-See Job 27:3; 33:4) of both men and animals returns to God. Solomon says it is a vanity, not a blessed event of going home to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7-8). Those who use the spirit returning to God to prove a person has an immortal soul that returns to God at death overlook verse 8.
Solomon called the "spirit" an "it." Ecclesiastes 12:7 "And the spirit (ruach) returns to God who give it." Psalm 104:29-30 "You take away their breath (ruach–sea creature and animals - see verses 24-25), they die, and return to their dust. You send forth Your spirit (ruach–sea creature and animals); they are created." Psalm 146:4 "His breath (ruach–spirit) goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." If a persons thoughts perishes when the body perishes, if there were an immortal soul, would that not make it have no thoughts? If the thinking part of a person is the earthly person, and this thinking part perishes at death, and the person’s thoughts perishes at death, then if a soul lived after the death of the person, (1) it would be a thoughtless something like plants (2) or it would have it’s own thoughts that were not the thoughts of the person. If there were an inner something in a person that continues to think after the death of the person, after “in that very day his thoughts perish," than a soul’s thoughts could not be the thoughts of the person. It is not possible to reconcile today's immortal soul theology, or an immortal spirit theology with God's word.
Summary: If this spirit that returns to God were an immortal soul, it would undeniable be in conflict with the teaching of today's theology that lost souls go to Hell immediately at death, and not to Heaven. Why is this one of the most used passages to teach a person has an immortal soul? Maybe because there is no passage that really teaches it, and changing spirit that came from and returns to God into a living, thinking, immortal soul is the best that can be found.
(8) THE SPIRIT OF MAN AND THE SPIRIT OF BEAST
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21
“I said in my heart, it is because of the sons of men, that I may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts. For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath (Hebrew–ruach–spirit); and man has no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows the spirit (Hebrew–ruach) of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit (Hebrew–ruach) of beast, whether it goes downward to the earth.” Why was the same Hebrew word (ruach) translated “breath” when it has references to both man and beast; were they hiding the fact they both have the same “ruach” because they did not believe beast have the same spirit as man?
Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 King James Version:
“All (man and beasts) have the same BREATH (ruach).”
“Who knows that the SPIRIT (ruach) of man.”
“That the SPIRIT (ruach) of the beast.”
Psalm 104:29-30 King James Version:
“You take away their BREATH (ruach) they die.”
“You send forth your SPIRIT (ruach) they are created.”
Innate soul advocates would not give man the beasts the same spirit (soul), neither could they have God taking away the soul.
If this BREATH–SPIRIT (ruach) were an immortal soul that returns to God at death, then it is like Ecclesiastes 12:7 above in that it would prove ALL, both the good and the evil are saved, and both return to God at death. See notes above.
"They all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast."
“Who know that the breath (ruach) of man ascends upward and the breath (ruach) of the beast descends downward to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:21 New American Standard Version). Solomon is asking a question, to which he gives no answer, but his question is turned into statement of fact when it is used to prove that man a spirit (ruach) that is immortal, but the same spirit (ruach) in a beast is mortal. WHEN HIS QUESTION IS CHANGED INTO A STATEMENT THAT SAYS SOLOMON KNEW MANKIND HAS IMMORTAL SOULS, AND BEASTS DO NOT, IT MAKES A LIE OUT OF HIS STATEMENT THAT “THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE FOR MAN OVER BEAST,” THERE WOULD BE A VERT BIG ADVANTAGE.
There is an old saying, "That which proves to much proves nothing." The spirit of a person going up after his death is used to prove a person has a soul that does not die when his body dies; therefore, this soul is immortal, then the beast having a spirit that goes down after its death would prove that the beast has a soul just as immortal as a person's soul, and that it does not die when the body of the beast dies; therefore, its soul is immortal. The "spirit (ruach) of a beast," and the "spirit (ruach) of a man" are in the same sentence, and both times “spirit” is from the same Hebrew word, there is no way to make one "spirit" be an immortal something that cannot die, and the other "spirit" be only the life of the body that is not immortal. If a beast has a soul or spirit (Hebrew—ruach, the same soul—ruach persons have) that separates from its body and goes anywhere after its death, then the ruach of beast would be just as alive after the death of the beast as the ruach of a person would be after the ruach separated from the body of the person. If the spirit (ruach) going up proves it is immortal, then the spirit (ruach) going down would prove that it is immortal.
Ruach is translate 16 different ways, most often as breath and wind, and is used to describe all earthly living beings. All flesh, birds, cattle, beasts, and every creeping thing, all have the same spirit (ruach) as man (Genesis 7:22; Genesis 6:17; Ecclesiastes 3:19).
This is a question that Solomon asked, but he did not give an answer. Yet, many give their own answer and say, “Yes I know where the soul of man goes, it returns to God all the way up to Heaven,” and then use their uninspired answer to prove that Solomon said a person has an immortal soul that goes up to God in Heaven, or down to Hell at death. That the lost are transported directly down to Hell at death much be added, for if not, they have made this passage teach all will be saved at death, and that before and without the death of Christ. But was Solomon asking whether anyone knows that the dead go to Heaven? In the time of Solomon the Pagans that were all around Israel believed in reincarnation; the resurrection and life after death was not known about in the Old Testament, “Our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). With the revelation that Solomon had, with all that had been made known at that time he could see nothing after death for man or beast. All these blessings of the Law were in this lifetime, not after death (Deuteronomy 28:11). Not one word about a blessing after death (see chapter seven–“A strange and unexplainable silence of the Old Testament on punishment and life after death” and (6) above); having no revelation about a resurrection after death Solomon saw the same fate for both, and saw no pre-eminence of one over the other after death, they both die. Without knowing of a resurrection after death, he could not see any life for either one. See Psalm 115:17; 6:5; 146:4-5; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Job 14:21. “As it is with the good man, so with the sinner…the same destiny overtakes all…for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:2-5 New International Version). Without the resurrection to immortality, which was not make known at that time (2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:18) all blessing and all cursing would be in this life-time, no blessing or cursing after death (Deuteronomy 28:1-68).
Reincarnation, that all living being, both men and animals, have a soul that come back as a higher or lower life was taught by the Pagans that was all around Israel at that time. His question might have been to the Pagans asking them how did they know about reincarnation, how did they know a spirit or soul of a person or beast goes anywhere after death and is reincarnated. According to Pagan teaching that all, both persons and beasts do have an immortal soul, and they believe this soul goes somewhere after death. He asked by what authority do you know this; how did they know some were reincarnated down to a lower life and some up to a higher life? The only answer would be none; there is no revelation, no way to know about reincarnation but human reasoning.
Unconditional immortality must change what Solomon said. He said, "For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath (ruach) and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the same place, All come from the dust and all return to the dust. (After clearly saying man and beast go to the same place, he is made to say in the next sentence that they do not go to the same place). Who knows that the breath (ruach) of man ascends upward and the breath (ruach) of beast descends downward to the earth?" His question must be changed into a statement of fact that is a direct contradiction of what he had just said for it to teach today's theology. Solomon says the living knows something, but the dead do not know anything. (Ecclesiastes 9:5). He did not say, "Dead bodies do not know anything." There is no way anyone can say the dead know anything unless they say Solomon did not tell the truth, for if the dead go immediately to Heaven or Hell at death, they do know something. How could they be in torment in Hell if those in Hell do not know anything?
This is spoken of all men, not just the good ones. If it is an immortal spirit going to Heaven, then both the good and the bad go to Heaven at death, and this was before the death of Christ. If all were going to Heaven ("up" which they say is back to God in Heaven) at death before and without the death of Christ, before anyone had ascended to Heaven, why did Christ die? Has not the death of Christ been made useless?
In “Life and Death,” Campbell argued that spirits, whether it be spirits of angles or spirits of men, cannot die just because they are spirits, is there anyway that his argument would not prove that the spirits of beast cannot die just because they are spirits? But he is changing the spirit (ruach) into an immortal, deathless soul that has it own life separate from the life of men or beast, with the spirit (ruach) of beast being mortal, and the spirit (ruach) of man being immortal, even when the same word in the Hebrew is used in the same passage; by what revelation can anyone know that one spirit (ruach) is immortal, and the other spirit (ruach) is mortal?
(9) LIFE DEPARTING AND RETURNING 1 Kings 17:2
"Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord, and said, 'O Lord my God, I pray Thee, let this child's life (nehphesh) return to him.'" (1 Kings 17:21 New American Standard Version). The same Hebrew word is used in Genesis 1:30. "And to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life (nehphesh)." Nehphesh is translated "life" or "lives" 108 times in the King James Version. A person having an immortal part that is not subject to death is not in this passage. Since the child later died again, he was still mortal after this resurrection, just as mortal as before.
When the bodily life is restored only to die again, how could this prove an immortal soul left the body and returned? The life that left the body and was restored must be changed to the spirit left the body and returned.
Passages that speak of life departing and returning to the body
1 Kings 17:21 This is frequently used to prove that an immortal soul had left the child, and was in Heaven even thought nothing is stated nor implies about either an immortal soul, nor about him being in Heaven; both are added to it.
Genesis 35:18