Vanity Of Vanities

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays. The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises. Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds. All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going.

All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing. What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done.

Nothing is new under the sun. Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us. There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-11)

“Vanity of vanities” is a Hebrew superlative expressing the supreme degree of futility and emptiness.  So depressing, especially the last line: “There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them.”  

There is some startling truth to this claim. We all seem to have short memories or none at all meaning we collectively don’t learn from past mistakes even when those mistakes are horrendous and tragic.  Each generation must learn from mistakes and successes of the past to progress, not regress.  There is “nothing is new under the sun” even though many of us say, “See, this is new!”

Then again, Revelation has Jesus tell us: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” 

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.” He said to me, “They are accomplished. I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son. But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

So, according to Revelation, Jesus spoke of a new heaven and earth with the old order passing away.  He saw the fate of cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.  

Although we do not wish them the burning pool fate, we do wish for God to wipe every tear from their and our eyes and there be no more death or mourning, wailing, or pain.  This is especially relevant for all of us as the world continues to suffer from the onslaught of the coronavirus causing sickness and death, and we are about to experience a new fiery and sulfurous election.  Vanity of vanities!

Deacon David Pierce