Remember your Creator in the days of your youth - Sunday morning 6.14.2009

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 - “…Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them…”

We live in the last days before the Rapture, when the darkness in this world grows increasingly prevalent. These verses talk about something important that needs to be complete before it is too late. The Faithful Church knows that she is to always remember her Creator (and Redeemer) Jesus Christ who is one with God the Father and Holy Spirit. We must do so through constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit now, in the days of our spiritual youth. We cannot allow ourselves to age spiritually and thereby lose the blessing.

The days in which people say, “I have no pleasure” are the Great Tribulation, when those who are left behind will have none of the Holy Spirit’s joy or peace. The Restraining Influence (the Holy Spirit) will be removed from the world (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

“…Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain…” (Ecclesiastes 12:2). The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is a sign in the New Testament for the Rapture and the judgments that come on the earth at the same moment (see Revelation 8:12; Matthew 24:29-30). One of the popular heresies in among evangelical Christians today is the notion that nominal Christians can still obtain salvation after the Rapture. This is one of the themes of the popular “Left Behind” book series. This encourages the unrepentant to continue procrastinating their surrender to the Lord, in the false security that they can repent after the Rapture and do heroic spiritual deeds during the Great Tribulation. The Bible tells us to remember our Creator before the “sun and the light and the moon and stars grow dark.”

“When the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim…”(Ecclesiastes 12:3) The “keepers of the house” are the ministers, the pastors over the Lord’s flock, who waiver in their faith (tremble) and quake in fear of the ungodly rulers. In the End Times they succumb to the Great Apostasy, falling away into mediocre Christianity.

“The grinders cease” – Jesus alluded to this prophetic image in his prophecy about the Rapture on the Mount of Olives. “Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:41)

“The doors are closed” – Jesus is the door (John 10:7-9). The door closing is a symbol in the New Testament of the Age of Grace ending at the Rapture, and salvation no longer being available. (Matthew 25:10; Luke 13:25). The songs of birds grows faint – as the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes just a distant memory.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 – “Remember him - before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Silver Cord Severed - Silver speaks about our redemption through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who sold for 30 pieces of silver. On the cross, Jesus Christ paid in full the ultimate price for our sins, by His own Blood. This cord securely connects the true believers to Eternity. The severing of this silver cord speaks of that connection being lost.  Silver bands helped hold together the barrier between the Tabernacle courtyard and the outside world (Exodus 27:17).

Gold Bowl Broken - Gold is a biblical symbol of God’s power. The bowl is a vessel used to hold food, which speaks of our constant need as vessels of the Lord to be full, nourished with His spiritual food.  It is strange to talk about a gold vessel breaking; just as it is strange to talk about a true Christian falling away.Gold bowls were the holy vessels in the sanctuary.

Pitcher Shattered At the Spring - This pitcher is also an illustration of our lives as vessels. God wants to fill us with His water of life. The spring is a spiritual symbol of the Holy Spirit, the fountain of living water (see John 7:38-39). It is tragic to see Christians shipwreck their spiritual lives – as shattered, unusable vessels – right near the source of the living waters.

Wheel Broken at the Well - The wheel was part of the device for drawing up the water from the depths. If the wheel is broken, the water is no longer accessible. One day it will be too late to seek the Lord, too late to receive the Holy Spirit. We must remember to go back to the Lord before it is too late.