The Preterist View of Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

         The Preterist View of Ecclesiastes Chapter 7


7:1 — “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.”


Solomon saw death as release from the vanity of life under the sun. In Paul’s theology, this takes on new meaning: “To die is gain” (Phil 1:21), not because life is meaningless, but because death has lost its sting in Christ. This victory was fully manifested by 70AD—death no longer holds dominion over those in Christ.


7:2–4 — “It is better to go to the house of mourning… for this is the end of all mankind…”


Solomon finds wisdom in facing mortality, since the Old Covenant couldn’t escape it. But now, we don’t mourn like those without hope (1 Thess 4:13). The New Covenant reframes mourning into comfort (Matt 5:4), for resurrection life has replaced the fear of Sheol.


7:5–6 — “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools…”


Solomon sees truth in painful wisdom. Paul affirms this: godly sorrow brings repentance (2 Cor 7:10). But unlike Solomon’s somber tone, Paul offers joy rooted in the Spirit—not in distraction, but in transformation. The “song of fools” is the old age’s self-deception, now exposed.


7:7–9 — “Surely oppression drives the wise into madness…”


Even wisdom couldn’t shield Solomon from the corruption within the covenant structure. Yet in Christ, we are not driven to madness—we are renewed in mind and Spirit (Rom 12:2). Patience and peace are fruit of the Spirit, not fleeting moral ideals.


7:10 — “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’”


This is a powerful warning against nostalgia for the "glory days" of the Law and temple. Paul would agree: the old covenant had fading glory (2 Cor 3:11). The “former days” were shadows—Christ brought the better, lasting reality.


7:11–12 — “Wisdom is good with an inheritance… it preserves the life of him who has it.”


Solomon saw wisdom as protective, but still within the realm of death. Paul, however, shows that true wisdom is Christ Himself (1 Cor 1:30). In Him, inheritance is not perishable, and preservation is eternal.


7:13–14 — “Consider the work of God… God has made the one as well as the other…”


This is a resigned acceptance of providence, yet lacking revelation. In contrast, Paul reveals the mystery: God’s purpose is fully unveiled in Christ (Eph 1:9–10), where all things are reconciled. We no longer live under cycles of arbitrary fate, but Spirit-led purpose.


7:15–18 — “Be not overly righteous… be not overly wicked…”


Solomon warns against extremes under the Law—a system that crushed both the self-righteous and the reckless. Paul reveals the solution: righteousness is no longer ours to perform, but Christ’s to give (Rom 3:21–22). The Preterist sees this shift fully in place; the age of striving has ended.


7:19–22 — “Wisdom gives strength… surely there is not a righteous man on earth…”


Even the wisest fail under the Law. Paul agrees: “All have sinned…” (Rom 3:23). But now, Christ has become our righteousness. We no longer fear judgment from overheard curses or personal faults. The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God.


7:23–26 — “I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was far from me…” 


Solomon, in all his glory, couldn’t grasp true wisdom—it was veiled. Paul, however, says the veil is lifted in Christ (2 Cor 3:16). What was elusive to Solomon is now our inheritance.


7:27–29 — “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”


Here, Solomon echoes Genesis and laments man’s corruption. But Paul declares that Christ is the last Adam, restoring what was broken (1 Cor 15:45). The schemes of man ended in judgment on Old Covenant Jerusalem (Matt 23–24), and from the ashes, the new creation rose. In this chapter, Solomon presses into wisdom, pain, and the limits of righteousness under the Law. He comes close to gospel truth, but can’t quite reach it. Through Paul’s lens, and in the light of the fulfilled kingdom, we see what Solomon longed to see: a life not built on vain striving, but on Spirit-empowered resurrection life

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