Ecclesiastes 3:21 presents a difficult and searching question: “Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?” It raises the fundamental issue of whether anything exists beyond the grave. Some scholars argue that people in the Old Testament had little concept of life after death, yet others see evidence throughout Scripture that they did. As Ryken observes, “Although some scholars still doubt whether people in Old Testament times believed in life after death, it is clear from this and many other verses that they generally did.” Solomon appears to pose the question rather than settle it immediately, allowing readers to wrestle with uncertainty. Later, however, he expresses conviction in Ecclesiastes 12:7: “…dust returns to the earth…But the spirit returns to God who gave it.” The question lingers long enough to stir reflection before pointing toward a deeper truth.
The reality of death has a way of focusing the mind. As the years pass, thoughts about mortality tend to arrive more frequently, sometimes uninvited and often at inconvenient moments. Solomon devoted considerable attention to this subject, noting that life’s pleasures, possessions, and positions under the sun cannot provide lasting satisfaction. Without clarity about what follows death, joy in daily living remains elusive. He wrestled with the apparent futility of life and even wondered whether it might be better never to have been born. Such reflections can sound gloomy, yet they reveal an honest struggle shared by many. Human achievements fade, memories dim, and even the strongest bodies eventually surrender. The question of what lies beyond remains stubbornly persistent. It is not merely philosophical. It shapes how people view purpose, meaning, and hope in the present.
Ultimately, the answer Solomon seeks is not a theory but a person. His questions point toward a “who” rather than a “what.” Who knows what lies beyond the grave? Who can reveal what comes after life ends? The New Testament offers a clear response. As Jesus prepared to raise Lazarus, He declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Paul echoes this assurance, writing, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The uncertainty that hovers over human mortality finds resolution in Christ. He does not merely discuss life after death; He embodies it. In Him, the lingering question of Ecclesiastes receives its answer, not as an abstract idea but as a living promise.