Man should enjoy God's provision for his living and the marriage life for man's existence and multiplication to replenish the earth (Gen. 1:28) that it may be possible for God to save some of them in order to produce the church—the Body of Christ—which will issue in the New Jerusalem as God's eternal enlargement and expression according to God's eternal economy (Eccl. 9:7-10).
The unveiling of the above points of the writer's experiments and searching and testing should not be considered the divine revelation from God, though they are included in the Scriptures. They are the conclusion of the writer's research in his experiments of the fallen men's human life under the sun. All the concluding words may be considered as proverbs, words of wisdom, directing the fallen and aim-missing men to return to God and receive Him according to His New Testament economy in His Son as their Redeemer and life that they may be regenerated to be the God-men for the accomplishment of God's eternal economy.
In 11:9—12:1 the writer gives advice to young men.
Young men should endeavor to enjoy the human life in their youth in the light of God's judgment to remove vexation from their heart and put away evil from their flesh (11:9-10).
Young men should remember their Creator while they are young and not hesitate in this until old age comes (12:1).
In 12:2-8 the writer shows us the sad portrait of man's old age. The bright environment with the three lights created by God and the artificial ones made by man becomes gloomy, and the pleasant atmosphere of the clear sky is cloudy (v. 2). The hands, the keepers of the house, tremble (v. 3a). The loins, the men of strength, are bent (v. 3b). The teeth become few (v. 3c), the eyes become dim (v. 3d), and the ears become dull to sound (v. 4a). One awakens early in the morning (v. 4b). The vocal cords become low (v. 4c). One is afraid of what is high (v. 5a) and is terrified in walking (v. 5b). The hair becomes white (v. 5c). One is unable to bear any burden, even any as small as a grasshopper (v. 5d). No medicine can keep the old man away from death, and mourners attend his funeral (v. 5e). The corpse—the spinal cord (the silver cord), the head (the golden bowl), the lungs (the pitcher), and the heart (the wheel)—decays (v. 6). The body made of dust returns to the earth, and the breath returns to God who gave it (v. 7; Gen. 2:7). This indicates that the entire human being with his human life apart from God is nothing but vanity of vanity (Eccl. 12:8).