Eccl 12:6 "Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed…"
I. OTHER VERSIONS
"before the silver cord is severed" (NIV)
"before the silver cord is snapped" (RSV)
"before the silver cord is broken" (NASB)
II. WHAT IS THIS SILVER CORD?
A. “Cord” = chebel (kheh’-bel);
a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line;
a district or inheritance (as measured);
a noose (as of cords);
a company (as if tied together);
B. “Silver” = keceph (keh’-sef); silver, pale
C. There Is A Connectivity / Linkage In Life
1. Difficult to define – neither black, nor white, but pale – blurred area
2. Remember your creator before that is “loosed”, “severed”, “broken”
D. In Life We Have All Sorts Of Linkages
1. Linkages Between Our Body Parts – Ligaments
2. Linkages Within Our Person – Body, Soul, Mind, Spirit
3. Someday that linkage between Spirit & Body will become loosed
III. SOMEONE HAS ASKED, WHAT ABOUT OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCES? (Person dies on operating table / car accident, hovers above, sees everything, then revived)
A. I’ve Never Experienced Such A Thing, Perhaps Someone Here Has
B. When I Say “Out Of Body” – Medical Death Related – Not Visionary Such As…
1. John had - "I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet…" (Rev. 1:9-11)
2. Paul had - "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago — whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows — such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows — how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Cor 12:2-5)
3. Ezekiel or Daniel or other prophets
C. Such Experience Is Not Necessarily Inconsistent With Sound Doctrine
1. We are fearfully & wonderfully made – parts of our personhood
2. Someday the spirit will “disconnect” from the body and go into eternity
3. Original design was that once left – not return to the body
4. With modern medicine & first-responders, possible for person to “die” and be revived
5. Question: Have they really died? Did Spirit really leave body? Was the silver cord truly loosed or broken?
a. I don’t know answers to those questions
b. that’s why the cord is “silver” or “pale” – not black and white
c. no easy firm answers
D. Some Have Said That They Saw Glimpse Of Heaven Or Hell While Out Of Body
1. That is not necessarily inconsistent
2. What is inconsistent is that once dead & finally dead – you cannot come back here (Story of Rich man & Lazarus)
3. En Route to Heaven or Hell
a. you may see something “warm & fuzzy”
b. or you may see something “hot & prickly”
4. No doubt the status of your relationship before God determines which
E. Lets Say That You Die Medically, Out Of Body & Then Revived – Take What You Might Experience or Someone Claims To Experience With A Grain Of Salt
1. Demonic activity could very well influence the perception
a. make someone think they’re heaven bound when really not
b. make someone think they’re hell-bound when really not
2. Salvation in the aftermath of such an experience is a shaky foundation
a. why?
b. because no one else is really given that second chance
c. to base salvation on fear of what could have been instead of a desire of what could be is shaky
d. be saved – not because of a fear of hell but a love for God
3. That’s why Eccles says, “Remember (call on) your Creator before…”
a. don’t wait till death – once it’s over, it’s over – no one to pray you out of purgatory
b. don’t wait till death-bed
c. don’t wait for a near death or out of body experience
d. today (not tomorrow, not someday) is the day of salvation
IV. ADDITIONAL REASON TO CALL ON LORD BEFORE SILVER CORD LOOSED
A. Typically Preached – Silver Cord Loosed = Death
B. I Want To Suggest A Different Slant
1. Remember Ecclesiastes said that “silver” = pale
2. Remember Ecclesiastes said that “cord” = a body / mind / soul / spirit linkage
3. There is a pale, undefined, linkage between parts of who we are
C. “Loosed”
1. Most Bible versions refer to this as a moment of death
"before the silver cord is severed" (NIV)
"before the silver cord is snapped" (RSV)
"before the silver cord is broken" (NASB)
2. But KJV & NKJV used the word “loosed”
3. Greek = rachaq (raw-khak’); to widen (in any direction),
a. (intransitively) recede
b. or (transitively) remove
c. means “out of place” or out of relation to something else
D. Ecclesiastes – before it speaks of death, it speaks of another life circumstance
1. Linkages between body, soul, mind, spirit get loosed (not broken)
2. This happens in aging – Alzheimer’s – mind loosed
3. This happens in grief, loss, suffering – can lose our minds
4. This happens in severe trauma to body – disconnect brain & body
5. This happens in spiritual disappointment/temptation – spirit wanders
E. In Summary
1. Don’t wait till things are untight or untidy to call on the Lord
2. While Things Are Tight, Going Well, Right Now, Problem Free – Best Time To Call On Lord
3. Too many wait till silver cord (linkages of life) are stretched, strained ripped & life is out of joint to call on Lord
4. Others say, “I’ll wait till life is strained” before I call on the Lord
5. Problem – the cord is silver (not shiny) but pale (not black & white)
a. when that time comes – things are not black & white
b. things are pale, fuzzy, hazy, cloudy, thinking is cloudy judgment is cloudy, response time cloudy, reflexes slow
6. If you wait till the silver cords are strained or loosed – probably too late
7. Today is the day of salvation!!!!
PRAYER
