Memory After Death
Reading Ecclesiastes 9:5–6, some have wondered whether we will know people after we die. The passage reads, “For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten. Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.” (NASB 2020)
In Hebrew thought, this passage was sometimes taken to mean that not only do the dead remember nothing, but that they are even forgotten by God.
However, when we are faced with a question like this, we need to read a larger portion of the book and keep in mind what the rest of the Scriptures say.
The very first thing that stands out to me here is that verse six puts something of a guardrail around the statements in verse 5. It tells us “They will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun." I think that is the key to understanding this.
What the dead do not know is the temporal things they had on their minds while they were alive on the earth. Things like their love, hate, and zeal (passionate interests). This passage isn't speaking of the afterlife. It isn't speaking about eternal Life in heaven. It is speaking about their earthly life. They are no longer concerned with politics and sports, food and houses, illness and old grudges.
They have left this temporal environment. Nothing is said in this passage about what their eternal Life looks like.
Further, there are other Scripture passages that would appear to indicate that people do recognize one another and have at least some form of memory.
One such passage is found in Revelation 6:9–10 (NASB 2020)
"When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?”
It seems clear that these folks remember things that happened to them on earth.
Another passage is found in Luke chapter 16. There are two sections I'll refer to here, but the entire account runs from verse 19 through the end of the chapter.
Luke 16:22–23 (NASB 2020)
"Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms."
It seems quite evident that this man recognized even those who had died hundreds of years before him. He goes on to address Abraham by name.
Similarly, Luke 16:25 (NASB 2020) speaks of him remembering his earthly life.
"But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony."
Finally, in Luke 16:27–28 (NASB 2020) we see that he remembered those he had left behind.
"And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’"
It is my belief that we do in fact remember our time on earth and that we will recognize all we meet in heaven. I also believe that Father is telling the truth when He declares that He will wipe every tear from our eyes and that there will be no sorrow in eternity. Perhaps that involves some forgetfulness of those we once loved, but who are eternally lost. Indeed, that may be the direction in which Ecclesiastes points us, but I never really thought about that before.
