Epilogue

An epilogue is a closing section or speech that comments on and concludes everything that came before it. That's exactly what the book of Ecclesiastes is — its message is summed up in its very last verse, which distills the entire book into one point.

Ecclesiastes teaches that if you want to live well and truly enjoy the gift of life God has given you, you have to work backwards from your death. In other words: live backwards from your own epilogue. Knowing that death is inevitable isn't meant to paralyze you — it's meant to free you to live wisely and fully in the time you have. This is a book about wise living.