- 1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
- 2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
- 3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
- 4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
- 5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
- 6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
- 7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
- 8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
- 9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
- 10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
- 11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
- 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
- 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
- 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

ECCLESIASTES 12
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
Ecclesiastes 12 — Remember the Creator before the Silver Cord Breaks.
About this illustration
The composition centers remember the creator before the silver cord breaks as the chapter’s defining visual, using a unified, historically grounded scene while avoiding written text and any bodily depiction of God.
Scripture basis: Ecclesiastes 12:1–14King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Sermons

Love of the Father
In “Love of the Father,” Pastor Dean Odle uses 1 John 2:15-17 to ask a searching question: not merely whether God loves us, but whether we love the Father enough to surrender our own will. Beginning with worship and reflections on fatherhood, he contrasts the Father’s faithfulness with the world’s lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. He argues that Christian identity must be expressed through an ongoing life of obedience, not a profession of faith detached from following Christ.

The Heart of Mankind - Part 3: The Hardened Heart
Pastor Dean Odle warns that Christians can gradually harden their hearts through hidden sin, unbelief, rationalization, and refusal to hear God’s voice. Beginning with Jeremiah 17 and Ezekiel 8, he emphasizes that God sees what is concealed within the heart. Hebrews 3 then supplies the central warning: people addressed as holy brethren must take heed lest sin’s deceitfulness harden them and lead them away from the living God.

Fighting Witchcraft
In “Fighting Witchcraft,” Pastor Dean Odle teaches that believers must actively resist spiritual attack rather than assume conversion automatically removes every conflict. He defines witchcraft broadly as occult practice, manipulative words, intimidation, rebellion, curses, and demonic pressure, then grounds resistance in Christ’s authority, submission to God, prayer, and awareness of Satan’s devices.