Nothing New Happens Under the Sun (Ecclesiasties 1:9-11)

 

Nothing new happens under the sun.  This understanding implies a kind of Social Cycle Theory of History, but more complex and God-centered in understanding.  Can you read the signs of the times?  (Matthew 16:3)  Part of reading the signs of the times may have been an understanding that nothing new happens under the sun. 

How close is a Nation, or Nations, to God's Judgement of War, Famine, and Plague?  A rejection of righteousness is a rejection of God.  Great Britain would be an example of a Nation that has a State Religion, Anglican Christianity, and has rejected righteousness.  When Britain rejected righteousness, some dominoes representing particular events may have started falling.  These dominoes may end with God's Righteous Judgement of War, Famine, and Plague. 

God takes no pleasure in his judgement. 
God is slow to anger. 
God would like repentance. 

Great Britain, as a Nation has gone beyond repentance.  We may be able to see signs of this in current world events as of 4/8/2025. 

A lot of people have mistaken War, Famine, and Plague as just a "Book of Revelations" thing, or an "End Times" thing.  War, Famine, and Plague are in "The Book of Revelations," and they are "End Times."  War, Famine, and Plague are something that has happened before, and something God has let loose. 

Outside is the sword; inside are plague and famine. Those in the country will die by the sword; those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.  (Ezekiel 7:15)

Given a Nation rejected righteousness, which is a rejection of God, some dominoes representing particular events may have started falling.  At the end of the dominoes falling, God's Judgement of War, Famine, and Plague.  

Nothing New Happens Under The Sun

A Social Cycle Theory of History tends to focus on nations or civilizations.  In understanding Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, there is a higher level pertaining to prophecy and The Nations.   

 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
² I will go before you
    and will level the mountains^[a];
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
³ I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.  (Isaiah 45:1-3)  

Cyrus the Great of Persia was a prophesied man of renown.  Babylon fell in 539 BC.  The Book of Isaiah was written around one hundred and seventy or so, rough number, one hundred and seventy years prior to.  Cyrus ended up conquering most of the civilized world, at the time, and took the title "King of Kings." Cyrus is mentioned several times in the Bible.  He allowed the Jewish people back to the Jerusalem, and allowed the Temple to be rebuilt.  

Cyrus, being a named man of renown in the Bible, a conqueror bringing God's Judgement on the wicked, there may have been some interesting things.....signs.....prophetic things.....going on around Cyrus. 

• Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones¹⁵ To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.  (Jude 1:14,15)
•  9 And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. (Enoch 1:9)

Cyrus the Great had 10,000 Immortals.  The Immortals were his elite infantry.  The Immortals would be a sign of something.  Does that mean that Jude 1:13 has been fulfilled?  Not necessarily.  Nothing new happens under the sun.  What has come before shall come again.  This circle of history has been spirally towards a completeness in God's Kingdom, where every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, and the whole of the Earth shall be under God.  The end will be like Daniel 12. 

Cyrus The Great was a named man of renown in the Bible and Prophecy.  I have shown you one sign.  Given someone studies the topic of Cyrus in history, they may be able to possibly find more interesting things.  There are a lot of interesting implication with prophecy and "Nothing New Happens Under the Sun."  A man should pray and reflect with God.