Do animals go to Heaven?

[Amazing_Grace]

As I mentioned before, I am relatively new to the faith and have a lot of questions, and I have been arguing with my husband on this subject. I am an animal lover and always have been, and even though they're just furballs I get very attached to them.

I have always wondered what the Bible says about animals and Heaven, if anything. Do my kitties have souls, too? Will I see all of my beloved pets one day?

I guess I can't understand why God would let some of his creations into Heaven and not all of them. Doesn't He care about His animals as well as us?

Just curious, any info would be appreciated...

 

[Bro. Lee]

sorry grace but they do not have souls. when they die, they just dont exist anymore.

 

[Gina B]

Why do you have to have a soul to go to heaven? Or to exist anymore? Body, soul, and
------.
Of course we know there ARE animals in the new world. Could be newly created but.....
I personally like to think we'll get our pets back. But it doesn't say for sure so we can't say for sure.
There is a verse people use to say that they don't exist anymore because they return to earth. But it says that about us too.

da Gina

[ October 12, 2001: Message edited by: Gina ]

 

[SueLyn]

Although our pets seem very human at times, they aren't. God gave us animals for various reasons and pets are just one of the reasons. I don't believe it's even possible for them to go to heaven, and if they did, it would be more like a dog pound, they out number us a lot.
Enjoy the time you have with your pets now, and when their time is over...thank God for giving you that special furry or feathered friend.

Sue

 

[Amazing_Grace]

Does anyone have any knowledge of verse that would explain this?

 

[Helen]

Wait a minute here, folks. First of all, according to Genesis, the land animals which crawl on the earth and the birds DO have soul, or 'nephesh.' That is also translated as 'breath of life'. "Nephesh" is used 757 times in the Old Testament. The most common translations of this word are 'life' and 'soul'. However in Genesis 1:30, this same quality is ascribed to 'all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the cratures that move on the ground.'

This does NOT answer regarding animals in heaven or not, but it does answer that soul is not the exclusive property of humans. It is in spirit that we are created in the likeness of God. Our bodies have the same elements in them as stars and rocks and trees and butterflies. Unlike all of those, however, we share with the 'more advanced' animals individual personalities, the ability to learn and consciously react, and the ability to forge inter-species relationships. This is part of 'soul.'

It is because of our spirits, however, that we are able to comprehend things we have never experienced, at least to some extent: the distant past, ideas about the distant future, creating something new and unique to the person. It is spirit that allows us to communicate with God Himself on a person to Person basis.

Regarding heaven, well, white horses seem to make it -- grin. That's what Christ comes riding on. And if horses, why not the rest? A new creation is a new creation, not necessarily a limited (more limited) one. We know in the Millennium the lion will lie with the lamb and a child play with a deadly serpent with no harm -- so animals in their original state are certainly a part of the original creation. The new creation will simply be without sin and/or its effects -- or even the memory of it! But that doesn't mean it will be without animals. They don't sin.

Keep in mind that the animals with nephesh were saved on the ARK. The Ark has always been a picture of salvation in Christ. I see no reason, theologically, why animals would not be in heaven also. They have never needed saving in terms of sin, but Christ saw fit to save them from being wiped out with the old world. This may be a picture for us?

 

[Michael Wrenn]

Helen,

Excellent post!!

Grace,

John Wesley believed animals go to heaven.

Read Romans 8:18-23. Animals are a part of creation, are they not?

 

[DocCas]

Genesis tells us animals have a soul/spirit, and Ecclesiastes 3:21 tells us they go "downward to the earth" while the soul/spirit of man goes "upward" (presumably to God). <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That verse seems to be saying that animals have a soul/spirit but upon their death it goes, not up to God, but down to the earth (return to the dust?). I am not sure what that means, but I know this. Whatever provision God made for animals, either an afterlife or annihilation, when I get to heaven and fully understand the Wisdom of God, I will only be able to agree and say "Amen!"

 

[Aaron]

Dr. Thomas,

That's what I would have posted if I had beat you to the punch.

 

[ISDAMan]

God only breathed life into humans. We are the only ones made in God's image. Sorry, only humans die and go to heaven because Jesus said that He is the only way to Heaven and He can only be followed by FAITH.

God Bless You,
ISDAMan

 

[Helen]

Mr. Cassidy and Aaron,

I question the use of Ecclesiastes for any 'proof verses' as this one book was written to give the human assessment of things without God, or apart from God. Solomon states that rather plainly throughout, that this was HIS thinking and these were the things going through his mind using human wisdom.

I have seen the animal/spirit verse quoted so often from that book, but I have never seen "Meaningless, meaningless...everything is meaningless" used to show biblical teaching.

Also, the KJV may not have the most accurate rendering of that one verse in Eccl.

First of all, let's take it in context in the KJV, starting with v.18

I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath (ruwach, or ruah); so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit (ruwach) of man that goeth upward, and the spirit fo the beast that goeth downward to the earth.

I don't see this passage used to say we are just beasts... and 'ruah' or 'ruwach' is the same word used for breath and for spirit in that passage.

Understanding this, perhaps one of the modern translations does it a little better? Here is the NIV:

I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the anomals; the same fate awaits them both: As one does, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

Comments?

 

[Roy]

I don't have any concrete evidence to prove my belief that animals don't have an afterlife, but I know that God spoke all earthly life forms into existence, except for man. He used His hands to put man together and breathed His own breath into man. God made man in His own image, and gave man dominion over the earth and everything in it.

God sacrificed His only son, for mankind (not animals) so that we would have our fellowship, with Him, restored. All these things, and more, set us apart from animals. Besides, we litterally consume animals, with God's blessing. It just wouldn't seem right if I got to heaven and met some squirrel that I shot in the woods and cooked up for breakfast along with biscuits and gravy.

 

[Michael Wrenn]

Roy,

Yes, but it wasn't God's original intention for us to eat animals; He only gave us permission to do it after the flood.

Considering the Romans passage that I referenced earlier, especially verses 20-22 of that passage, I don't see how you can exclude animales from the liberation and redemption that is to come--indeed, that is in process now--in and through the Redeemer and Liberator, Jesus the Christ.

 

[DocCas]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Helen:
Mr. Cassidy and Aaron,

I question the use of Ecclesiastes for any 'proof verses' as this one book was written to give the human assessment of things without God, or apart from God.

&lt;snip&gt;

Comments?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I didn't use the verse from Ecc as a proof text. I simply used it to indicate the same thing that Genesis says. Both men and animals have soul/spirits. I understand the context of Ecc. I have taught it several times over the past 25 years or so. Where the departed soul of the animal goes is not revealed in scripture. As I said, whatever provision God has made will be fine with me.

 

[Brian]

Originally posted by Michael Wrenn:
[QB]Roy,

Yes, but it wasn't God's original intention for us to eat animals; He only gave us permission to do it after the flood.

What does this statement mean. It wasn't Gods original intention for man to sin either, but here we are. Does it make less right to eat meat because originally we didn't?


Amazing_Grace
We do have very little understanding of eternity. God exists out-side of time, space and matter as we understand it. He is, just is, we have now we were before and we hope for next. When we go to be with Him we will exist in a way that is beyond our understanding. It is a pleasant possiblility that God may allow us pets in heaven. Regardless Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Jesus in paradise that day. Paradise with or without our pets will still be better that we could hope to grasp until we get there.

[ October 13, 2001: Message edited by: Brian G ]

 

[Michael Wrenn]

Brian,

Did you read Roy's post?

 

[HankD]

KJV Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 

[Ars]

My question is this. Why is it so important that your animal go to heaven? When you get to heaven, do you really think that you are going to want to fellowship with your parakeet? I don't know about you, but I'll be fellowshipping with the Lord.

 

[Brother Adam]

Are Baptists actually argueing about if animals are in heaven?! I'm completely wierded out now...

goes to bang head against wall again

Until Next Post, Adam

 

[Gina B]

Adam: ya gotta quit listening to that heavy metal music. Try some hymns or classical music before you get brain damage.
da Gina