OK, will do. All references NKJV.
Isaiah 11:6
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the LORD.
So, the carnivores won't be carnivores anymore.
God has a great love for animals. He created them, just like he created us. I believe animals don't need to get "saved" because they are innocent.
Exodus 21:33-35 discusses animal protection; a negligent landowner is liable for the loss of an animal.
Leviticus 18 and 20 - bestiality is bad.
Leviticus 24:18
Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal.
Now, some may see this as a "property" issue - but you have to remember, back then animals were seen as simple property.
2 Kings Chapter 3 , God saves the Israelites, and their animals, from dehydration. I find it interesting that the animals are specifically mentioned.
Ah, my favorite: Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
God clearly wants us to care for our animals. Poor Bubba. Ron only gave him one, deboned chicken thigh last night.
In Numbers 22 we have Balaam's talking donkey, who saves her master from certain death even before the angel gives her the gift of speech. The angel makes a point of saying he would have spared the donkey if she'd kept going.
Ezekiel Chapter 1 has some really freaky creatures, from Heaven. So does Revelation Chapter 4. They talk a lot during the rest of Revelation.
So, it's clear to me: God loves animals, and animals will exist in Heaven. Animals are without sin (unless you've ever had a dog eat your favorite shoes!), so they don't need to be saved.
Just my opinion only.
6 comments:
If you have ever seen a cat toy with a mouse before eating it I would have to say no animals are not without sin. Cats seems to enjoy the torturing part before the kill.
Perhaps God thought it important to keep animals around so that the people would have a food source. After all he did create animals for man not man for animals.
Perhaps animals will exist in heaven but to think they will get raptured is just not something that is taught in the Bible.
Hi Heather, There is also a scripture -Rev. 19:11 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, And he who sat on him was called "Faithful and True". If horses are there, why not other animals?
The Rainbow Bridge Poem
Just this side of heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.
The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head. You look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…
Author Unknown
I totally agree with animals in heaven. They have a soul too according to Job 12:10.
Thank you for listing the other scriptures-especially how we are to treat them. Take care!
Hi again!!
Another explanation I found, should Anonymous wish:
It's from a Catholic perspective (as that is my faith), but I think it would pertain to other Christian denominations, too:
http://happycatholic.blogspot.ca/2004/07/are-there-animals-in-heaven.html
Anonymous, I have to agree with you about the cat "toy" issue. I don't understand why God created them to do that - it's horrible. Maybe to teach the young how to hunt? I have seen adult male cats wrestling with kittens, teaching them how to fight and play. I've seen mother cats calling the young as they bring a half-dead "treat" for them to "hunt".
That said, if things get really bad, the cat gets to eat me. While he's nice and juicy, he's old, and probably rather stringy. He likes to bring home so many treats he could probably keep all 3 of us going for a while!
Remember, my thought is just that - thoughts. I'm not dumb enough to add to the Bible! I'd rather skip all the Revelation plagues!
RE: Cat Toy issue
My understanding of this? Animals work on instinct. They don't work on reason. A cat does this because they are created to instinctively catch, torture, and eat mice. They don't have a thought process (at least, not that they know of) that tells them, "Oh, gee, I really shouldn't have tortured that mouse before I ate it! That was really mean." When an animal appears to look "guilty" (i.e. your pet knocks down a stack of books and looks at you as if they know what they've done wrong), it's because they know it will get a reaction from you..cause and effect.
I adore my pets, too, but we operate on a different level then they do. They are very smart, but in a different way. No matter how many times I might tell my cat that I don't want a mouse for dinner because I'm human, they would still give it to me as a "prize" because that's the instinctual thing to do: bringing home prey to their "master". (or they would, if I had outdoor pets.)
Humans think and reason. Animals work by instinct. They are part of God's creation, but humans were created in God's own image. I love animals and think that they certainly can "feel" gratitude and emotion, but it's on a different level than ours. Do animals have an afterlife? I think they could, but it may be different than ours. (I know of several accounts of people that have had encounters with their pets after they have "crossed over"). I believe animals can feel love and affection because I've seen it, but they operate on instinct when it comes to things like eating mice. They don't have "sin" as we do, they weren't created that way IMHO.
With respect to the animals in Revelation, I'm not sure if those are literal animals as we know them, or representations. Revelation can be interpreted in myriad ways. We have to place it in the historical context of its time.
Post a Comment