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When animals die, do they go to Heaven?
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:00 pm
by Destroyer2000
?? I've often wondered this. If they do, it'd be of some comfort to someone who lost a pet or something.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:01 pm
by Hitokiri
well they don't have a soul but then again,. Heaven is supposed to be a happy and glorious place and I can't see me bieng happy without having animals around me.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:03 pm
by TheMelodyMaker
Definitely.
Mankind has the distinction among all of God's creation of being the only species that does not naturally do what He made us to do, so I can think of no reason why animals can't go to Heaven. ^_^
(That's supposed to help you feel better, and I honestly hope it does. ^_^; )
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:05 pm
by Angel37
YAY!!! BUNNIES IN HEAVEN!!! HAPPY FLUFFY BUNNIES!
-Super Happy Angel of Zarn
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:07 pm
by cbwing0
It is my belief that, in general, animals do not go to heaven. The "higher" animals may (or may not) have souls, but they would not be the same as those of humans. However, if you have a beloved pet that you wish to see in heaven, then I think that it will be there.
Charles Spurgeon once said that if heaven won't be heaven without your pets (or anything else for that matter), then they will be there. I am inclined to agree with him.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:13 pm
by Destroyer2000
Good point...but doesn't it say in the Bible, that in Heaven, "The lamb shall lie with the wolf"?
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:18 pm
by Azier the Swordsman
Not to mention that it talks about Jesus Christ returning at the end on a horse. (Revelation)
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:18 pm
by cbwing0
The verse is Isaiah 11:6, which states "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat."
This does not necessarily mean that there are animals in heaven, as it a metaphor for unprecedented, widespread peace. It could also refer to Christ's 1,000 year reign, which would place the scene on the earth.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:22 pm
by TheMelodyMaker
Unlike here on earth presently, sin and its effects and curse are not present in Heaven. So unlike here now where animals have fleshly desires and would normally feed on each other (for example), they would get along perfectly fine in Heaven because those fleshly desires have been removed.
Hope you understood all that; it was difficult for me to explain. ^_^;
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:48 pm
by JediSonic
Well you know the expression.. all dogs go to heaven.. and hopefully cats too
I agree with cbwing0 though.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 8:27 pm
by supa dupa ninja
I Think that there is a chance that animals could join us in paradise.
God created eden not just for us but also the animals that were there before us ( remember man was created on the sixth day), they will inhabit the eternal peace that christ will bring.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:32 pm
by CDLviking
Although animals do have a soul (the latin word anima=soul and is the root for animal), they do not have a rational or immortal soul. Only those beings able to contemplate God would even benefit from heaven. For me, the idea that Heaven wouldn't be Heaven if I didn't have my little fluffy there with me totally undermines what heaven is really about, total union with God. The only thing that anyone needs to be happy is God.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, I really do like animals, especially dogs.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:47 am
by VEGETA
My dogs better be there or i will demand a first class bus ticket to hell as far as im concerned.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:11 am
by Marie-Novelle
Yes they do. Case closed.
(My testimony on how I found Jesus and became "born-again" last year stemmed from wanting to know what happens to animals after they die and I discovered that God answers that question many times through His true word.)
John 14:1-4
"Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there."
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:49 am
by Aka-chan
CDLviking wrote:Although animals do have a soul (the latin word anima=soul and is the root for animal), they do not have a rational or immortal soul. Only those beings able to contemplate God would even benefit from heaven. For me, the idea that Heaven wouldn't be Heaven if I didn't have my little fluffy there with me totally undermines what heaven is really about, total union with God. The only thing that anyone needs to be happy is God.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, I really do like animals, especially dogs.
That's pretty much what I think too. The Bible does say that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, so there probably will be animals (all part of God's creation), but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be the animals from this earth. The Bible doesn't really say anything on this point.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 6:02 am
by JediSonic
If you like animals, there will be animals.. if you dont like animals, there wont be animals
Thats how I see it.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 6:16 am
by cbwing0
Marie-Novelle wrote:Yes they do. Case closed.
(My testimony on how I found Jesus and became "born-again" last year stemmed from wanting to know what happens to animals after they die and I discovered that God answers that question many times through His true word.)
John 14:1-4
"Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there."
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
What, exactly, is the connection between these verses and the issue at hand? At any rate, they are far from conclusive.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 8:31 am
by kaji
I agree, not to make any one upset, but I do not see their relevance to this subject.
Anyway, I agree with that CDLviking is saying.
Animals cannot be saved, and will not enter the kingdom of Heaven as we do. Like the trees and mountains and oceans, animals are just another part of Gods creation. Though, that does not mean “animalsâ€
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:27 am
by CDLviking
VEGETA wrote:My dogs better be there or i will demand a first class bus ticket to hell as far as im concerned.
I think you fail to realize the true awesomeness of God. When you behold him face to face it won't matter where your dogs are. It won't even matter if the people you were closest to in life are there or not. We will be like the angels and neither marry nor be given in marriage, all we will need is God.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:17 am
by Straylight
I also agree with CDLviking on this one...
It is my opinion that everything on this Earth was designed by God to serve man. Reading Genesis nails this point across pretty well. I don't think that animals go to Heaven.. and I don't think their "souls" (whether they exist or not) are on the same level as human souls by any means. If they were, why would Jesus have cast an evil demon into a herd of pigs?
Animals were placed on Earth to serve man and some of them were given to us to eat. There is nothing in the Bible that explicitly supports the idea of animals going to heaven - however there is a lot of stuff that clearly states Christians (ie humans) will inherit the Kingdom of God. There is also no way into Heaven but through Jesus.
Of course, just because something isn't in the Bible, doesn't mean it won't happen. The true answer to this question will be discovered after we die.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:33 am
by Kireihana
Well God loves all his creatures, so whether they go to heaven or not, we can be sure that they don't go to hell. ^^
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:14 pm
by CobaltAngel
cbwing0 wrote:The verse is Isaiah 11:6, which states "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat."
*imagines wolves in heaven* Ihopeihopeihope...
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:58 pm
by VEGETA
CDLviking wrote:I think you fail to realize the true awesomeness of God. When you behold him face to face it won't matter where your dogs are. It won't even matter if the people you were closest to in life are there or not. We will be like the angels and neither marry nor be given in marriage, all we will need is God.
Dont give me this allright. I stated my opinion. Live with it. Your not going to change it and im not going to change yours.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 7:33 pm
by Ashley
Alright, I think the speculation on this matter has gone quite far enough, especially if people are going to get rude. We'll resolve to leave this answered after we die, ok? Thread closed.