his is a question which is asked more frequently as people today seem to be treating their beasts more like humans, and humans more like beasts. Will there be animals in heaven? Everyone can understand that when a beloved animal dies it is a natural reaction to feel some sorrow and anguish because of the loss. But we must not confuse emotion and human feelings, with biblical principles. On this earth, we know only in part, and so we often neglect to address the question in light of the Bible, and fail to comprehend that all living things in this world (besides man), are temporal. That includes organisms, insects, plants, reptiles, and animals. These things are a part of God's magnificent creation, but they do not have an immortal soul. It is only the spirits of men which are immortal spirits. Emotionalism notwithstanding, the spirits of men are the only spirits which partake in the resurrection to life after death.

Revelation 20:13-14

• "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
• And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

The Judeo-Christian Church belief has historically been that animals were created primarily for human use, and they lack the immortal and rational souls which would afford them eternity in Heaven. What has changed in modern times is that emotion has replaced 'teachings based on authority of scripture,' and human feelings replaced the system of law. The same emotionalism (rather than sound hermeneutics), which has ravaged other historical Church doctrines in recent years. Many professing Christians judge truth by what 'seems' right for God to do (in their own eyes), even forging such bonds between themselves and their beasts that they cannot even fathom a heaven which would not include their beloved animals. To hear them speak, it is almost as if they will look upon God as unrighteous if He won't save their pet animals. It's just part and parcel of the same arrogant 'me mentality' which is sweeping over most of our Churches today, and degrading the historical Church. The rebellious attitude that life is all about how I feel, or about what I want, or about how I see things.

Man's spiritual eyes should never be focused on his pets (indeed, upon himself) where he loves the creation more than the creator. His eyes should be squarely on the great Shepherd, and the commission we have been given to feed His Sheep. That should be our hope, and that is what is lacking in our Churches today. The thought of spending eternity along with our beloved pets may be a temporal comfort as we are in the flesh, but we are losing sight of where our real joy and comfort should come from. It doesn't come from me and my relationship to my pet in heaven, or even my loved ones in heaven, but my relationship with Christ.

Luke 20:34-35

• "And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
• But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:"

The view that the souls of animals come into heaven just as the souls of people, is without one piece of Biblical validation. The unpalatable truth is that animals are really insignificant in the big scheme of things, such as eternity, or standing in the presence of God. For now we see through a glass, darkly (1st Cor. 13:12), but in that great day of the Lord, we will know even as we are known, and thus understand that animals ceasing to exist is the best thing for them. They have no suffering, no pain, no sorrow, no remembrance. If we should spend our time in this world in concern for those with the breath of life, it must be for man, who unless converted, will (unlike animals) be in suffering and pain. This is where our concerns and energies should be directed. To save man from torment, not implying God is wrong for causing beasts to cease to exist. Somewhere our priorities have become skewed, and we have forgotten our commission.

And when that happens it is easy for man to mould animals into his likeness. It's when a pet becomes a substitutionary human of sorts, and so it's its death is often felt as grievously as if an actual family member had died. The grief that is felt is the return of them feeling unloved and empty. There are a myriad of people in this world who 'unrepentantly' show more concern for animals, than they do for the souls of the people in the world. this is not uncommon among those people who are not true Christians. This isn't Christ-like, it's world-like. If we remember our pets in heaven, it will be with joy, because then we will know even as we are known, and will thus understand what this robe of flesh prevented us from understanding. Namely, God's ultimate purpose for all things on earth, and the difference between this world, and eternity in heaven. What many cannot see in this life is that their attachment to animals is often a misplaced need for love. That is to say, many people, feeling unloved among their own kind, substitute their pets to combat the emptiness.

It truly seems quite silly to some people for a child to be upset that his or her pet ants, fish or hamster won't go to heaven, but there are many adults who think this exact same way. Neither pet mice, fish, pigs, birds, dogs, or any living creatures (besides man) goes to heaven. There is not the slightest indication that this is not the case, despite some innovative scripture manipulating. God has never said, implied, or alluded to anything which would bring man to such a self-serving conclusion. One of the most basic of hermeneutic principles, is that we cannot argue a doctrine from silence. We can't say the scriptures don't say animals won't be in heaven, therefore they will. But from the preponderance of biblical evidence, we can declare that only that soul purged from sin in Christ, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So, Do animals go to heaven? No, for only those creatures for whom Christ died, and who are free from any stain of sin, can enter heaven.

1st Peter 3:18

• "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

Genesis 1:26-27

• "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
• So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Leviticus 11:2

• "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth."

All flesh is from the dust, but it is only man who has been made in God's likeness a devising soul that he is able to think, know, decide, reason, and judge. It is this spirit which gives man his accountability before God. An accountability animals do not have. The Hebrew word for soul is [nephesh], meaning that which has the 'breath' in it, and is used in the Old Testament in reference to both animals and man, in the sense that they both have the breath of life. e.g.,

Genesis 2:7

• "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

As far as the body is concerned, both animal and man are made of dust, and when they die, in their bodies they are buried and return to the dust. But the essence (Spirit) of man goes up to God, while the animal goes downward absorbed into the dust he was buried in. Two distinct destinations for man and beast. As also is illustrated in:

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

• "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; 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 of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"

If we are going to let the Bible be our final rule of faith and authority on matters (rather than our own will), we realize that there are certain criteria which God has established for anyone entering the Kingdom of heaven. Can a Cow, Dog, Cat, Horse, Bird, or any animal for that matter, meet the criteria that God declares we must do to inherit the Kingdom, or is eternal life ordained for man alone?

Matthew 1:21

• "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Matthew 18:3

• "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

John 3:5-6

• "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

As indeed some have done in that they have gone off the deep end completely, becoming fanatics who have arbitrarily decided that man should not kill any beast at all. Not even cows, rats, birds, snakes, or harmful insects. We should understand that this effort has nothing to do with Christianity, or love, or compassion (as it's portrayed), but everything to do with self, ego, modernity, and liberal philosophies. These aren't virtues of the righteous, they are man made religions serving a man made god. For all practical purposes, they serve idols in their own image rather than the image of the God of the Bible.

Another defense of this doctrine is to claim that the four Beasts in heaven (Revelation 6), or the white Horses (Revelation 19) proves animals will be in heaven. However, this argument is quite dubious, as it is quite obvious, even to the novice reader, that these are 'symbolic images' in a vision John is having, and not literal animals anymore than God has a literal sword protruding from His mouth, or that He is a literal Lamb, or that there was a literal Dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. As previously stated, the fact is, animals were subject to the curse which God placed upon creation because of Adam’s sin. And so not being cleansed by the blood of Christ, it seems clear animals do not go to heaven.

All this being the case, the real question for Christians should not be one of, "will animals go to heaven," but of if we are spending our time on this earth in concern for the souls of men. We should ask ourselves, are we feeding the spiritually poor, are we clothing the spiritually naked, and are we taking in the spiritually destitute?

So then, what exactly is our responsibility to animals as God's created inhabitants of the World? It is important to remember that just because animals do not go to heaven, does not mean that man is entitled to treat them shamefully, or with unnecessary cruelty or viciousness. The Bible is not silent concerning cruelty to animals.

Proverbs 12:10

• "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

1st Corinthians 10:31

• "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

    And may the Lord who is Gracious above all guide us into the truth of understanding these questions, in the light of His most Holy Word.

Amen!