Post by Cindy on Aug 22, 2017 11:44:46 GMT -5
There are many scriptures that show that God loves all the animals He created and that He considers every single one of them His own. He has made covenants with the animals just as He has with people. There are quite obviously animals in heaven already as scriptures show us. (think horses for one thing-but not the only thing such as the one Jesus rides in Rev 19:11 and “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Revelation 19:14)
One major thing I've heard over and over from some folks who refuse to even consider this is that animals can't be "saved" and since only the saved go to heaven they can't go to heaven. That sounds good on the surface but only if you don't follow the thought through. God created heaven and earth for us as places for us to live and be happy. Heaven is to be our ultimate home. Heaven is not going to be some big empty place with only God and humans in it! Plants also cannot be "saved" and neither can gold or jewels yet we know that God has made Heaven to be so beautiful that we can't even imagine it. Why? He did it for us!!!! He loves us!!!! We know that we are going to have new immortal bodies and although we don't know if we will "have to" eat, we know that there is food in heaven because God is going to give us a banquet there! R.C. Sproul in his book, Surprised by Suffering, says, "One thing we are sure of: Biblically, redemption is spelled out in cosmic terms. Just as the whole creation was plunged into ruin by the fall of man, so the whole creation groans together awaiting redemption. (Romans 8:19-21) Images of heaven and future redemption include animals. The lamb, the lion, the wolf are all mentioned. Again, these images may only be metaphorically illustrative. But coupled with the promise of cosmic redemption they lend some real hope to the future redemption of man’s animal companions." For many years people followed the Catholic church and thought that the bible was not to be taken literally. But since the Reformation happened and people discovered that the Bible was indeed quite literal, they have begun to understand that Heaven would in fact have animals there. There are still many seminaries that teach the Bible isn't to be taken literally, and some that teach that it's literal except for Revelation and any scriptures that refer to the Millennium, the 2nd coming and Eternity. Pastors from those seminaries will say that animals aren't in heaven. Some that have left that belief system, and know that the bible is literal, but still teach that animals aren't in heaven, generally do so because they simply haven't taken the time to study the subject with the Holy Spirit's guidance on their own yet.
God knows us better then we know ourselves. He knows what we enjoy and what we love. In fact, God gave us our desires and the ability to love. The two most important commandments that are the base for everything God commands us is to love Him and love each other right? God Himself is love! Now, does it make any sense at all that a God who is love, would make an animal that He loved and cause us to have feelings of love for, and then prohibit that animal from joining us in our final home? I'm sorry but to me it goes against everything the bible teaches us about God Himself and how He operates.
Yes, only saved human beings will be in heaven, but no animal has a sin nature. They are all simply under the curse that God put on the entire earth when Adam sinned, and God Himself lifts that curse when Jesus returns at the Millennium. At that point all the animals still alive and those born from then on will be like they were in the Garden. Nonviolent and loving. There will no longer be a "food chain", like there is now. God will provide for them as He did in the Garden just as He will provide for us as well.
Now, that begs another question. Does that mean that there will be no meat eaten in heaven? No it doesn't. God gave us some animals, (not all) for food and therefore we know there will still be some available at least in the millennium. ( and possibly in heaven, we can't know either way about that though as so very little is actually said about our time in eternity after the Millennium.) In fact there is a specific verse that actually says that we will eat meat (if we want to).
Isaiah 25:6–8 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
It seems that there will still be meat during the Millennial Kingdom at least, but the Bible doesn't indicate whether or not there will be afterward. I suspect there won't be, but that's just me. God loves to give us good gifts! He loves us and nothing pleases Him more then to be able to give us things that will make us happy!
Jeremiah 31:12–14 (ESV) They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.”
So based on everything I know about my God from His Word and from my relationship with Him, I feel 1000% positive that there will be and are animals in heaven.
I started a bible study on this for myself and was just blown away by how often the Lord mentions animals in His Word. I believe that there will be animals in heaven and that our pets go to heaven when they die. I will give a list of scriptures to back this up at the end of my post for those who would like to study this for themselves. Here are some of the things that impressed me about animals in the Bible: God had Adam name the animals. God saved the animals from the flood, which most agree is a picture or type of the Rapture, so why wouldn't they be in heaven also? God made a covenant with the animals...they are that important to Him. (Gen 9:9-10 ) When God institutes the Passover, again animals are included and in a very unusual way: “So Moses said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (Exodus 11:4–7) God in fact did kill the firstborn sons of all the Egyptians and the firstborn sons of all the cattle of the Egyptians, but none of the livestock belonging to Israel were killed, and amazingly, although every dog owned by Egyptians was howling that night, not a single one owned by an Israeli made a sound! Amazing!!! Israel was always to remember that the firstborn of her sons and animals belonged to God We know that this first Passover was a picture showing how Jesus would save His people, for He is the Lamb of God. Jesus also told us that He wouldn't drink wine again until we are all with Him at the start of the Millennial Kingdom when He has returned. There we will eat Passover with Him and remember how He saved us. Feasts of the New Year, Passover, and Tabernacles will be reinstituted during the Millennium which shows that there will be animals then and that we will still eat meat during that time. (Ezek. 45:18–25; Zech. 14:16–21)
Another indication of animals in Millennium and on going through Eternity is that God says He will make another covenant with them at His Second Coming: “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18) God speaks directly to the land a number of times telling it that it will be restored from the curse. Here He speaks to first the land and then the animals: “Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things. Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.” (Joel 2:21–22) Prior to that, when Joel is speaking about the Great Tribulation, we're told: “Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures.” (Joel 1:20) And we know what Romans and the NT says about how all of creation is waiting for the sons of God (that's us!) to be revealed. That one little word in those scriptures, the word, "all", includes the animals. There's simply no way to get around that. God inspired every single word in our Bibles. The more I realize that, the more I learn from scripture. God made no accidents, and there are no slips of the tongue in His Word.
We can even go back to when God first spoke to the Israelites after bringing them out of Egypt. He told Moses how they should get ready for when He would speak to them and what rules they needed to follow for this. His rules included the animals: “No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”” (Exodus 34:3) I'm showing this only to again prove how God didn't leave the animals out of anything that was important.
We all remember Balaam's donkey I'm sure and how he saw the Angel of the Lord, (which was most likely Jesus) and the Lord made the donkey talk. (beginning in Numbers 22:21) We remember how God caused a giant fish to swallow Jonah too. Those aren't the only times that God used animals though. He used them many times to teach or show us something. Again though I want to return to pictures of Heaven. There are many references to animals in scriptures about either the Millennial Kingdom, New Jerusalem or Eternity. One that I'd never really thought of before is from Ezekiel and Revelation. Ezekiel is given a vision of God's Throne in heaven and John is taken to Heaven and sees the same thing. They both see what the Bible calls, "Four Living Creatures" They sound like something out of a science fiction novel! They each have the features of a man and of an animal and of a bird! (I'll quote the passages at the end). These "living creatures" were as close to God as anyone can possibly get, as they surround His Throne. This is one of the things that I can't wait to see for myself, but I'm bringing this up only because I think it one of the things it shows us that God doesn't leave animals out of Heaven.
The Lord tells us specifically that He owns every animal and bird (and fish etc) and cares for them. God asks Job questions with the answer expected that it is God who takes care of these things: ““Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?” (Job 38:39–41) ““Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes?” (Job 39:1–5) He continues about the animals for quite some time after this, showing us that He cares for every creature He creates and knows everything about each and every one of them, just as Jesus also reminded us. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
One of Job's friends who was a lousy comforter, but still spoke some truth said: ““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7–10) I can see you shaking your head and saying, I know all this, but what does it have to do with Heaven??? Nothing and everything. I'm simply attempting to show that God loves all of His creation and doesn't intend to leave anyone or anything out of Heaven. The whole of creation was put under a curse when Adam sinned. You could say it's our fault that the animals have pain and die etc. God intends for them to enjoy the earth as He intended, just as He intends for us to do so as well. There's even another picture of Heaven in the Psalms: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3) Yes, it could be speaking about the temple in Jerusalem as well, but the idea behind this psalm is how we yearn to be with God and how blessed we will be when we are with Him forever, and that will include the animals and birds as well.
Many scriptures about the Millennium, Heaven, New Jerusalem and the New Earth, have animals somewhere in them. You may be wondering at the way I've worded this. It's because eventually, "heaven" will be not "out there" or "Up there" somewhere, but will be on the earth. God will destroy this earth with fire and make a brand new one for us to live and play on for all eternity. If He has gone to all the trouble He did with this earth to keep His Word to people and animals, and all of His creation, I hardly think that He will leave them out of His perfect creation. By that time we will all have our perfect bodies and our sin natures will be long gone. All who enter the new perfect creation will be perfect and I'm sure the Lord of creation who loves us all and loves the animals and creatures He made too, will have them in this final perfect Heaven too. Why would He speak of them lovingly and make covenants with them through all of history if He didn't plan on them enjoying the New Earth as well? It simply doesn't make sense any other way.
Here are some scriptures for you to reflect on or begin your own study with. I've also included some scriptures that I mentioned above but didn't share there:
“for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.” (Psalm 50:10–11)
“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19–21)
“Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”” (Revelation 4:6–8)
“and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.” (Ezekiel 1:5–10) There's more but too much to post.
“I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.” (Zechariah 6:1–7)
“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:7–13)
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.” (Jeremiah 31:12)
““The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:27–28)
“He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel.” (Isaiah 30:23–24)
“The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.” (Isaiah 34:11–15) While God will destroy His enemies during the Tribulation, He still uses even that for good!
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6–9) Notice it's not just humans that will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, but all of creation will know the Lord and Honor Him. Reminds me of the psalms that often say that the trees, rocks, animals etc are praising God or telling them to praise Him. Or how Jesus said that if people didn't proclaim Him that day, that the rocks themselves would do so! (Luke 19:40
“In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18)
“Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.” (Joel 2:22)
“And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.” (Genesis 9:5)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1–3)
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3–4)
One major thing I've heard over and over from some folks who refuse to even consider this is that animals can't be "saved" and since only the saved go to heaven they can't go to heaven. That sounds good on the surface but only if you don't follow the thought through. God created heaven and earth for us as places for us to live and be happy. Heaven is to be our ultimate home. Heaven is not going to be some big empty place with only God and humans in it! Plants also cannot be "saved" and neither can gold or jewels yet we know that God has made Heaven to be so beautiful that we can't even imagine it. Why? He did it for us!!!! He loves us!!!! We know that we are going to have new immortal bodies and although we don't know if we will "have to" eat, we know that there is food in heaven because God is going to give us a banquet there! R.C. Sproul in his book, Surprised by Suffering, says, "One thing we are sure of: Biblically, redemption is spelled out in cosmic terms. Just as the whole creation was plunged into ruin by the fall of man, so the whole creation groans together awaiting redemption. (Romans 8:19-21) Images of heaven and future redemption include animals. The lamb, the lion, the wolf are all mentioned. Again, these images may only be metaphorically illustrative. But coupled with the promise of cosmic redemption they lend some real hope to the future redemption of man’s animal companions." For many years people followed the Catholic church and thought that the bible was not to be taken literally. But since the Reformation happened and people discovered that the Bible was indeed quite literal, they have begun to understand that Heaven would in fact have animals there. There are still many seminaries that teach the Bible isn't to be taken literally, and some that teach that it's literal except for Revelation and any scriptures that refer to the Millennium, the 2nd coming and Eternity. Pastors from those seminaries will say that animals aren't in heaven. Some that have left that belief system, and know that the bible is literal, but still teach that animals aren't in heaven, generally do so because they simply haven't taken the time to study the subject with the Holy Spirit's guidance on their own yet.
God knows us better then we know ourselves. He knows what we enjoy and what we love. In fact, God gave us our desires and the ability to love. The two most important commandments that are the base for everything God commands us is to love Him and love each other right? God Himself is love! Now, does it make any sense at all that a God who is love, would make an animal that He loved and cause us to have feelings of love for, and then prohibit that animal from joining us in our final home? I'm sorry but to me it goes against everything the bible teaches us about God Himself and how He operates.
Yes, only saved human beings will be in heaven, but no animal has a sin nature. They are all simply under the curse that God put on the entire earth when Adam sinned, and God Himself lifts that curse when Jesus returns at the Millennium. At that point all the animals still alive and those born from then on will be like they were in the Garden. Nonviolent and loving. There will no longer be a "food chain", like there is now. God will provide for them as He did in the Garden just as He will provide for us as well.
Now, that begs another question. Does that mean that there will be no meat eaten in heaven? No it doesn't. God gave us some animals, (not all) for food and therefore we know there will still be some available at least in the millennium. ( and possibly in heaven, we can't know either way about that though as so very little is actually said about our time in eternity after the Millennium.) In fact there is a specific verse that actually says that we will eat meat (if we want to).
Isaiah 25:6–8 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
It seems that there will still be meat during the Millennial Kingdom at least, but the Bible doesn't indicate whether or not there will be afterward. I suspect there won't be, but that's just me. God loves to give us good gifts! He loves us and nothing pleases Him more then to be able to give us things that will make us happy!
Jeremiah 31:12–14 (ESV) They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.”
So based on everything I know about my God from His Word and from my relationship with Him, I feel 1000% positive that there will be and are animals in heaven.
I started a bible study on this for myself and was just blown away by how often the Lord mentions animals in His Word. I believe that there will be animals in heaven and that our pets go to heaven when they die. I will give a list of scriptures to back this up at the end of my post for those who would like to study this for themselves. Here are some of the things that impressed me about animals in the Bible: God had Adam name the animals. God saved the animals from the flood, which most agree is a picture or type of the Rapture, so why wouldn't they be in heaven also? God made a covenant with the animals...they are that important to Him. (Gen 9:9-10 ) When God institutes the Passover, again animals are included and in a very unusual way: “So Moses said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (Exodus 11:4–7) God in fact did kill the firstborn sons of all the Egyptians and the firstborn sons of all the cattle of the Egyptians, but none of the livestock belonging to Israel were killed, and amazingly, although every dog owned by Egyptians was howling that night, not a single one owned by an Israeli made a sound! Amazing!!! Israel was always to remember that the firstborn of her sons and animals belonged to God We know that this first Passover was a picture showing how Jesus would save His people, for He is the Lamb of God. Jesus also told us that He wouldn't drink wine again until we are all with Him at the start of the Millennial Kingdom when He has returned. There we will eat Passover with Him and remember how He saved us. Feasts of the New Year, Passover, and Tabernacles will be reinstituted during the Millennium which shows that there will be animals then and that we will still eat meat during that time. (Ezek. 45:18–25; Zech. 14:16–21)
Another indication of animals in Millennium and on going through Eternity is that God says He will make another covenant with them at His Second Coming: “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18) God speaks directly to the land a number of times telling it that it will be restored from the curse. Here He speaks to first the land and then the animals: “Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things. Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.” (Joel 2:21–22) Prior to that, when Joel is speaking about the Great Tribulation, we're told: “Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures.” (Joel 1:20) And we know what Romans and the NT says about how all of creation is waiting for the sons of God (that's us!) to be revealed. That one little word in those scriptures, the word, "all", includes the animals. There's simply no way to get around that. God inspired every single word in our Bibles. The more I realize that, the more I learn from scripture. God made no accidents, and there are no slips of the tongue in His Word.
We can even go back to when God first spoke to the Israelites after bringing them out of Egypt. He told Moses how they should get ready for when He would speak to them and what rules they needed to follow for this. His rules included the animals: “No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”” (Exodus 34:3) I'm showing this only to again prove how God didn't leave the animals out of anything that was important.
We all remember Balaam's donkey I'm sure and how he saw the Angel of the Lord, (which was most likely Jesus) and the Lord made the donkey talk. (beginning in Numbers 22:21) We remember how God caused a giant fish to swallow Jonah too. Those aren't the only times that God used animals though. He used them many times to teach or show us something. Again though I want to return to pictures of Heaven. There are many references to animals in scriptures about either the Millennial Kingdom, New Jerusalem or Eternity. One that I'd never really thought of before is from Ezekiel and Revelation. Ezekiel is given a vision of God's Throne in heaven and John is taken to Heaven and sees the same thing. They both see what the Bible calls, "Four Living Creatures" They sound like something out of a science fiction novel! They each have the features of a man and of an animal and of a bird! (I'll quote the passages at the end). These "living creatures" were as close to God as anyone can possibly get, as they surround His Throne. This is one of the things that I can't wait to see for myself, but I'm bringing this up only because I think it one of the things it shows us that God doesn't leave animals out of Heaven.
The Lord tells us specifically that He owns every animal and bird (and fish etc) and cares for them. God asks Job questions with the answer expected that it is God who takes care of these things: ““Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?” (Job 38:39–41) ““Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes?” (Job 39:1–5) He continues about the animals for quite some time after this, showing us that He cares for every creature He creates and knows everything about each and every one of them, just as Jesus also reminded us. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
One of Job's friends who was a lousy comforter, but still spoke some truth said: ““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7–10) I can see you shaking your head and saying, I know all this, but what does it have to do with Heaven??? Nothing and everything. I'm simply attempting to show that God loves all of His creation and doesn't intend to leave anyone or anything out of Heaven. The whole of creation was put under a curse when Adam sinned. You could say it's our fault that the animals have pain and die etc. God intends for them to enjoy the earth as He intended, just as He intends for us to do so as well. There's even another picture of Heaven in the Psalms: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3) Yes, it could be speaking about the temple in Jerusalem as well, but the idea behind this psalm is how we yearn to be with God and how blessed we will be when we are with Him forever, and that will include the animals and birds as well.
Many scriptures about the Millennium, Heaven, New Jerusalem and the New Earth, have animals somewhere in them. You may be wondering at the way I've worded this. It's because eventually, "heaven" will be not "out there" or "Up there" somewhere, but will be on the earth. God will destroy this earth with fire and make a brand new one for us to live and play on for all eternity. If He has gone to all the trouble He did with this earth to keep His Word to people and animals, and all of His creation, I hardly think that He will leave them out of His perfect creation. By that time we will all have our perfect bodies and our sin natures will be long gone. All who enter the new perfect creation will be perfect and I'm sure the Lord of creation who loves us all and loves the animals and creatures He made too, will have them in this final perfect Heaven too. Why would He speak of them lovingly and make covenants with them through all of history if He didn't plan on them enjoying the New Earth as well? It simply doesn't make sense any other way.
Here are some scriptures for you to reflect on or begin your own study with. I've also included some scriptures that I mentioned above but didn't share there:
“for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.” (Psalm 50:10–11)
“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19–21)
“Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”” (Revelation 4:6–8)
“and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.” (Ezekiel 1:5–10) There's more but too much to post.
“I looked up again—and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze! The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.” (Zechariah 6:1–7)
“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:7–13)
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.” (Jeremiah 31:12)
““The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:27–28)
“He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel.” (Isaiah 30:23–24)
“The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.” (Isaiah 34:11–15) While God will destroy His enemies during the Tribulation, He still uses even that for good!
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6–9) Notice it's not just humans that will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, but all of creation will know the Lord and Honor Him. Reminds me of the psalms that often say that the trees, rocks, animals etc are praising God or telling them to praise Him. Or how Jesus said that if people didn't proclaim Him that day, that the rocks themselves would do so! (Luke 19:40
“In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18)
“Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.” (Joel 2:22)
“And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.” (Genesis 9:5)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1–3)
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3–4)
) and that there is hope of seeing him again.
