Count on animals in heaven
To the editor:
Last time I showed why the so-called “proof” of those who claim heaven will be without animals is totally without any merit whatsoever. In this letter I’ll show, using biblical proof, why we can be confident animals will definitely be with us in heaven.
Close your eyes. Visualize heaven. What do you see? Most people will see lush forests, meadows, flowers, gurgling clear brooks, rivers. This is almost universal — even those who do not believe animals will be in heaven because they say animals have no souls. Funny thing is, though, trees, though living, have no souls. Grass — no soul. Flowers, again, living and alive — no souls. Why is it they can believe these living things which are soulless will be in heaven, yet they don’t believe animals will be in heaven?
Answer: The majority of these people don’t love animals. They don’t want animals in “their” heaven; therefore, they picture heaven without animals.
Now let’s look at this from God’s view. Why did God create animals in the first place? Many people believe it was for man’s sustenance. But the Bible says differently. Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
All creation and creatures, including animals, were created because God derives pleasure from their existence. Animals were created before man even existed. This in itself is interesting.
Now does the Bible speak to us about what heaven will look like? Yes, absolutely. there are two vivid types, or depictions, of heaven in the Bible: 1) the Garden of Eden; 2) the Millennium (the 1,000-year period after the tribulation when Jesus Christ comes to earth to reign). Everyone is familiar with the Garden of Eden, that God stocked it with all manner of animals (Genesis 1:24-25).
The animals of Eden, before the fall of man, were not the animals we know on earth today. There was no death or killing before the fall, so these animals lived in total peace with each other and man. Isaiah 65:25 speaks of the Millennium period, “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s nest. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.”
If there were no other facts mentioned regarding animals, this would be more than enough to know animals will be in heaven. Period. But there is so much more. I’m limited by space, not by facts.
We spoke of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. When man sinned, what happened? Man was expelled from the Garden. Since the Garden speaks of heaven, man was “kicked out of heaven.” His sin, his sinful nature, separated him from God. Did God kick the animals out of Eden? No. Why not? They had not sinned.
Sin is what separates man from God. Animals do not sin; have not the capacity for sin. Why should they ever be separated from God — a God who loves them and derives pleasure from them?
Bottom line: It’s ridiculous to think God would not want these wonderful creatures in His heaven. Count on it. Just make sure you’re ready for God’s heaven. That’s what we need to be concerned about.
Clare Kierstead
Presque Isle
