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Thousands of Christians have wondered at some point whether their beloved pets will be allowed
to join us in heaven, myself included. This is a subject which calls for speculation, as there
is no concrete evidence in scripture which provides us an answer. I believe that we will be permitted to "resurrect" our beloved animals, or ask God to bring this about, but before I explain my reasoning we should understand the problems which are involved with this liklihood, that is, why there is an element of doubt. An animal has no soul or spirit, and because the soul is the vehicle to which God imputes Eternal Life this presents a problem. An "animal spirit" would also be necessary, for all creatures that abide with God in His Kingdom are triune beings possessing a body, soul and spirit. Incidentally, because the soul is the seat of life, and an animal does not have one, their life is in their blood. Anyone raised on a farm, or who has slaughtered a chicken by removing its head, can attest to this fact, for the bird will flap its wings and charge blindly about the area until its blood has emptied from its body. Besides, the Bible says so in Gen 9:4(or I never would have picked up on this). An animal does not have a volition, like a prescient creature, angel or human. They function on the basis of their instincts, charactaristics which God has created within them in order to assure that nature will operate according to a well defined scheme. Nature, and all it embraces, is an essential element of His plan for mankind, but we won't pause to focus on this body of truth, nor will I persue the mechanics of animal essence except to say that they have no volition, and therefore, are not players in the great drama of human exsitence and eternal salvation. When an animal dies it is swallowed by oblivion. There is no Heaven or Hell, but eternal unconsciousness. In essence, when an animal dies it ceases to exsist. This thought is grievous to those of us who dearly love an animal, but reality is not compliant with our druthers, eh? OK, now let's examine the positives in this equation; First; our pets survive in our memory, in each tiny detail of their lives, and a far more powerful presence is our love for them. In this sense, particularly the aspect of love, we will carry the thoughts of these creatures across the barrier of time into Eternity. Thus, love becomes our single motivation, and one reason that I believe we will be allowed to import our animals into eternity is this...that such a gesture is identical to the basis for God's own purpose...Love. This term, above all else in Creation, defines who God is. So my conclusion...how could God deny us so simple an arrangement? I don't think He will deny us. I think of this in terms of a father granting a request to His beloved son, who comes to Him with a dilemma, probably a result of the lad's infectious passion for life, and a tad foolish perhaps. Will a wise father deny the object of His love? Of course not. Then far more so, will our Father humor us in our childish enthusiasms. There is a very good chance that we won't need to ask our Father, for He promised to make us "like My Son", and when God utters such a committment it carries absolute authority. It also conveys the magnitude of the abilities that our resurrection bodies will possess. The lack of any boundaries, or limitations to this promise may be a minute textural ommission, but it involves the very essence of our glorified persons. I mean, when we are like Jesus Christ we are co-heirs of His Kingdom. We share his Sonship, as adopted sons, but full station with the incredible status of Royal Princes and Princesses in the Eternal Dynasty of the Son. The blood of The Ruler of Heavens and the Earth will, figuratively speaking, be coursing through our veins. In making us like Jesus Christ the Father will surely invest the priviledge of the Son's formidable power, creation being one of them. We will be sinless, and incapable of abusing our high station. We will possess a mentality which exceeds genius thousands of times, for another promise from the Father, we will "know, even as you are known" means that our consciousness will be elevated beyond what we can even imagine, which insures that we will be prudent, to God's high standards, in how we use our power. The long and the short...God can do anything, and when the request is rooted in love, He would never deny us. There are, or will be, horses in heaven, which is a demonstration of the hope we share in this regard. It all adds up to a big fat YEAH! We will be able to summon our beloved cats and dogs, birds and horses, whatever. This is my opinion. But there is an addendum to this topic that I have pondered....God will have to give our animals a soul and spirit, as well as a resurrection body, which is fine, but have you considered what Fido or Bootsy will be like with the power of independent thought, and a voice to express it? We own a minature dashshund, and I know there is much she would say, if she could, and some of it highly critical of my behaviour. I consider it a blessing that God has wisely limited their communication skills to barking and purring, etc. Another strident voice, added to the cacophony I already contend with, would be most unpleasant. I prefer my dog just like she is. But in eternity the circumstances are very different. I'm sure that our little companions, or big, or fowl, will speak only praises and glorify God, as we will. In any event, it's an interesting train of thought, and one I will be prompt to investigate in Eternity |