ANIMALS WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD

ANIMALS WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD.

ANIMALS WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD

GOD’S COVENANT IS WITH ANIMALS AS WELL AS WITH MAN

–  Mary A. LaClair

I’ve gotten so much activity on my DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN article that I decided to see what others had posted on the same topic. Some think animals will not come before the judgment seat of Christ and therefore will not, or could not, pass into heaven, being without Christ.

I intend to dispel that theory by using Scripture itself, this time in Genesis chapter nine. Other Scripture references have already been noted in the article DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, which may be found by clicking this link.

I’ve read Scripture for over thirty years and the full impact of Genesis 9:1-17 seemed to elude me all those years; however, when reading these verses in the past I wasn’t concerned about connecting animals with Heaven. Now I see what I missed before.  

We all are probably so familiar with the Genesis account of the rainbow that we think we know what’s there. As a result, we skim it so quickly that we miss the rest, even when it’s not hidden. Could it be because we don’t really want to see more than just what applies to us as humans? I’ve had another one of those times when ‘the lights come on’, and I’d like to share that moment with you. Here is the Genesis account of the rainbow. If we read it with animals in mind, new things necessarily come to light. The emphasis within and following are mine.

Gen 9:1-17

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 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.

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you–the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you–every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring  clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”  (from New International Version)*       

What do you see in verses 5; 9-10; 12; 15; 17 concerning animals?

In verse five, does it not say that He will require a reckoning of every animal as well as man, if they kill a man?

In verses 9-10 and 17 does it not say that He establishes His covenant with every living creature – not just man – and in verse 5 that He will demand an accounting from every animal for the lifeblood of a human?  Will animals such animals  face judgment? We are told here, that, yes, they will. What do these verses say about animals as well as man? It would seem we are all in this together and that God has covenant even with the animals and all living creatures of every kind on earth.

For those people who have thought that animals have no need for Jesus Christ and therefore won’t be in heaven because only those with Christ will enter: animals will be judged; and animals DO praise God, and therefore WILL be there:

“Even the wild animals will honor me: jackels and ostriches will praise me when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people.”  Isaiah 43:20 NLT

What have you learned about animals from these verses?   

For more information on this topic see the article DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN as listed in the right column.  Also see: WILL MY HORSE BE IN HEAVEN?

Added more recently on this site WWW.LookListenThink.wordpress.com is link to an article from a British Veterinarian about not trusting dogs or pets with babies/children, we think it is worth the read and it may be found herein titled GOOD DOGS GONE BAD.

https://looklistenthink.wordpress.com/category/animals/dogs/good-dogs-gone-bad/

The article on KILLING MICE IN MOUSETRAPS   might also be of interest as it establishes a balance and should be of interest as it relates to verse 2 of chapter 9 of Genesis, as seen above.  

As an aside: while the verses about the rainbow are before us, let’s briefly reflect on it also:  When I used to see a rainbow, I thought that God was reminding us that He wouldn’t again destroy the whole earth by flood. This could lead to complacency.

Now, however, when I see a rainbow I think that God is getting fed up with mankind so  that He tells us He is reminding Himself. And this should stir us out of complacency and move within us a desire not to anger a righteous God. I think that the Christmas tsunami in Thailand (2004); Katrina Hurricane in New Orleans immediately followed by Rita only weeks later (2005); the earthquake and great tsunami in Japan (2011); Hurricane Irene in NE-US (2011); and SuperStorm Sandy in NE-US (2012) immediately followed by a snowstorm before power was restored, are evidence that God is losing patience with mankind, and destroying part of the world by water; but, that He is reminding Himself that He said that He wouldn’t ever do it again to the whole world as before. See article JAPAN – A WARNING at this link.

I see much food for thought here, for both God’s love for man, in that He judges even animals who would harm us – and His anger with mankind for disregarding His rules, to the point that He toys with the idea of total destruction again, rather than put up with us.   

Let us try to get on His love side – and stay there!

Romans 8:19-22

^19” For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.   ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”    New Living Translation  emphasis mine.

P.S.  I’d like to refer readers to another site about dogs and animals in heaven – a lovely story in Guidepost’s Angels on Earth magazine on-line – it i a warm story, and the comments from their readers which follow their article are most interesting.

DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN?

 DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN?

–         M.A. LaClair

Do dogs go to heaven?

We are told in Titus 3:9 to avoid stupid controversies (RSV) and to not get involved in arguing over unanswerable questions and controversial theological ideas (The Living Bible)

First let me say that I don’t think asking whether dogs go to heaven is a stupid question, nor do I believe it is unanswerable from Scripture. The writer of Ecclesiastes asked this question thousands of years ago. His pondering of old gives us clues for our positive answer today.

I’ve heard numerous people, and some denominations, say animals don’t have a spirit and therefore cannot go to heaven.  Let’s put that statement to rest once and for all.

Eccl 3:21 “Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down to the earth?” RSV

This is saying that the beasts (animals) do indeed have a spirit.

Eccl 12:7 “Then shall dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”  NKJV

emphasis mine. This is not saying all will live in Heaven, but all will return for judgment

Chapter eleven and chapter sixty-five of the Prophet Isaiah each describe the new heaven and the new earth: he who dies at 100 will be considered a mere youth; the wolf and the lamb will feed together and the lion will eat straw like an ox. We don’t see that in this world, so it relates to the next.  Animals will be there who will neither harm nor destroy.

Revelation mentions riders on horses coming from heaven. There are horses in heaven and animals in the new world. To me, all this confirms that there are animals at peace in heaven. Don’t worry, there will be no threatening dogs, only peaceful ones, just as the lion will be.

In addition I pose two more theories:

First, there will be trees and rivers in Heaven, and many jewels form the foundations, and Heaven’s gates are made of pearls.  Do non living jewels have spirits or a soul?  Does water?  Yet, Scripture tells us these things are in Heaven. We will see further on in this article that Scripture also tells us trees will talk and sing.

Second, most animals are more in tune with the spirit world than a lot of men. In this life a dog can sense evil intent in man. A horse can sense the spirit of fear. Not all people like cats because they think some of them are spooky.

Do animals know God?   What about the serpent in the Garden? What about Balaam’s donkey who saw an angel?*  Today, some animals are more obedient through instinct than mankind is through intelligence!

About the future, Scripture says:

Isa 11:6   “…   the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. (NIV)

Yes, there will be animals at peace in heaven.

Our dogs and other pets who have been more loyal and obedient to the voice of the Lord in the here and now, and more loving to others in this world than possibly we ourselves have been, do have a place in the more perfect world to come. Scripture reveals it.

Third, the Scripture found in the Old Testament confirms itself in the New Testament.

Rom 8:18-22:

“For all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect his children (those humans which have been saved by Grace). 20 For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death, and decay –the things that overcame the world against its will at God’s command-will all disappear, 21 and the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin which God’s children ( humans saved by Grace) enjoy.  22 For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event.” TLB  (emphasis mine)

http://theproverbs120column.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/trees-talk-cry-and-they-sing/

With access to the Amplified Version one will find this statement reinforced as it regards the balance of creation.  These statements confirm that God has a special place for all His creation, moreover He makes humans the vanguard of all that He created.

“Study to show thyself approved, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)  Do dogs go to heaven?  I believe the above study shows us that we will see in heaven those dogs who were faithful to us here on earth. If you are afraid of dogs here on earth, please be assured that only peaceful dogs will be there, for in Heaven, all are at peace!

I strongly recommend the book HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo, now an international best seller, where a child who visited Heaven in a near death experience tells of his seeing Jesus and other things in Heaven.   One of the things was his Father’s Grandfather and his dog – etc….

Also *Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician at the Steere House Nursing and Rehab Centre in Providence, Rhode Island published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 about “OSCAR THE CAT.” He finally published the non-fiction book by the same name. It is about Oscar the cat who predicted which patients were going to die and when and did so with more accuracy than experienced nurses.  His article may be found on line. His book may be found or ordered most anywhere.

As an aside: The Old Testament tells us the trees cry (Zech 11:2); trees will clap their hands, the rivers and hills will rejoice (Is 55:12); Joshua’s rock was a witness because it heard (Josh 24:27) (Luke 19:40); See the authors article: SCIENCE PROVES THE BIBLE: TREES TALK, CRY AND THEY SING.  

New Testament Scripture does tell us that:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, the wonders HE has prepared for those who love Him! “ (1 Corinthians 2:9)

* Numbers 22:21-28 Balaam’s donkey speaks

P.S.   See additionally the recent post ANIMALS WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD for more assurance, that if you will be in heaven, you will see there with you, your faithful dog (cat) or your faithful horse (etc.)  One may also wish to see on this site: WILL MY HORSE BE IN HEAVEN? which incorporates much of the material herein but which also includes information special to horses.
May I direct you to my article which says it is alright to trap mice in mousetraps – scripture included – ‘we are to have dominion over animals’. This article includes an explanation given to my grand-daughters when they ‘caught me’ setting a mouse trap. It includes their reactions. It contains what many have called ‘delightful learning’.
https://looklistenthink.wordpress.com/category/animals/killing-mice-in-mousetraps/

P.P.S.  I’d like to refer readers to another site about dogs and animals in heaven – a lovely story in Guidepost’s Angels on Earth magazine on-line – it is a warm story, and the comments from their readers which follow their article are most interesting.

P.P.P.S.  I now recommend the author Gary Kurz and his book on animals and heaven.  I’ve just reviewed his  COLD NOSES AT THE PEARLY GATES. and would suggest it to you.     I’m sure this book may be found on Amazon. Happy continued reading.  / M.L.