What is the fate of animals when they die?

[ewq1938]

Alot of people think that Adam's sin corrupted all creation. It didn't. It severed the bond with God and consequently who we are to each other and creation became disordered. Creation was subjected to futility and decay from the beginning.

Well said and I agree fully.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

Man has a body/Soul combo that reasons. He has an eternal immortal spirit.

The animal kingdoms have neither.

Eccl. 12 (NASB)....see: Genesis!

7. And the dust ( human Body / Soul combo)

will return to the earth as it was,

and the Spirit will return to God who gave it.

8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Lots of posts and lots of speculation, so I'll try to keep it as short as possible:

1. There's no way to know if animals have souls. The only reason you know you have one is because you're experiencing life, which happens to be through this machine you call a body. From the outside of the body, it's just a machine. Unless you can get inside someone else's body and experience their life you can't observe the fact directly, but then it's still your own soul and not theirs that you observe. The only soul you can be one-hundred percent sure of is your own. People generally make the assumption that humanity is uniformly endowed with souls, and that might be a fair assumption, but it's also not provable.
2. God does not foretell us the fate of others, unless it includes telling us of our own fate. I know someone's going to take that out of context so let me explain. When Peter asked Jesus what would happen to John, Jesus essentially told him it was none of his business. There are a few categories of souls whose afterlife is not explained, including babies, who are too young to know about salvation, animals, who are too simple to understand sin at all, and isolated individuals who never get to hear of the gospel. The Bible never explains their fate, and they never get to read the Bible. I suspect that if dogs could read and if they could understand atonement for sin, then they would probably have received explanation in the Bible, or they would have received their own Bible.

Because of those two reasons, I find that all of the scripture given one way or the other, being only tangentially related to the subject, are not enough to draw any conclusions, either way. God can send a dog to Heaven whether it has a soul or not, in the same way that you can send an inanimate object anywhere in the world, though that answer probably isn't very satisfying. I say he can, because I have no idea what he will do.

...why would not all, including animals, be restored?

They might, but we'll need a bigger planet, or more than one.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Psalm 49:20
Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

 

[ewq1938]

and the Spirit will return to God who gave it.

Yep. The spirit of man returns to God, the spirit of animals goes down to the Earth and is no more. This doesn't mean anyone doesn't like or love animals...it's just an honest position based on scripture and not on personal desire or hope. I would love to reunite with my first cat from back when I was about 7 years old but I can't prove such a thing from the scriptures. I hope I am wrong in my current conclusions but I have to be honest and admit I simply can't prove animals resurrect, have an afterlife or even exist in the NHNE.

 

[Eloy Craft]

Yep. The spirit of man returns to God, the spirit of animals goes down to the Earth and is no more. This doesn't mean anyone doesn't like or love animals...it's just an honest position based on scripture and not on personal desire or hope. I would love to reunite with my first cat from back when I was about 7 years old but I can't prove such a thing from the scriptures. I hope I am wrong in my current conclusions but I have to be honest and admit I simply can't prove animals resurrect, have an afterlife or even exist in the NHNE.

Interesting that they both have a spirit. One is apparently of the earth and the other apparently of God.

 

[ewq1938]

Interesting that they both have a spirit. One is apparently of the earth and the other apparently of God.

They even have the breath of life but it simply means they have mortal life like we do. Man and animal are alike there but our spirit does go up, to God and theirs do not.

Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
Genesis 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

 

[Noah Ark]

Who?

Virus and tumor

 

[Serving Zion]

I reviewed your scriptures, but the only semi-clear one is the one quoted from Eclesiastes.

Even that scripture does not really tell us what happens, other than at least for now, our spirits go to different places. That does not really clarify their fate though. I mean are they in an animal waiting place? Are they re-incarnated? What does it mean that the spirit returns to the earth? It does not say it disappears or no longer exists.

It also doesn't say that it goes downward as a given - it is an open question: "who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes downward?".

The only reason they perish is that they don't speak. They have ruach just as we do, but lacking the ability to vocalise and therefore to impact minds through the power of communcation.. the power of life and death is in the tongue and those who eat of it will reap the fruits thereof. Whereas the slacker doesn't plow in season and at harvest time there is no grain.

.. anyhow, it is clear that God is love, and love is compassionate and kind to animals.

A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, yet even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
Proverbs 12:10

 

[LoricaLady]

What is the fate of animals when they die?

Solomon said that we do not know if the spirits of animals go up or down when they die, and that we do not know if the spirits of people go up or down when we die. The Bible shows that animals have spirits. Further we see animals in Heaven. When Messiah returns He is on a white horse with an army behind him also on white horses.

In Revelation we see an eagle flying around making a verbal pronouncement. The 4 Cherubim at the Throne are basically beasts, though one is part human.

Now there is a man, Dean Braxton, who was dead - no heart beat and no respiration - for 1 3/4 hours. You can hear his doctor, on a CBN vid, saying that itis is "a miracle...a miracle" that he is now alive and normal in every way. Like many others who have died and been brought back, Braxton reports pets and other animals in Heaven.

I personally have zero doubt that animals are in Heaven.

 

[LoricaLady]

Admittedly I am an animal lover and have had beloved pets all my life, however, I personally believe that none of the current animals that we have shall exist in the eternity.

The most common scriptures to use to prove animals shall be is in Isaiah:

Isa 11:6-10
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (KJV)


I personally believe these are metaphors and not literal examples. I think we all know that no children will be born or exist at that time so I believe we can assume the point here is that there will be complete peace and safety, explained in a way that people of that day could understand.


Jeremiah 7:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.



Zephaniah 1:1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
Zephaniah 1:2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
Zephaniah 1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
Zephaniah 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
Zephaniah 1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
Zephaniah 1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
Zephaniah 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Zephaniah 1:8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
Zephaniah 1:9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
Zephaniah 1:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
Zephaniah 1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
Zephaniah 1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
Zephaniah 1:13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zephaniah 1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Zephaniah 1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.





Ezekiel 32:13 I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.

Hos 4:3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.



Looks to me that God says he will kill all animals during the 7th trump.

Animals at least for Adam were created as helpmeets, yet they were not enough so Eve was created. I suspect that we will not need animal helpmeets in the eternity.




Ps 49:20
20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
KJV


Ps 49:12
12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
KJV


Jer 50:3
3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
KJV

Jer 51:62
62 Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.
KJV

Man as in human beings shall no longer exist either. Human flesh will be no more.

Jer 33:10
10 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
KJV

Eccl 3:19-21
19 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.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
KJV


Man's spirit goes up to heaven, but the spirit of animals go downward. It's God's way. I trust that God knows what's best.

The only mention of an animal in the eternity chapters of Revelation is the Lamb, which is Jesus Christ and not a literal lamb.

The Bible says "Who knoweth if the spirit of a man goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast goeth downward." It does NOT say the spirit of all beasts go downward! It says "Who knoweth..." For one thing look at the first part of the rhetorical Q. Do all people's spirits go upward to Heaven? Of course not. Please learn to analyze more carefully what you read in the Bible.

As I said in a post above, animals are seen in Heaven, in the Bible.

 

[brinny]

They also don't need a saviour because they are temporary and not meant to be saved.



Goodnight.

Animals did not need a Savior because they did not cause the fall of man. Man did.

Animals will not be forever obliterated. Why would God do such a thing, as He created them in the first place, and if He created them, He DELIGHTS in them, just as we do.

 

[brinny]

Virus and tumor

What about the virus and the tumor?

By the way, welcome to CF, Noah.

 

[JoeP222w]

What is the fate of animals when they die?

They die.

The Bible is silent on what happens to animals after they die, if anything. It is wrong to assume anything where the Bible is silent.

However, since man is the only created being made in the image of God (meaning man is not an animal), man goes before God and He will justly judge them (Hebrews 9:27). Either they will be covered by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, or God will justly and righteously send them to Hell for this rebellion to God. But God will not give them injustice.

 

[LoricaLady]

It makes me so sad to see some people above, over and over, saying that the Bible is silent on animals and Heaven. If only they would do their homework. If they would research they would see that the Bible says animals have a soul and a spirit. If only they would look and see that animals already are described as being in Heaven!

As I mentioned above Solomon said "Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes downward...." Someone above left off "Who knows..." and was trying to say that verse means animals go downward, but does that verse mean all humans go upward? No. If animals don't have a spirit, why would Solomon speak of their spirits?

I am worried about animals not getting the love and care they deserve because people think they are "Just animals and when they die that's it." No it isn't. Many people, including children, who have died and had near death experience report that they saw pets and other animals in Heaven. Again, the Bible clearly shows there are animals in Heaven, like horses, and and eagle. The Cherubim are made out of animals like a lion and a bear, and bird like creatures with feathers.

I believe we will be held accountable for how we treat animals. The Father made them and loves them even more than we do. Back to Solomon's quotes I would say it is clear that some people do not go to Heaven and some animals do.

 

[LoricaLady]

Yep. The spirit of man returns to God, the spirit of animals goes down to the Earth and is no more. This doesn't mean anyone doesn't like or love animals...it's just an honest position based on scripture and not on personal desire or hope. I would love to reunite with my first cat from back when I was about 7 years old but I can't prove such a thing from the scriptures. I hope I am wrong in my current conclusions but I have to be honest and admit I simply can't prove animals resurrect, have an afterlife or even exist in the NHNE.

Like others when you quote from the Bible you leave off "Who knows...." and act like it is saying that such is known. The verse is like a rhetorical Q. Of course we don't always know which people are going up to Heaven and which are going down to hell. Ditto animals according to the verse. The verse also speaks of the spirits of animals. Why do you need a spirit if this life is it?

 

[Invalidusername]

God breathed the life in Adam but he did not do such for animals.

 

[LoricaLady]

God breathed the life in Adam but he did not do such for animals.

So what? Where does it say "And because He breathed life into Adam but not animals they have no spirit"? Well, it doesn't say that. But it DOES say animals have spirits. Yes, humans are uniquely created and we have a special role. But you are taking that and running with it and saying, "And so that means such and such about animals...." But the BIBLE doesn't say "So that means such and such about animals ...."

We are warned very sternly not to add to, or subtract from, the Scriptures.

 

[LoricaLady]

P.S. And oh yeal, those white horses in Heaven, and that eagle seen giving a verbal proclamation in Revelation, did the Almighty breath life into THEIR nostrils? Rhetorical Q.

 

[Invalidusername]

So what? Where does it say "And because He breathed life into Adam but not animals they have no spirit"? Well, it doesn't say that. But it DOES say animals have spirits. Yes, humans are uniquely created and we have a special role. But you are taking that and running with it and saying, "And so that means such and such about animals...." But the BIBLE doesn't say "So that means such and such about animals ...."

We are warned very sternly not to add to, or subtract from, the Scriptures.

I never added anything or subtracted anything. I simply said that God breathed the life in Adam. Did he breath in a wolf? A cat? The Bible does not state that. The Bible states that he breathed life into Adam and Adam only.

Man was made in God's image. The Bible does not say a wolf was. Neither a cat. Nor a fish.

You have always strongly condemned me in any conversation I've had with you. You are making it very hard for me to be polite to you. I suggest you stop judging me and making accusations.