Do you think animals can be accepted into heaven?

This is where we are to speak where the bible speaks and remain silent where the bible is silent. The best any one can offer you is There is no scripture telling us that animals are prohibited in Heaven.

That Said, God is the creator of all we see including animals, so to me it would be foolish to think That the higher forms of life will be the only living things in Heaven.

Well here is my response.

Luke 12:6
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Ecclesiastes 12:7
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Job 12:10
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Let's just keep in mind that God is a God of love - God is love. We should not worry for our pets and other animals as God will not forget them.

What ever his plans are we should be at peace knowing that God is God and whatever God decides will ALWAYS be right.

alexamasan said:

Many Christians have told me different answers, so I guess it's just a matter of denomination or opinion. Do you guys think animals can be accepted into heaven?

Click to expand...

Through Christ, death was defeated and creation was restored. God cares about the least of His creation.

There are horses in heaven,
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." (Revelation 19:11-14)

"This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." (Colossians 1:23)
"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15)
That's why St.Francis famously preached to sparrows.

"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. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:20-22)
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,..."(Revelation 21:1)
Surely this includes animals, being part of the Creation?

"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'" (Revelation 5:13)
"My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever." (Psalm 145:21)
How could they do that unless they're included in heaven and the new earth?

Animals can't sin, they have never been given any commands or laws by God to disobey.

But for us humans, sin still exists outside the Law:
"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares." (Romans 2:12-16)

alexamasan said:

Thank you for your answers, I guess since animals never heard of Jesus, it's not their fault for sinning all the time.

Click to expand...

Who says they are sinning?

alexamasan said:

Many Christians have told me different answers, so I guess it's just a matter of denomination or opinion. Do you guys think animals can be accepted into heaven?

Click to expand...

Animals will be part of the renewed, redeemed, restored, creation - see Isaiah.

But there is no scripture to indicate that animals that have died in this age will be resurrected to new life in that age.

alexamasan said:

Thank you for your answers, I guess since animals never heard of Jesus, it's not their fault for sinning all the time.

Click to expand...

Just my opinion here, but I don't think animals can sin. There is no indication in scripture that any animal partook in eating the forbidden fruit, therefore sin isn't something that would exist to them.

alexamasan said:

Many Christians have told me different answers, so I guess it's just a matter of denomination or opinion. Do you guys think animals can be accepted into heaven?

Click to expand...

MY FRIEND,

It appears to me to be true that out of all Creation, only man is reported to have been "created in God's image and likeness" (Genesis 1:26,27)--thus having both freewill and an eternal soul, qualities lacking in animals and necessary for eternal life.

So my answer would be NO.

ABBA'S BRAT,
ephraim

alexamasan said:

Ahh, now that is an interesting answer! Would you mind giving biblical evidence that freewill and an eternal soul are necessary for eternal life? Just so your entire post would be supported by biblical evidence.

Click to expand...

Man's Free Will to do Good or Evil

Throughout Scripture the Bible continuously instructs mankind to make righteous decisions by use of their free will. Below are some verses which strongly show that mankind has the responsibility to exercise his free will and is commanded by God to do so.

Deuteronomy 30:11 "For this commandment which I command you today [is] not [too] mysterious for you, nor [is] it far off. 12 "It [is] not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13 "Nor [is] it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14 "But the word [is] very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

Deuteronomy 30:15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 "in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 "But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 "I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong [your] days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Romans 2:10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it]. 25 And everyone who competes [for] [the] [prize] is temperate in all things. Now they [do] [it] to obtain a perishable crown, but we [for] an imperishable [crown].

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and [before] Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep [this] commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing.

2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

Christian View of the Soul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Christian view of the soul is based upon the teaching of both the Old Testament and New Testament. The Old Testament contains the statements "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7) and "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7). In the New Testament can be found a statement by Paul the Apostle, "And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Christians understand the soul as an ontological reality distinct from, yet integrally connected with, the body. Its characteristics are described in moral, spiritual, and philosophical terms. When people die their souls will be judged by God and sentenced to an eternity in heaven or in hell. Though all branches of Christianity –Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox, Evangelical or mainline Protestants – teach that Jesus Christ plays a decisive role in the salvation process, the specifics of that role and the part played by individual persons or ecclesiastical rituals and relationships, is a matter of wide diversity in official church teaching, theological speculation and popular practice. Christians believe that if one has not repented of one's sins and trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, he will go to hell and suffer eternal separation from God. Variations also exist on this theme, e.g. some which hold that the unrighteous soul will be destroyed instead of suffering eternally. Believers will inherit eternal life in heaven and enjoy eternal fellowship with God. Many Christians also believe that babies (including the unborn) and those with cognitive or mental impairments who have died will be received into heaven on the basis of God's grace through the sacrifice of Jesus.

ephraim