[geologist]

My Avatar is a picture of my dog, Zorba. He passed away February 8th after a good life of 12 years. He died in his sleep. I buried him out in the desert.

I had thought about changing my avatar after he passed away, but I have now decided to keep it. His picture reminds me of the love he gave.

Even this morning I still grieve his loss. His spirit has gone back to God and I do hope that, one day, I may encounter his gentle spirit again.

[Brother Tim]

As a serious animal lover who has lost many special pets in my lifetime, I can sympathize with your loss, but I have a doctrinal question.

Where is it shown that animals have eternal spirits, and that their spirits will reconnect with us at some point in the future?

I sympathize with your loss of Zorba.......I have lost beloved pets, most recently two dogs last summer from some sort of poisoning. I still have their mother, a standard poodle 15 years old and doing very well other than hearing loss. Still runs and plays like a pup.

I hope Heaven includes reunion with our special pet friends. Pets have been better friends than people sometimes. I hope to return to Earth with the King of Kings riding my favorite horse of all time (and best friend), Tandi (hence my pen-name). Tandakiya was a rangy, red roan, blanketed Appaloosa with peacock spots, but I expect he will be pure white in his celestial body. : )

How do we know animals have spirits that return to God? Well.....we may not know for sure one way or the other.......but where do these horses come from in Revelation 19?!

Shalom,

Tandi

[Brother Tim]

Are those horse spirits, or horse bodies?

1 Corinthians 15 talks about terrestrial bodies and celestial bodies.

[Brother Tim]

I hope Heaven includes reunion with our special pet friends.

This is a troubling statement. It is similar to a song that I heard recently. The chorus was describing heaven as being beautiful because "you are there". I assumed that it was speaking of Jesus, but then I heard the next verse where it talked of the "you" of the chorus walking and talking with Jesus. The song was about a dead loved one.

The truth of the matter is that our praise and adoration and complete focus will be on the LORD Jesus Christ and Him alone. We will not be concerned about who or what else is present there. There is no Scriptural authority for telling a little child that he will see his dead puppy in heaven! Christians have allowed songs written by men to replace, correct, or add to the Word of God.

[Brother Tim]

If I am wrong, then we have a problem. I am going to need an entire mansion just to hold the number of cats and dogs that I have had as pets, not to mention the mice, gerbils, fish, frogs, and other miscellaneous creatures.

[Brother Tim]

1 Corinthians 15 talks about terrestrial bodies and celestial bodies.

Not the same thing at all! Read the whole context.

[CKG]

How about animals on earth?

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. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. (Isaiah 11:6-8)

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 65:17-25)

[Brother Tim]

There is NO QUESTION that there will be animals in the new earth. That is as plain as it can be. What is not said is that these are some kind of "resurrected" pets from our lives. God re-creates the earth and repopulates it with His creatures just as at the beginning.