tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464284851196104962024-02-19T22:19:54.564-08:00Dan Story Blogdan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-51763092048191282082014-09-20T15:52:00.000-07:002014-09-20T15:52:43.523-07:00Change of blog address<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAt9ZeifXEg5PcwTlIByqPS2f5BGiOU33mNbRhVKQYwu2vKgoYi7qJbE-4JRdpuCCvDIFmfFRi4h-Cok0im4jLOaOR8Qf7qqLDSZHq-JUh4-n_VctBnswtl1ILc-iJSkYN6xJubspfxETb/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAt9ZeifXEg5PcwTlIByqPS2f5BGiOU33mNbRhVKQYwu2vKgoYi7qJbE-4JRdpuCCvDIFmfFRi4h-Cok0im4jLOaOR8Qf7qqLDSZHq-JUh4-n_VctBnswtl1ILc-iJSkYN6xJubspfxETb/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I recently went to a different blog site. My new blog series, "Should Christians Be Environmentalists?", which began September 20th, is now posted at www.danstory.net/blog. You can access all my blogs at this site. My website itself is wwwdanstory.net. (note: no period between www and danstory.net), then click on my name. This is confusing for now, but I'll get it straightened out shortly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you check out the new sites, and will continue to follow my new blog series.</span>dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-6092276876210956732014-09-09T12:59:00.000-07:002014-09-09T13:00:48.997-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In case your are wondering why I have not posted any articles recently it's because I have finished my series on "Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? and I am putting together a new series. Hopefully, within a few months, I'll connect with a publisher and soon after you will be able to purchase the articles in book form. In the mean time, you can read the previous 29 articles as a preview; they includes a large portion of the book. But there will be a lot more information in the book itself.<br />
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On September 20th I will begin a new series of blog articles titled "Why Christians <i>Should </i>be Environmentalists!" (Obviously, I enjoy controversial topics that challenge our traditional views on issues, although I work had to never go beyond what I can sustain in Scripture.) This new series is based on my book, <i>Should Christians Be Environmentalists?</i> published in 2012 by Kregel Publications. It's presently available in both print and Kindle formats. I can't cover the entire book in blog articles, so if you want the "rest of the story" I hope you'll purchase the book itself. I look forward to your thoughtful comments.<br />
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<br />dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-59046321779126274772014-08-29T12:55:00.003-07:002014-09-02T06:01:29.318-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Part Twenty-Nine:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Animals in Heaven Brings Glory to God</span></b></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When
all is said and done, when all the evidence for animals inhabiting Heaven is mustered
and analyzed, if earthly creatures share the new heaven and earth with redeemed
humanity, it hinges totally on the selfless, astonishing, miraculous work of
Jesus Christ. The reality of Christ’s resurrection guarantees the believer’s
resurrection to eternal life (1 Cor. 15:20-23, 49). If animals are blessed with
eternal bodies, whether resurrected or recreated, it too will depend entirely on the redeeming work
of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At
Jesus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">first</i> advent on Earth, God
“rescued” believers “from the dominion of darkness and brought [us] into the
kingdom of the Son he loves,” (Col 1:13). Jesus reconciled “all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on
the cross” (Col. 1:20). Jesus removed the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15) and
promised eternal life in heaven for His followers (John 14:1-3).</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When
Jesus returns to Earth the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">second</i>
time, His victory over death will encompass the whole of creation. Heaven and
earth will become one, and nature’s curse will be removed forever (Rev. 22:3).
This heavenly New Earth will be the old earth redeemed, renewed, and restored
to its original unspoiled, uncorrupted, pristine state—as God originally
created it to be. The late theologian Anthony Hoekema said it well: “The work of Christ .
. . is not just to save certain individuals, not even to save an innumerable
throng of blood-bought people. The total work of Christ is nothing less than to
redeem this entire creation from the effects of sin. That purpose will not be
accomplished until God has ushered in the new earth, until Paradise Lost has
become Paradise Regained.” (Quoted in </span>Randy Alcorn, <i>Heaven</i>, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">104)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Challenges</span></b> </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I want to end this series of
twenty-nine articles with four challenges <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">for skeptics who reject animals inhabiting Heaven, especially being resurrected, to ponder. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">First, if God and humans enjoy wonderful, heartfelt relationships with
animals in this life, why would God remove such blessings in Heaven? </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Second, if this “old” earth will be redeemed and renewed to become the
New Earth (Heaven), why would animals not be part of this continuity?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Third, if Jesus removes the fear and “sting” of death (1 Cor. 15:54-57),
and reconciles “all things” in heaven and on earth (Col 1:20) through His
atoning work on the cross, why would animals not be part of these “all things?”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fourth, Paul teaches in Romans chapter eight that all “creation waits in
eager expectation” for its redemption (19). Why would animals be waiting
eagerly for their redemption if they are going to be annihilated when Christ
returns?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have yet to hear a persuasive biblical, philosophical, or scientific argument
for why animals will not join God’s people in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m certain that the pets we loved and
enjoyed in this life, and which served us faithfully, <i>will</i> spend
eternity with us in the redeemed New Earth. I’m certain domesticated animals,
whose suffering the human race is responsible for, <i>will</i> be recompensed
in Heaven. And I’m certain the untamed animals that make the wilderness wild <i>will
</i>roam the forests and fields of the new heaven and earth.</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One more thought, and this is for skeptics. Throughout
this series of blog articles, I occasionally received comments from readers who
are very hostile to the idea of animals joining God’s people in
the new heaven and earth—despite all the biblical and other evidences I’ve
provided to the contrary. (Fortunately, I’ve received many more affirmations
than criticisms!) These critical comments always cause me to scratch my head.
Why, I wonder, are some Christians so opposed to the idea of animals dwelling in the Eternal Kingdom? Why does it bother these
people, even if animals are resurrected from earthly bodies? That animals will dwell in Heaven has nothing to do with the special
status humans have in God’s eyes, that only people are created in His image,
and that we are vastly more valuable to God than nonhuman life. I would think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i> would look forward to a future
Eden-like Paradise where all God’s beloved creation will spend eternity
together—both human and animal.<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For
people like me, who relish walks in the wilderness with dog companions, who are
thrilled to observe nature’s wild inhabitants, who dream of the day when we can
scratch between the ears of lions and wolves, nap in the shadow of grizzly
bears, race across meadows with deer and antelope, and perhaps even soar into
the heights with eagles and hawks—such a future Heaven is indescribably
exciting to anticipate. I for one look forward to it with eager anticipation!</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks to all my faithful readers, and I look forward to
starting a new series in a few weeks, after a brief hiatus. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-1930994749180148142014-08-22T13:19:00.000-07:002014-08-23T06:10:53.223-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5-LewvZ4acuah8BfM__mxtfJUia51IOwqOZzp8M4_AE_qSwIRPDJ_72N088yru29z7QqH-_YqG-g3tWmEo193RWEJzgrSgOQrbfmpyZdqtWaQHxs1fCu_EvT0pHBaTZBI42GpX1S_DQc/s1600/DSCN2242+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5-LewvZ4acuah8BfM__mxtfJUia51IOwqOZzp8M4_AE_qSwIRPDJ_72N088yru29z7QqH-_YqG-g3tWmEo193RWEJzgrSgOQrbfmpyZdqtWaQHxs1fCu_EvT0pHBaTZBI42GpX1S_DQc/s1600/DSCN2242+-+Copy.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Part Twenty-Eight:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Will Mosquitos, Frogs, and Snakes Be in Heaven?</span></b></div>
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This second to the last article
in my series, “Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven,” will be
the most outlandish of all for some readers. But after twenty-seven articles on
the subject, and to carry my thesis to its logical conclusion, I need to answer
this question. Otherwise my task will be incomplete. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After sharing my belief in a home Bible study
that pets will be in Heaven, someone asked me if mosquitos would also be there?
This wasn’t the first time I’ve been asked this kind of question: will lower
orders of animals be in Heaven? Although asked in jest, it was actually a good
question. Where do we draw the line? Will just pets be in Heaven? Will only
mammals be resurrected? What about birds and reptiles? And the most unlikely
candidates of all, what about the trillions of insects and spiders that have
already lived and died on earth? Will they be in Heaven?” Even Christians who
firmly believe their pets will be resurrected have a hard time getting their
minds around the image of insects and snakes lurking in Heaven. </div>
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Simple creatures overwhelmingly
comprise the vast majority of animals that have lived on earth, so the question
of whether or not they will be in Heaven--either actually resurrected from Earth or recreated for Heaven--deserves an honest answer. </div>
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C. S. Lewis would respond to
this question by pointing out that lower forms of animals (insects, spiders,
amphibians, and so on) would <i>not</i> be resurrected because “immortality has
almost no meaning for a creature which is not ‘conscious,’’’ and only higher
animals possess “selfhood.”<b><sup> </sup></b>In other words, only animals
which are sentient (can perceive and feel things) possess selfhood. Thus,
simple forms of animals will not be resurrected. I have three responses to
this. </div>
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First, as we saw in blog
articles 13 and 14, during the past few decades a tremendous amount of new data
on animal mental states has been discovered. These studies have revealed that
animal emotions and cognitive abilities are far more sophisticated than
previously assumed. If he were alive today, C. S. Lewis (who died in 1963) may
have broadened his category of what kinds of animals are “conscious” and
therefore will be in resurrected. Today, it’s well-known that even some simple
creatures possess surprising “mental” abilities. </div>
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My second response is to
challenge the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">assumption</i> that only
complex animals will inhabit Heaven because it’s based entirely on human
conjecture. It assumes that the eternal destiny of non-human life is in accord
with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our</i> personal feelings and
subjective opinions—not on what may or may not be God’s decision. Who knows if
God allows simple organism to inhabit Heaven except God?<br />
<br />
Although the evidence we’ve
examined throughout this series of blog articles justly concludes that at least
sentient animals will enjoy Heaven in resurrected bodies, only God knows if
lower classifications of animals will dwell there. Skeptics need to understand
that the fate of insects, spiders, amphibians, and other barely sentient
creatures is not determined by people’s opinions but by God. He can certainly
grant even the simplest animals’ eternal life in the age to come, if He chooses
to do so. No one can justify denying this. But regardless of whether or not
less complex animals are in Heaven, it has nothing to do with the fact that
sentient animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will be</i>
resurrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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Having said this, I believe there is good reason to believe
that even simply creatures will dwell in Heaven. The only “qualification” for
animal resurrection seems to be (since animals are not “fallen”) that God gives
creatures immaterial, eternal souls so that they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> survive physical death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Bible doesn’t restrict what kinds of animals possess souls; it
simply teaches that animals have souls (see blog articles 7-10). “All living
animals have souls if they have organic life,” explains J. P. Moreland, “regardless
of the degree to which they are conscious.” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Soul; How We Know It’s Real and Why It Matters</i>, 142) This
doesn’t mean all animals have “a conscious life,” as Moreland points out, but
they still have souls. Since possessing a soul is essential for resurrection,
and all animals possess souls, I see no biblical reason why <i>all</i> animals,
including non-sentient creatures, wouldn’t be resurrected. The prophet Hosea
speaks of a future covenant God will make with restored Israel, in the
eschatological “new heavens and a new earth” (Isa. 65:17), which will include
“beasts of the field” and “birds of the sky” and “the creeping things of the
ground“ (Hos. 2:18; NASV). Animals creeping on the ground are mostly snakes,
lizards, insects, and bugs! </div>
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This brings me to my third response for why I believe
non-sentient animals may dwell in Heaven. God may grant lower life forms
eternal life for His own good pleasure—and for the pleasure they will bring to
His people<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i>It’s hard to image a
redeemed and renewed earth without butterflies gracing flowers, frogs bellowing
from ponds, lizards basking placidly on sun-soaked rocks, and the countless
other simple animals that add beauty to nature and delight humans of all ages.
If the New Earth is more glorious and beautiful than the present earth, surely
the creatures that contribute so much to the beauty, wonder, ecological
harmony, and magnificence of wild nature will inhabit the renewed New Earth. Even if not actually resurrected from Earth but recreated for Heaven.</div>
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Perhaps the ultimate answer to the question of whether or
not simple varieties of animals will inhabit Heaven is—why wouldn’t they? I
know of no biblical reason or persuasive argument why they won’t. </div>
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Well, we’re almost at the end of this (longer than I thought
when I first started out) series on “Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us
in Heaven.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope by now you are as
assured as I am that they probably will. But there is one more reason why I
believe this, and I’ll end this series with these last thoughts next week. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-91273662800245903712014-08-15T14:41:00.001-07:002014-08-15T14:43:47.223-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? * <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinm5Ev6uUHkVaXC1qn_oeaKN9_QDEfBdLllI49qGdrPDym9tZQP1i8Lr96lvl3fh7mGtVz1MlRU1Imv5rJeFSWtyunPve80cp-O_yft7qDtXXoj_ElMvQcWhdJqDDOMwPtksL_LqQY1Ps/s1600/DSCN1289+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinm5Ev6uUHkVaXC1qn_oeaKN9_QDEfBdLllI49qGdrPDym9tZQP1i8Lr96lvl3fh7mGtVz1MlRU1Imv5rJeFSWtyunPve80cp-O_yft7qDtXXoj_ElMvQcWhdJqDDOMwPtksL_LqQY1Ps/s1600/DSCN1289+-+Copy.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></b></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Part
Twenty-Seven:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How Does Human </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Redemption Initiate Animal Resurrection<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">We saw in a previous blog article that the eschatological
New Earth will include similarities to the Garden of Eden—only more wonderful.
What ushers in this renewed creation? The Bible tells us it will come about
with the future redemption of God’s people. Our redemption initiates nature’s
redemption; it provides the framework by which the curse is removed and nature
is restored to its pre-Fall state. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in Romans
chapter eight: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0.7in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Yet
what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he [God] will give us
later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will
reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was
subjected to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join
God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within
us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and
suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full
rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us (8:18–23 <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">nlt</span>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Biblical
theology and church tradition—taken as a whole—agree that saved humanity’s
redemption will include the whole of creation. This is the great hope expressed
by Paul in the passage above, as well as a major theme in Old Testament
prophecies. Such a belief is also expressed in the writings of early church Fathers
(e.g. Justin, Irenaeus, and Lactantius) as well as recent theologians and
scholars, as we saw in blog articles 24 and 25. The question is how exactly
will creation’s redemption—the removal of the curse and restoration to
Eden-like conditions—be linked to <i>human </i>redemption,
as the apostle Paul expresses above? In particular, for the purpose of this series
of articles, how will human redemption in the eschaton play out in the resurrection
of animals? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The answer is
simple but incredibly wonderful. As with humans, animal redemption depends on the
work of Christ. When Jesus died for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Rom.
5:8), it paved the way for the redemption of all who receive Him as Lord and
Savior (John 1:12). The Bible also teaches, as Paul explained in Romans eight,
that the damage wrought on creation by fallen humanity (the curse) will be
removed as part of the <i>same</i> redemptive process (21). All creation, Paul declares, “is waiting
eagerly ” for its redemption alongside of saved humanity, when it will finally
“join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Rom. 8: 19, 21—NLT). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Other passages
confirm this. Colossians chapter one tells us that God reconciled “to himself <i>all
things</i>, whether things on <i>earth</i> or things in heaven, by making peace
through his [Jesus’] blood, shed on the cross” (1:20, emphasis added). In
Revelation God said, “I am making everything new” (21:5) and “no longer will
there be any curse” (22:3). <i>All</i> things mean <i>all</i> things. Not just
Christ’s followers, but the entire earth and cosmos cursed by human sin will be
made new. Every animal and plant and every natural feature despoiled and
polluted by the human race will be restored. Ecological theologian H.
Paul Santmire said it this way: “Christ is the royal minister God sends to
redeem creation, . . . [and] the royal minister God sends to inaugurate the new
creation.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It makes perfect theological sense that God
will redeem creation through human redemption. Remember, animals did not sin
and nature did not fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from
the Garden of Eden. Nature was <i>cursed</i> because of the first couple’s
sinful rebellion—and to this day it continues to suffer because of human sin.
In the case of people, those who accept salvation offered by Jesus
Christ are granted forgiveness of sins and promised eternal life in a renewed
new heaven and earth. Because the curse is tied directly to human sin and is
removed by human redemption, it follows naturally that animals will share in
that redemption. Why would God give humans such glorious grace and not the
animals whose curse people are responsible for? There is no biblical reason why
animals will not be redeemed alongside humanity; and if redeemed, resurrected as
well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Does this mean animals will be “saved” in the same sense
as humans, that is, did Jesus’ atoning death for human sin cover animals too?
“Certainly not in the way he died for mankind,” explains theologian Randy
Alcorn, author of <i>Heaven</i>. “People are made in God’s image, animals
aren’t. People sinned, animals didn’t. Because animals didn’t sin, they don’t
need a redeemer in the same way.” But, Alcorn continues,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0.7in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">in another sense, Christ died for animals indirectly because
his death for humanity purchased redemption for what was brought down by
humanity’s sin, including animals. . . . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0.7in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As goes mankind, so go the animals. If we take to its logical
conclusions the parallel Paul makes between humans’ and animals’ groaning [in
Romans 8], then at least some of those animals who suffered on the old Earth
must be made whole on the New Earth. . . . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0.7in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The creatures that groan and cry out for their resurrection
are specific suffering people and specific animals. . . .I believe this
suggests that God may remake certain animals that live on the old Earth. (383-384)
</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Notice Alcorn included animals
along with humans who “cry out for their resurrection.” If humans receive
resurrected bodies as part of their redemption, as Paul taught in Romans 8, 1
Corinthians 15, and elsewhere, it’s reasonable to assume that animals, which
share in creation’s redemption, will likewise receive resurrected bodies. In
other words, since creation anticipates
freedom from bondage to the curse through the redemption of God’s people, there
is good theological reason to believe that animals participating in that
redemption will receive imperishable, resurrected bodies along with redeemed
humanity. Thus, animals that have lived and died on this earth will be
resurrected to dwell in the New Earth (Heaven). </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But does this mean <i>all </i>animals
will be resurrected? What about non-sentient animals? Will mosquitoes, toads,
and snakes also receive resurrected bodies? This will be the topic of next
week’s blog article. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-76812056811131160192014-08-08T10:52:00.000-07:002014-08-08T10:58:37.059-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgUNBnntwxbkAFkigXY8WsDBfETd-HFO5mpkeeLLWdtr24UgVMvVuh14F4FLfzc6n_Z_6j8naQMQ0gvFk6duHTkIDKz47d_CyoG9Plb5_Rym7W-R2syqdayDr-hoTxqo6lNZih4WiMTpQ/s1600/DSCN1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgUNBnntwxbkAFkigXY8WsDBfETd-HFO5mpkeeLLWdtr24UgVMvVuh14F4FLfzc6n_Z_6j8naQMQ0gvFk6duHTkIDKz47d_CyoG9Plb5_Rym7W-R2syqdayDr-hoTxqo6lNZih4WiMTpQ/s1600/DSCN1901.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b></b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty-Six: Why We Can Believe Pets and Other Animals
Will Be Resurrected—the First Evidence </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">We saw in the previous blog articles that the Bible reveals both wild
and domesticated animals will inhabit the prophesied New Earth (Heaven). In
this and the concluding three articles in this series, we’ll investigate the
evidence that these animals will be the <i>same </i>animals that lived and died
on this present earth. This means that animals, like humans, will someday be
resurrected! This is made possible, as
these remaining articles will demonstrate, because the redemption of all
creation is tied directly to the redemption “of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21-23). That is, to people who have
received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">To fully
understand this, we must begin at the beginning of the Bible, where Scripture
reveals that in the Garden of Eden animals—like humans—were created to live
forever. </span><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Before
the Fall</span></b></span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;">God’s created home for Adam and later Eve, as well as their animal
companions, was the Garden of Eden. It was a perfect environment, a literal
paradise—unspoiled, undefiled, and uncontaminated. Humans and animals lived
peacefully together and both were vegetarians. Food was bountiful and readily
available. Most wonderful of all, there
was no death in the Garden of Eden and no curse on creation. Humans and animals
had the potential to live forever (see Gen. 1 & 2). </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Fall and Curse of Nature</span> </span></b> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sadly, the idyllic garden paradise was lost. This tragic
event was set in motion when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and were
subsequently banished from the Garden. This is referred to as the “Fall,” and
it impacted all creation: nature was “cursed” and evil, suffering, pain, and
sin entered the world (see Gen. 3).
From that dreadful day onward, a great gulf emerged and steadily widen
between God’s original creation and what it has become today. Hardship and toil became a way of life. Human
dominion over animals was no longer peaceful coexistence (see my book <i>Should Christians Be Environmentalists?</i>).
<b><sup> </sup></b>After the Fall the entire human race
and all animal life were condemned to live out their lives in a marred, hostile
environment plagued by weeds and poisonous plants, diseases and parasites,
droughts and famines, dangerous animals and natural disasters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">What’s important
to see here is that nature itself was not sinful, it did not fall. Nature was <i>cursed</i>
due to Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God (3:17; cf. Rom. 8:19-21), and to
this day it’s the victim of bad human choices. As theologian Hanlee Barnette put it, “Man’s sin against God
pulled nature down along with man.” (<i>The
Church and the Ecological Crisis</i>, 40). <b><sup> </sup></b>The<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> great Reformation
theologian John Calvin agrees. In his <i>Commentary
on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans </i>he wrote,<i> </i>“All created things, both on earth and in the invisible heavens,
which are in themselves blameless, undergo punishment for our sins; for it has
come about that they are liable to corruption not through their own fault. Thus
the condemnation of mankind is imprinted on the heaven, and on the earth, and
on all creatures.” </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBlockText" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down
through the ages, numerous other Christian theologians have commented on how
the Fall affected animal life. Fifteenth century reformer Martin Luther pointed
out that along with “thorns, thistles, vermin, flies, [and] toads . . . the
savagery of wild animals were part of the punishment for human sin.”<b><sup> </sup></b> Eighteenth century English theologian John
Wesley taught that animals were innocent victims of the Fall. Their
vulnerability to predation, disease, parasites, plagues, starvation, crippling
accidents, and other calamities were directly linked to the rebellion and
iniquity of Adam and Eve. Creatures “could
not sin,” wrote Wesley, “for they were not moral agents. Yet how severe do they
suffer!—yea, many of them, beasts of burden in particular, almost the whole
time of their abode on earth.” <b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBlockText" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Divine Justice</span> </span></b></span> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Since animals experience pain and suffering due to human sin,
some theologians argue that it “seems to require that some animals who lived,
suffered, and died on the old Earth must be made whole on the New Earth.” (<i>Heaven</i>, 386) John Wesley, for example, expressed hope in a
“general deliverance” of animals where they will be compensated after death for
the suffering they endured on this earth. “Many Christian thinkers,” writes
philosopher Michael Murray, “have argued that animal immortality plays an important
role in explaining the reality of animal pain and suffering in the earthy life.
Perhaps there is a connection between the earthly life of animals, filled as it
is with pain and suffering, and a blissful, eternal existence [‘as resurrected
beings’] for those animals in the divine presence.” (<i>Nature Red in Tooth & Claw</i> 122) In other words, God will grant animals’
eternal existence in resurrected bodies to compensate for the suffering they
endured in this life, for no fault of their own, due to creation’s curse
brought on by sinful humanity. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The argument that divine justice will include animal
resurrection is a legitimate biblical position. Christian theologian and author
of many books and articles on animals and Christianity, Professor Andrew
Linzey, sums it like this: “The issue of
suffering and evil endured by animals makes the question central to theodicy
[justifying divine goodness in light of evil]. However we may construe the
origins of evil in the world, a just and loving God must in the last analysis
be able to offer recompense and redemption commensurate with the evil that has
been endured.” (<i>Animals on the Agenda</i>,
118) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -0.1in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Because nature’s curse and the consequent plight of its
non-human inhabitants is tied directly to human sin, its release from the curse,
and the ultimate resurrection of at least sentient animals, is wholly dependent
upon mankind’s redemption. The link between human redemption and the animal
kingdom is crucial to understand, if we are to substantiate animal
resurrection. This will be the subject of next week’s blog article</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>* The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i>www.danstory.net</i></a><i>.</i></span></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-35796285519582504422014-08-01T14:37:00.003-07:002014-08-01T14:37:55.689-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0MVJvMs3l5K66Br5tIBMprY6xYExIpGrWheMNJM-Ce6zxllgRapRqC11pz1pynD2oiPMqxjkUbCGgx24dbOohOQ_bjDo6NU_Gy-J3JECmLV1m2PPF0O5Z1tQhPWoSw6RikEXikgsWMLC/s1600/DSCN3256+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0MVJvMs3l5K66Br5tIBMprY6xYExIpGrWheMNJM-Ce6zxllgRapRqC11pz1pynD2oiPMqxjkUbCGgx24dbOohOQ_bjDo6NU_Gy-J3JECmLV1m2PPF0O5Z1tQhPWoSw6RikEXikgsWMLC/s1600/DSCN3256+-+Copy.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Part Twenty-Five:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More Scholars Who Believe in Animal
Resurrection</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In part twenty-four, we looked at several well-known theologians and
scholars who believed in the likelihood of animal resurrection. In this
article, we’ll look at two more. </span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Richard Bauckham</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In his book <i>The Bible and Ecology</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, t</span>his British scholar and theologian made tantalizing statements
that implied animal resurrection. For example he wrote, “If the new creation is
the transformation of the whole of this material creation so that all creatures
may share in the life of the divine eternity, then Jesus’ resurrection must
lead the way to new creation for the whole community of creation, not just
humans.” (171) In order to get clarification, I emailed professor Bauckham and
asked this question: “What’s your belief (and why) on whether or not pets and
other animals alive today will be in the new heaven and earth?” Bauckham
replied, “I take seriously that the new creation is the new creation of all
things. So plants too and rivers and mountains! God will take everything of
value into the new creation. Redeemed from all evil and suffering.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">C.S. Lewis</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This brilliant and gifted scholar is unarguably </span>the most widely
read and admired Christian apologists in the twentieth century. Apparently,
Lewis shared the same concern for the eternal destiny of pets as do many other
people. But in his case, he provided a somewhat different—but no less
thought-provoking—answer to the issue. In his typical lucid style, Lewis
suggested that pets, and perhaps “higher” animals, will<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>experience resurrection and eternal
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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Lewis begins by correctly pointing
out that any conclusion about the eternal fate of animals is necessarily
speculative because God didn’t (or wouldn’t) give us that information: “If
animals were, in fact, immortal, it is unlikely, from what we discern of God’s
methods in the revelation, that he would have revealed this truth.” Lewis
limits his discussion on animal resurrection to the higher animals, in
particular what he refers to as “tame” animals (e.g. pets). He recognized that
they possess “real, though doubtless rudimentary, self-hood . . . and
specifically in those we tame . . . [thus] their destiny demands a somewhat
deeper consideration” [than less sentient animals]. (All Lewis quotes from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Problem of Pain</i>, chapter 9.) </div>
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Lewis’ explanation for possible
animal resurrection lies in their interconnectedness with people: “The beasts
are to be understood only in their relation to man and, through man, to God.”
Mankind, Lewis continues, “was appointed by God to have dominion over the
beasts, and everything a man does to an animal is either a lawful exercise, or
a sacrilegious abuse, of an authority by divine right.” Thus, “in so far as the
tame animal has a real self or personality, it owes this almost entirety to its
master. If a good sheepdog seems ‘almost human’ that is because a good shepherd
has made it so.”</div>
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Here’s how this plays out in terms
of animal resurrection. Lewis argued that just as people are “in” Christ, so
tame animals “attain a real self…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in</i>
their masters. . . . And in this way it seems to me possible that certain
animals may have an immortality, not in themselves, but in the immortality of
their masters.” Moreover, “If any [wild animals]. . . should live again, their
immortality would also be related to man—not . . . to individual masters, but
to humanity.”</div>
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In short, Lewis believed human
resurrection would encompass at least “tame” animals’ resurrection because
their eternal destiny coexists with the people who loved and cared for them.
Although Lewis kept his focus primarily on the resurrection of tame animals, he
allowed that wild animals might also resurrect to inhabit the redeemed new
earth. <b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A Crucial Clarification</span></b> </div>
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Now, let’s pause a moment. I want
to be careful no one misunderstands what I’m saying before I begin to
systematically lay out my arguments for animal resurrection. When I (or any of
the theologians and scholars I’ve quoted) suggest that animals will be
resurrected<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and dwell with saved humans
in Heaven, I’m not suggesting there is no fundamental difference between humans
and animals. Only humans are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27), and we are
of far greater value to God than animals (Matt. 12:12; Luke 12: 7, 24). The
Bible teaches that people are the pinnacle of God’s creation (Ps. 8:4-6), and
we enjoy an exalted position in creation (Matt. 6:26; 10:31; 12:11-12). That
animals will be resurrected does not elevate them to the value of humans in
God’s eyes, not on this earth nor in the age to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it doesn’t follow from this that animals <i>can’t</i>
be resurrected. They can. Animals will be resurrected because they are included
in creation’s redemption from the curse. There’s nothing to fear about this. We
don’t have to worry that animal resurrection somehow compromises mankind’s
value to God or elevates animals to human status. That <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would </i>be unbiblical!</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now that you see I’m in good company with others who believe in animal
resurrection—and people much smarter than I am—I can begin to systematically
lay out the arguments for animal resurrection. I’ll begin this next week. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-6358446150281538352014-07-25T08:45:00.000-07:002014-07-25T08:46:21.006-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty-Four:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scholars Who Believe in Animal Resurrection</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
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Before we begin looking at the
evidence that at least sentient earthly animal will be resurrected, I want to
point out that many well-known theologians agree with this conclusion.
Christian thinkers over the centuries, especially Reformation and post-Reformation
theologians, have acknowledged the likelihood of animal resurrection. When
great thinkers, who spend much of their lives studying and teaching about
theological issues, agree that animals will probably be resurrected, it’s
compelling evidence they will. The fact is belief in the probability of animal
resurrection in the eschaton is not without endorsement from well-respected
theologians and scholars.</div>
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Blog
articles limit the amount and length of the quotes I can include, but I want to
share a few excerpts from some of the more well-known scholars who accept the
likelihood of animal resurrection. (Anyone interest in my sources for the
following quotes, you can contact me through my website: www.danstory.net.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Martin Luther</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When the great Reformation theologian Martin
Luther was asked if he believed dogs, in particular his dog Tólpel, would be in
heaven, he answered: “Certainly, for there the earth will not be without form
and void. Peter said that the last day would be the restitution of all things.
God will create a new heaven and a new earth and new Tólpes with hide of gold
and silver. God will be all in all; and snakes, now poisonous because of
original sin, will then be so harmless that we shall be able to play with
them.” Elsewhere, </span>commenting on Psalm 36:6 (“O Lord, you preserve both
man and beast.”), Luther remarked that the passage affirms, “that God is
rightly called the ‘Saviour of all beasts.’” <b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John Calvin</span> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
Another
Reformation scholar who seemed to have acknowledged the probability of animal
resurrection is John Calvin. He observed “that nonhuman animals long to
participate in . . . redemption,” and made a provocative statement in
“Speculation About Animals” that implies he<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>believed in animal resurrection: “Because the creatures . . . have a
hope of being freed hereafter from corruption, it follows that they groan like
a woman in labour until they have been delivered . . . . In short, the
creatures are not content with their present condition, and yet they do not
pine away irremediably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are,
however, in labour, <i>because they are waiting to be renewed to a better state</i>”
(emphasis added).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commenting on Romans
1:20, Calvin wrote: “No part of the universe is untouched by the longing with
which everything on this world aspires to the hope of resurrection.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
Calvin,
like Luther, did not develop (that I know of) an <i>explicit</i> doctrinal
statement on whether or not animals will resurrect. But, as the above comments
illustrate, both their writings imply they likely believed in animal resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John Wesley</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
Probably
no well-known theologian has expressed a greater and more passionate belief
that animals will resurrect than the eighteenth century Anglican clergyman,
evangelist, and cofounder of Methodism, John Wesley. He argued that Romans
8:19-22 implies that the future New Earth would include the exact same animals
that presently dwell on this earth. He believed this was the only way earthly
animals could be delivered from the curse. Wesley “hoped for a ‘general
deliverance’ in which, after death, animals will be compensated for the
suffering they underwent and liberated from the rages of which they partook” on
this earth due to human fallenness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peter Kreeft </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
Answering
the question, “are there animals in heaven?,” well known theologian Peter
Kreeft makes no bones about his belief in the resurrection of animals: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The simplest answer is: Why not? How irrational is the prejudice that
would allow plants (green fields and flowers) but not animals into Heaven . . .
</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Would the same animals be in Heaven as on earth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Is my dead cat in heaven?” Again, why not?
God can rise up the very grass; why not cats? . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were meant from the beginning to have
stewardship over the animals; we have not fulfilled that divine plan yet on
earth; therefore it seems likely that the right relationship with animals will
be part of Heaven: proper “petship.” And what better place to begin than with
already petted pets? </span><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span></b><i>Everything You Ever Wanted to
Know about Heaven . . . But Never Dreamed of Asking</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">,</span> 45-46). </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hank
Hanegraaff<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The “Bible Answer Man” likewise supports the probability of animal
resurrection:</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Scripture does not conclusively tell us whether our pets will make it to
heaven. However, the Bible does provide us with some significant clues
regarding whether animals will inhabit the new heaven and the new earth. . . . </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Furthermore, the Scriptures from first to last suggests that animals
have souls. . . .It wasn’t until the advent of the seventeenth-century
Enlightenment and the thought of Descartes and Hobbes that the existence of
animal souls was even questioned in Western civilization. . . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally, while we cannot say
for certain that the pets we enjoy today will be “resurrected” in eternity, I,
like Joni [Eareckson Tada] are not willing to preclude the possibility. Some of
the keenest thinkers from C. S. Lewis to Peter Kreeft are not only convinced
that animals in general but that pets in particular will be restored in the
resurrection.. . . </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the final analysis, one
thing is certain: Scripture provides us with a sufficient precedent for
suggesting that animals will continue to exist after the return of our Lord. (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resurrection</i>, 120-122). </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Randy
Alcorn</span></b><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This popular writer, conference speaker, and
the author of the highly acclaimed book, <i>Heaven</i>, clearly expects animals
to be resurrected:</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We know animals will be on
the New Earth, which is a redeemed and renewed old Earth, in which animals had
a prominent role. People will be resurrected to inhabit this world. As we saw,
Romans 8:21-23 assumes animals as part of a suffering creation eagerly awaiting
deliverance through humanity’s resurrection. This seems to require that some
animals who lived, suffered, and died on the old Earth must be made whole on
the New Earth. Wouldn’t some of those likely be our pets? (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heaven</i>, 386).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themecolor: text1;">I have two more contemporary scholars
to quote, but ran out of space in this article. Next week we’ll see what two
other world-class scholars have to say on the subject: C. S. Lewis and British
theologian Richard Bauckham.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-29601652890219035332014-07-18T16:24:00.000-07:002014-07-18T16:24:58.396-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty-Three:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will Our Pets and Other Animals Be Resurrected? </span></b></div>
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M<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">y family and I have raised—and buried—four dog friends over a span of
thirty-eight years. My kids literally grew up with the first one, my wife’s
large and lovable golden retriever, Bear. He shared our lives for over eleven
years, hiking, camping, playing, jogging, and just hanging out. Bear died on
the day of our twentieth wedding anniversary. At the time my wife and I were in
Moab, Utah, visiting Arches National Park, and only my son and daughter were
home to comfort Bear as he died. At the time my son was fifteen years old, and he
had the heartbreaking task of burying his canine “brother.” Something he’ll
never forget, and something that still brings tears to my eyes when I think
about it after all these years.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">People who have raised and buried dogs, cats, and other pets know exactly
how we felt loosing Bear. Pets become family. And like anyone who dies that is
close to us, we find consolation in the hope that someday we’ll be reunited “on
the other side.” But let’s admit it. For most Christians, the hope that we’ll
see our pets in Heaven is based more on wishful desire than confident assurance.
I hope this series of articles have begun to remove the uncertainty about the
eternal destiny of pets and other animals. I believe the Bible gives us enough
information, even if indirectly, that we can replace our worry about ever
seeing our deceased pets again with a reasonable confidence we’ll be reunited
in Heaven. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This brings us to the very heart of this study: Will pets be <i>resurrected </i>and reunited with their human companions in the future new heaven and earth?
Likewise, will the wild animals roaming the earth today eventually resurrect
and live without fear of humans in the Peaceable Kingdom? I believe the answer
to both questions is, yes. But before we examine the evidences for this, let’s
look at two other possible origins for the animal that will dwell in the New
Earth (Heaven). </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Best Option Is
Resurrection </span></b> </div>
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In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heaven</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Randy Alcorn
purposely avoided using the word “resurrection” when speaking of animals “for
fear that it could lead to theological error that fails to recognize the
fundamental differences between people and animals—something that certain
‘animal rights’ advocates are guilty of.” (386) This is a valid concern, but
I’ve make it clear several times in this series of articles that animals are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> on a spiritual or moral equivalency
with humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this warning in mind,
I still see no other way to consider the role of non-human life in the Eternal
Kingdom without referring to them as being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">resurrected</i>. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We saw in previous two blog articles that </span>animals will definitely
dwell in Heaven. So skeptics who reject animal resurrection must still account
for the source of these animals. Could these creatures have an origin other
than resurrection? Or is the resurrection of earthly animals the best choice?
The theological evidence in Romans 8:18-23 clearly supports animal resurrection
(as I’ll show in a few weeks). Nevertheless, t<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">here are two other options for the origin of the animals that will dwell
in the New Earth. Eliminating them as possible sources confirms that the
animals presently living on this earth will eventually be resurrected to
inhabit Heaven. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">God Recreated Animals for Heaven </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The first option is that the animals that will inhabit the New Earth
could be the same <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinds</i> of animals
presently dwelling on this earth, but recreated anew for Heaven. It could be
argued, however, that this view compromises God’s righteous judgment. Rather than
recreating the same kinds of animals now living on earth and placing them in
Heaven, it seems more just (and reasonable) that God will resurrect existing
animals, which for no fault of their own are innocent victims of mankind’s sin
(i.e. the curse—Gen. 3). Furthermore, nowhere does the Bible suggest that </span>God
will <i>re-create</i> the same kinds of animals now living on this earth to
populate the restored New Earth. He didn’t do this after the sin-cleansing
Flood during Noah’s time—He preserved <i>existing</i> animals to repopulate the
earth. Why would God do any differently in the restored New Earth? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">God Created New Kinds of Animals for Heaven </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> A second possibility is that the animals that will inhabit the New Earth
(Heaven) are different kinds of animals than today’s earthly varieties. God
could create entirely new species of animals specifically designed for Heaven.
The problem with this theory is that there no biblical precedent for making
such a claim; nowhere in Scripture is there a hint that God will create new varieties
of animals in the eschaton. The animals the Bible mentions in the Old
Testament, which will dwell in the new heaven and earth, are the same kinds of
animals presently inhabiting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i>
earth (e.g. Isa. 11:6-8). When Jesus makes His grand appearance prior to the
final events in Revelation, He will be riding on a white <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">horse</i> (19:11), and the apostle John “heard” an eagle in Heaven
(Rev. 8:13).</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Animals
Inhabiting Heaven Are Resurrected Earthly Animals</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The third option is
the most likely: The animals that will reside in Heaven are those that have
died under the curse, redeemed alongside saved humanity, and resurrected at the
end of this age. </span>This is even more probable in light of the biblical
revelation that God has given sentient animals’ immortal souls, as <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">demonstrated i</span>n several earlier blog
articles<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span> </div>
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Look at it like this. Why would God give animals’ immortal
souls if they were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> going to be
resurrected in imperishable, physical bodies? I believe He gave animals
immortal souls precisely because they <i>will </i>be resurrected! If the
redemption of God’s people includes resurrected bodies in the age to come, it
reasonably follows those soul-bearing animals—which will share in the same
redemption (Rom. 8:19-23)—will also be given resurrected bodies. This is not
only consistent with God’s great love for and enjoyment of the animals He
created to inhabit this earth, but it’s also consistent with divine justice
(more on this later).</div>
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Now, before we go any further, and before you conclude that
all this is my personal fantasy or wishful thinking, I want you to see that
many theologians and other scholars agree with me. Next week I’ll share some of
their comments on animal resurrection. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-62064068247334051852014-07-11T12:58:00.001-07:002014-07-13T14:04:36.236-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty-Two:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will “Otherworldly” Animals Inhabit Heaven?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
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In my last blog article, we looked
at two evidences that revealed the same varieties of animals presenting
inhabiting this earth will also dwell in the eschatological New Earth (Heaven).
There is a third evidence that further confirms this, and one often overlooked.
It’s the presence of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">otherworldly</i> “creatures”
praising God in Heaven. Although these beings are not same kinds of creatures
presently inhabiting this earth, they nevertheless illustrate that animals will
reside in Heaven. This article will explain why. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Otherworldly Creatures </span></b></div>
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<span class="textrev-4-6"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In Revelation chapter four, the apostle John
observed some of the most amazing “otherworldly” beings found anywhere in
Scripture: </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="textrev-4-6"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Also before
the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="textrev-4-6"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">crystal.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span class="textrev-4-6"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the center,
around the throne were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes,
in front and in back. </span></span><span class="textrev-4-7"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The first living creature was like a
lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth
was like a flying eagle. </span></span><span class="textrev-4-8"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Each of the four living creatures had
six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and
night they never stop saying:</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
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<span class="textrev-4-8"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Holy, holy, holy </span></span></div>
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<span class="textrev-4-8"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is the Lord God Almighty, </span></span></div>
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<span class="textrev-4-8"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who was, and is, and is to come.” </span></span><span class="textrev-4-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Rev. 4:6-8) </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Several
interpretations have been given to explain these four creatures. Some consider
them to symbolize attributes of God. Other commentators see them as angels
representing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> creation. Bible
scholar <span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Richard
Bauckham </span></span>believes they specifically symbolize animate creation.
In his book, <i>Living with Other Creatures</i>, he analyzes the four living
creatures and concludes they are worshipping God as representatives “on behalf
of the whole animate creation, human and non-human.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bauckham explains: I<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">f the four “living creatures resemble one of the four earthly creatures,
such an interpretation would suggest that each living creature represents one
major category of the animate creation: the living creature like a lion
represents the wild land animals, the one like an ox represents domestic land
animals, the one like an eagle represents birds, and the one with a face like a
human face represents humans” (</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">165,
178). Even if these creatures are only representative or symbolic, they still
imply the existence in Heaven of the animals they represent. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoBlockText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Randy Alcorn, in his acclaimed book <i>Heaven</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">,</span> also comments on the four living
creatures, but makes no bones that they are real animals when he writes: </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Somehow we have failed to grasp that the
“living creatures” who </div>
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cry out “Holy, holy,
holy” are <i>animals—</i>living, breathing, intelligent and articulate <i>animals
</i>who dwell in God’s presence, worshiping and praising him. . . . Perhaps
they’re the prototype creatures of Heaven after whom God designed Earth’s
animals. But even though they’re highly intelligent and expressive, they’re
still animals; that’s what Scripture calls them. . . . </div>
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Once
we recognize that the living creatures are animals, we need not see other
references to animals in the present Heaven as figurative (379, 380). <b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Regardless of the actual identity
of these creatures, that the Bible shows them praising God in Heaven alongside
angels and accompanied by “every creature . . . on earth and under the earth
and on the sea, and all that is in them “(Rev. 5:11-14) is strong evidence that
animals will dwell in the eschatological New Earth. It seems unlikely the Bible
would describe animals praising God in Heaven and on earth in such detail if
they were not going to be included in the everlasting Kingdom. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will There
Be <i>Resurrected</i> Animals in Heaven? </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In light of all the biblical evidence we’ve examined in this and the
previous twenty-one articles, I believe I’ve presented a compelling case that
the eschatological New Earth (Heaven) will not only be inhabited by angelic
beings and redeem humans, but also animals. The question now is where exactly
do the animals that will dwell in Heaven come from? There seems to be only
three possibilities. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">God could <i>recreate</i> the same kinds of animals that presently
inhabit this earth to dwell in the heavenly New Earth. Or He could create
entirely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">different</i> kinds of animal,
varieties unlike any presently living on earth, to populate the New Earth. The
third option is that God will resurrect animals that have lived and died on
this earth to populate the New Earth. I believe this is exactly what will
happen, and this brings us to the next several blog articles. </span></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-51339886257618868772014-07-04T11:22:00.001-07:002014-07-04T11:41:06.958-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty-One: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">nimals That Dwell in Both Heaven and on
Earth<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In my last blog article, we saw that the same kinds of animal now
inhabiting our present earth will also dwell in the eschatological New Earth.
There are three compelling evidences to confirm this. We’ll look at the first
two in this article. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Peaceable Kingdom<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span class="textisa-11-6"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hanging on my study wall is a reproduction
of a Native American painting of the Peaceable Kingdom (derived from Isaiah
11:6-9). In the Isaiah passage (below), children are living safely among
wolves, lions, bears, poisonous snakes, and other dangerous animals. In my
painting, the message is the same but the scene is entirely different. The
background is barren southwest desert. The animals include a bison, deer,
peccary, Gila Monster, armadillo, skunk, rattlesnake, jackrabbit, porcupine,
mountain lion, and other animals indigenous to the American Southwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the animals are huddled around a
Navaho child who is hugging a coyote. The coyote is cuddling a lamb. </span></span></div>
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<span class="textisa-11-6"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I love this painting because it reminds me
that God’s eternal Kingdom—Heaven—will embrace a vast pageantry of created life
from around the globe, including the wild creatures living in the native
habitats near my Southern California home. Here’s the passage my Native
American painting replicates: </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span class="textisa-11-6"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard and
the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a
little child will lead them all. </span></span><span class="textisa-11-7"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The cattle will graze among bears.</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> C</span></span><span class="textisa-11-7"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ubs and calves will
lie down together. And lions will eat grass as the livestock do. Babies will
crawl safely among poisonous snakes. Yes,</span></span><span class="textisa-11-8"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> a little child
will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes and pull it out unharmed. </span></span><span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nothing will hurt
or destroy in all my holy mountain. And as the waters fill the sea, so the
earth will be filled with people who know the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Lord</span></span><span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. (Isa.
11:6-9—NLT). </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’s likely the
prophet Isaiah had an image of Eden in mind when he penned this passage (see
Isa. 51:3). He wrote it </span></span><span class="textisa-11-6"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">around seven centuries before the birth of
Christ, and it eloquently reveals one of the most incredible, yet wonderful,
features of the future Messianic Kingdom. </span></span><span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">More than any other
passage in Scripture, it </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">provides
a tantalizing glimpse of what the relationship between humans and the animal
kingdom will be like in the New Earth—as well as the relationship that will
exist among animals themselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Isaiah passage further confirms that
earthly animals will one day dwell in Heaven. Since the Peaceable Kingdom is a
fundamental feature of the New Earth, it clearly shows that animals on this
earth will be of the same varieties that populate Heaven.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What is most
striking about the Isaiah passage is the incredible transformation that will
occur in order for humans and domesticated animals to live peacefully with wild
predators and poisonous snakes. Moreover, not only will dangerous animals
become harmless to people, but there will also be reconciliation among animals
themselves; between wild and domesticated animals and between predators and
prey. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Animals Praise God in Heaven and on Earth </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
The
second evidence that earthly animals will inhabit the New Earth is the Bible’s
portrayal of animals praising God, alongside angelic beings and humans, in
Heaven <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and on the earth </i>(Rev
5:11-14). Verse 13 states that, </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
Then I [the
apostle John] heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and on the sea, and all that is in them singing:<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
“To him who sits
on the throne and to the</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
Lamb [Jesus]</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
be praise and
honor and glory and power,</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for ever and ever!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .7in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Several books in the Old
Testament, but especially the Psalms, portray animals praising God on our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i> earth as well as in Heaven. In
Psalm 150:6 (the last verse in the Psalms), for example, the Psalmist cries out
for “everything that has breath [to] praise the LORD” (150:6). In fact the
Psalms make it clear that <i>all </i>of creation—not just humans, angels and
animals—acknowledge and praise the Creator (see 65:12-13; 69:34; 96:11-12;
103:22; 145:10). That animals are revealed praising God in both Heaven an on
earth further illustrates the continuity of non-human life between our present
earth and the restored New Earth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The most all-encompassing
Psalm portraying animal life praising God is Psalm 148.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here rulers of nations, men, women, children,
angels, and <i>all</i> of creation, both living and inanimate, are called upon
to “Praise the LORD from the heavens” (v.1) and to “praise the LORD from the
earth” (v.7). This includes “great sea creatures and all ocean depths . . .
wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds” (v. 7, 10). Even
trees, rain, wind, mountains, and the sun and moon are told to praise their
Creator (vs. 3, 4, 8-9). </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, this needs some
clarification. In Heaven, the future transformed New Earth, it may be that
animals can somehow communicate verbally (I may explore this possibility in a
later blog article). But in this age and on this earth, passages describing
animals voicing praises to God should probably be considered metaphorically.
Nevertheless, and this is the point, these passages communicate the reality
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> creatures bringing glory and
enjoyment to God simply by fulfilling the purpose of their creation—a purpose
that will continue on and reach perfection in the Peaceable Kingdom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Next week we’ll look at the
third evidence confirming that the same animals now inhabiting earth will also
dwell in the eschatological New Earth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-89089507160445071192014-06-27T16:15:00.001-07:002014-06-29T15:33:19.738-07:00Will Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Twenty:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What Kinds of Earthly Animals Will
Inhabit Heaven?</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We saw in previous blog articles
that there will be continuity between our present earth and the eschatological
New Earth. We also saw that this New Earth (Heaven) will be a world purified of
sin and evil, spiritually redeemed and physically transformed, and set free
from nature’s curse. It will be rich in vegetation, abounding in scenic
wonders, and vastly more beautiful than any wilderness or garden our most
creative imaginations can conjure up. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This sets the stage for a closer
look at what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinds</i> of animals will
inhabit this amazing new Paradise. In the next few articles, we’ll see that the
new heaven and earth, prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments, will be
populated with the same kinds of animals that presently dwell on our present
earth—with two major differences. Predation and death, as a result of the
curse, will no longer exist, and, second, heavenly animals will coexist in
perfect tranquilly with redeemed humans. People, angels, and animals will live
together serenely with our Lord Jesus Christ in an eternal “Peaceable
Kingdom.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As theologian and Christian
environmental advocate, H. Paul Santmire, put it, “The wilderness [in the New
Earth] will remain, to be sure, for God also loves the alligators and the
mountain lions and wills their fulfillment. But the dream of wilderness without
darkness and violence and pain will come true” (p. 110).<span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="textisa-11-9"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Depending on the
interpretation of some Hebrew words, well over one hundred animals are
mentioned by name in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Psalm 104
refers to a stork, cattle, wild donkeys, wild goats, coneys, and lions. <span class="textisa-11-9">Job 39 mentions a doe and fawn, wild ox, ostrich, hawk, and
an eagle. </span>Isaiah 60:6 speaks of camels; Revelation 19:11 mentions a
horse. The question is will all these varieties of animals inhabit the New
Earth? To answer this, the place to begin is with the account of the worldwide
Flood. It gives compelling support that animals on this earth <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> continue to exist in the restored
New Earth.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Prior to the sin-cleansing Flood, God
instructed Noah to take into the Ark, at least two of every kind of animal that
inhabited the earth, at that time (Gen. 7:2-3; 8:19). God didn’t recreate
animals after the Flood, He preserved those that already existed to repopulate
the earth: “Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and
your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with
you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so
they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it’”
(Gen. 8:15-17). Would God preserved this incredible menagerie of animals from
the judgment of the great Flood, and then prevent the same kinds of animals
from inhabiting the New Earth, when He removes the curse and redeems creation
in the eschaton? This would seem to be inconsistent with God’s great love for
the animals He created, later protected on the Ark, and used to repopulate the
earth.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Here’s another way to see this. The apostle
Peter juxtaposes the destruction (divine judgment) of the earth during to the
Noahic Flood (2 Pet. 2:5) with the future judgment of the earth prior to God
establishing a “new heaven and earth” (3:3-13). If the great Flood <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prefigures</i> God’s ultimate end-time
judgment of evil and the redemption of saved humanity, surely the same kinds of
animals that embarked from the ark will be included in creation’s future
redemption on the New Earth—especially since creation’s redemption is tied
directly to human redemption (Rom. 8:18-25—we’ll look at this in detail in a
few weeks).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How about our pets specifically? Will there be pets in Heaven? Why
not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God allowed many animals on this
earth to be our servants and helpers as well as our devoted and faithful
friends. It would be consistent with God’s great love for His people that some
animals will continue their role as our friends and companions in the age to
come. Our Lord may include pets in Heaven for no other reason than to bless the
people who loved and faithfully cared for them in this life. There is nothing
in the Bible that should cause us to doubt this. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I like the way philosophy professor Peter Kreeft answers the question of
whether or not animals—and specifically<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>pets—will be in Heaven. In His book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everything
You Every Wanted to Know about Heaven . . . But Never Dreamed of Asking</i>, he
writes:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Would the same animals be in Heaven as on
earth? “Is my dead cat in Heaven?” Again, why not? God can raise up the very
grass; why not cats? . . . We were meant from the beginning to have stewardship
over the animals; we have not fulfilled that divine plan yet on earth;
therefore it seems likely that the right relationship with animals will be part
of Heaven: proper “pet-ship”. And what better place to begin than with already
petted pets? (p. 45) </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It should be </span>apparent by now that the continuity between this
earth and the eschatological New Earth will include the same kinds of animals
that now dwell on our present earth. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There
are three more compelling evidences, however, to support this. We’ll look at
them in the next two articles. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></span></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-41461249483908046962014-06-20T14:24:00.003-07:002014-06-20T14:43:40.250-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z4ABsZG4iNrARvupFBwYnM82_NxvPUh2S0h6X8U0GTT9sBtptNMbPSq1YRd96o4xgyxmEYPhPXusRISpPPn5q4Xy_BWm47e7WU6LSgN8tJfDnJ2BFZCFf7Un_9qZNn_T0K4lGSramLIT/s1600/DSCN3248+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z4ABsZG4iNrARvupFBwYnM82_NxvPUh2S0h6X8U0GTT9sBtptNMbPSq1YRd96o4xgyxmEYPhPXusRISpPPn5q4Xy_BWm47e7WU6LSgN8tJfDnJ2BFZCFf7Un_9qZNn_T0K4lGSramLIT/s1600/DSCN3248+-+Copy.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Nineteen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Is the “Millennial Kingdom” the New Heaven and Earth Prophesied in the
Old Testament?</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Last week we saw that there is
continuity<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
between our present earth and the eschatological New Earth. T</span>he Jewish
prophetic vision of a “new heaven and earth” (Isa 65:17; 66:22), and the New
Testament fulfillment in Revelation, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">appear</i>
to be referring to the same glorious eternal Kingdom of God: Heaven. But is it?
Harmonizing Old Testament prophecies concerning a future restored Israel with the
new heaven and earth described in Revelation chapter 21 raises an
intriguing question: Is the new heaven and earth prophesied in the Old
Testament actually the Millennial Kingdom described in Revelation 20? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are events and descriptions
in Old Testament prophesies concerning Israel’s restoration that seem contrary
to the new heaven and earth revealed in Revelation, such as people having
children, growing old, and dying (Isa. 65:20-30). On the other hand, there are
also clear parallels between the two: the apparent absence of the sun and moon
(Isa. 60:19; cf. Rev. 21:23; 22:5); healing of sight, deafness, and other physical
disabilities (Isa. 35:5-6; cf. Rev. 21:4); everlasting joy (Isa. 35:10; cf.
Rev. 21:4); a New Jerusalem; and a permanent end to weeping and crying (Isa.
65:18-19; cf. Rev. 7:17; 21:4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
Old Testament prophecies clearly describe a kingdom with characteristics unlike anything imaginable on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> present
earth. <b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup></b>Moreover, the
prophesied Jewish Messiah who would usher in the restoration of Israel was
clearly more than just human. Among His other traits, Daniel speaks of him as
having “authority, glory and sovereign power,” being “worshiped” by all people,
and having a kingdom “that will never end.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only Jesus fulfills the prophecies of this future Messiah (Daniel
7:13-14; also Isa. 9:6-7).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How should these dissimilar
characteristics of the new heaven and earth described in the Old and New Testaments
be harmonized? For some interpreters, prophecies such as Isaiah 35:1-10;
65:17-25; and Ezekiel 36:22-38 refer to the return of Jewish exiles from
Babylonia captivity—they don’t describe the future eternal kingdom revealed in
Revelation 21 and 22. Other interpreters believe that Isaiah, Ezekiel, and
other Old Testament prophets were inadvertently referring to Jews who would be
saved throughout church history (see Rom. 11:25-31). In this latter view, many
Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel’s future have a <i>spiritual</i>
fulfillment in the church rather than literal fulfillment for the nation of
Israel. This view is supported by Paul in Romans 2:28-29, 9:6, and Phil. 3:3,
which speak of true Jews as being followers of Christ, and by the fact that the
New Testament writers considered many Old Testament prophecies to have direct
application to the established church and New Testament times. If this is the
case, the Old Testament prophets may have had in mind a perfectly restored <i>earthly</i>
kingdom under the rule of a messiah who would deliver the Jews from foreign
domination—but they <i>unwittingly</i> predicted a future eternal Kingdom when
the true Davidic messiah, Jesus Christ, returns to establish the eternal new
heaven and earth in the “last days.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A case can also be made that Old
Testament prophecies referring to a future restored Israel (Ezek.36: 24-30)
have a <i>dual</i> fulfillment<i>—</i>a primary and secondary application. On
the one hand, they do predict a future new heaven and earth when Jesus returns
to establish His <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eternal</i> Kingdom. But
the same prophesies may also refer to an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">initial</i>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Millennium<i> </i></span>or a <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Millennial<i> </i>Kingdom<i>—</i></span>a
thousand-year reign of Jesus here on earth <i>prior</i> to the eternal new
heaven and earth described in Revelation 21. During the Millennium, God will
bring about a literal fulfillment of the Old Testament promises of a restored
Israel. Satan will be imprisoned and the world will enjoy an unparalleled
period of joy and prosperity under Christ’s’ rule. After this thousand-year
period, Satan will be released for a short time to spearhead a final rebellion
against God, after which he and his underlings, along with unsaved humans, will
be cast into the Lake of Fire (hell) forever (see Rev. 20: 7-15). At that point
in eschatological history, heaven and (new) earth will <i>unite</i> to become
Heaven, and all believers will enjoy eternal bliss with our Lord Jesus Christ
forever.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my opinion, this last view is the simplest and least problematic
and complicated end-time scenario for harmonizing Old Testament prophecy of
restored Israel with Revelation. Without this perspective, the huge amount of
details given in Old Testament prophecies concerning the anticipated Davidic
kingdom would be reduced to merely figurative language and
symbolism—spiritualizing what clearly reads as predictive history. It’s hard to
imagine that God would give so much information and description of restored
Israel if it did not have a literal fulfillment.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the purposes of this study, however,
w<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">hether or not Heaven uniting with a renewed
earth occurs at the return of Christ or a thousand years later at the end of a </span>Millennial
Kingdom is not important. (In the latter <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">case, the Millennium would be a transitional phase between the old earth
and the New Earth.) What <i>is</i> important is the <i>continuity</i> between
the two, so that many of the features in the Old Testament vision of the
redeemed earth will become essential features in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the Peaceable Kingdom in Isaiah eleven,
where humans and animals peacefully coexistence, is an accurate depiction of
the relationship that will exist in Heaven among redeemed and restored nature,
animals, and humans. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This brings us back, after a several week detour, to the central purpose
of this series of blog articles. Will Heaven be inhabited by our pets and other
sentient animals? Certainly <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">i</span>f heaven
is united with a redeemed and restored <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">planet</i>
Earth, as described in Revelation 21:1-4 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(cf. Rom. 8:19-23)—rather than Heaven being
someplace “far off in space”—it is easier to envision soul-bearing animals now
inhabiting the earth joining God’s redeemed people in the eternal Peaceable
Kingdom. In next couple blog articles we’ll see what the creatures dwelling in Heaven
will be like. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></span></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-44997693783942683192014-06-13T16:50:00.002-07:002014-06-13T16:57:18.749-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze5bETwS8mR6GxKGsiO8wNROleD9mFbpfbzzx_8elwK548_yZauK6-INw-afa4gB1rFgr30JQvLl59OqQIJ7-AWxP7DuVGrqVGUveRK2VtPKtdnImZuTtDkg52h2dq7iQCWKmOwpIFhGg/s1600/DSCN1316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze5bETwS8mR6GxKGsiO8wNROleD9mFbpfbzzx_8elwK548_yZauK6-INw-afa4gB1rFgr30JQvLl59OqQIJ7-AWxP7DuVGrqVGUveRK2VtPKtdnImZuTtDkg52h2dq7iQCWKmOwpIFhGg/s1600/DSCN1316.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story Photograph</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Part Eighteen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How Do </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Old Testament Prophesies of a “New Heaven and Earth” fit in Revelation?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
In my last blog article, we g<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">limpsed what the physical environment of the
redeemed and restored New E<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">arth may
look like. In particular, we saw that it will not only embrace Garden of
Eden-like conditions, but it will surpass them. This article will look more
closely at the continuity between our present earth and the eschatological New Earth.
</span></span></div>
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Some interpreters hold that the new
heaven and earth prophesied by Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets
actually refers to events in post-exile Israel, that is, after the Jews were
permitted to return to their homeland following release from captivity in Babylon
(e.g. Isa. Chapters 35, 60-66; Ezek. Chapters 36-37). Although the Kingdom of
God described in the Old Testament is best understood through the filter of New
Testament eschatology, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">some</span>
prophecies could (at least in part) refer to Israel after their captivity.
Nevertheless, there are many difficulties with this interpretation. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
It’s highly unlikely that Old
Testament prophecies concerning the future “new heaven and earth” (Isa. 65:17;
66:22) are limited to <i>just</i> the return of Israel from exile to its homeland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, the historical circumstances
surrounding their return from Babylonian Captivity—and the physical environment
of their homeland itself—do not match many Old Testament descriptions of the
restored New Earth. For example, according to Isaiah the future kingdom will
see an end to violence, and the sun “will never set” and the moon “will wane no
more” because God will be their “everlasting light“(60:18, 20). Peace and
harmony will exist between the animal kingdom and humans (11:6-9), and the
Israelites will “possess the land forever” (60: 20-21). </div>
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None of these features or events
took place after the exiles returned to their homeland—nor have they happened
since that day. Instead, the Jews faced economic and other hardships, hostile
neighbors, and were eventually suppressed by Rome—a far cry from prophetic
expectations of an everlasting kingdom ushered in by a Davidic messiah (e.g.
Dan. 7:13-14). The <i>best</i> interpretation of the prophetic passages
referring to Israel’s restoration are eschatological—descriptions of the future
New Earth that will be inhabited by believers from all nations, races, and
ethnicities—not just spiritually renewed Jews (Rev. 7:9). This becomes clear
when Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel’s future restoration are seen
through the New Testament’s vision of the new heaven and earth, ushered in with
glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 21-22). </div>
<h5 style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Heaven and Earth Will Be United</span></b></h5>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the most significant end-times prophesies in
Revelation is the “new Jerusalem” that will descend onto the earth (Rev. 21: 2;
cf. Isa. 65:18). There is disagreement on whether this Holy City is an actual
city (21:2, 10) or represents the perfected eternal church. However, with so
much detailed description in Revelation, it seems likely the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new Jerusalem is a literal city (Rev.
21:10-17). </span>Either way, the new Jerusalem descending onto the earth will
be the merging of Heaven with redeemed and restored earth. Heaven will
encompass the renewed earth, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">God will dwell there with His people forever. The
late theologian Anthony Hoekema put it well:</span></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The “new Jerusalem” stands for the entire
glorified church of God. This church . . . does not remain in a “heaven” far
off in space, but it comes down to the renewed earth; there [the] redeemed will
spend eternity in resurrection bodies. So heaven and earth, now separated, will
then be merged: the new earth will also be heaven, since God will dwell there
with his people. Glorified believers, in other words, will continue to be in
heaven while they are inhabiting the new earth. (</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Heaven: Not Just an Eternal
Day Off," <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Today; </i>June 6,
2003)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i>In
light of this, the Jewish prophetic vision of a new heaven and earth, and the
New Testament fulfillment, are ultimately speaking of the same glorious eternal
Kingdom of God, where all resurrected believers—include Jews who have accepted
Jesus as their prophesied Messiah—will live forever in Heaven <i>on</i> (new)
earth! </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As I pointed out previously, my recent blog
articles may seem to drift away from the goal of this series: “Will our pets
and other animals greet us in heaven?” But hang in there; I have a reason for
this parenthetical detour. It’s to demonstrate that there is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">continuity</i> between our present earth and
the eternal (“peaceable”) kingdom, which God’s people will share with sentient
animals. I</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">f Heaven is united
with a renewed earth in the eschaton, rather than being someplace “far off in
space” (Rev. 21:1-4; cf. Rom. 8:19-23), it is easier to envision that
soul-bearing animals now inhabiting our present earth will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>join God’s redeemed people in Heaven. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
Now, this raises a controversy
among Christians. Is there a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literal</i>
Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20)? And if so, how does it fit with the Old Testament’s
vision of restored Israel? Could the Millennial Kingdom actually <i>be</i> restored
Israel? More important, can the Millennium be harmonize with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">united</i> Heaven and New Earth described in
Revelation 21 and 22? And, finally, what does all this have to do with earthly
animals inhabiting Heaven? These questions will be the subject of next two blog
articles. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-73931651629017143342014-06-06T08:25:00.001-07:002014-06-08T20:40:54.614-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sJvxxu_eMor7pscG3ZyV2h55F9pcYhfH3axw_xV-jg3HrjUJ9IvjWLzEjjl4zxlMs4kITDZsQxKVGyjrjFjyrSW9HyFM979Nj7IwesC8Se342k3ocT9UWoG0CZspRjVG3B5TO9hIAyu-/s1600/wildlife+book+two+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sJvxxu_eMor7pscG3ZyV2h55F9pcYhfH3axw_xV-jg3HrjUJ9IvjWLzEjjl4zxlMs4kITDZsQxKVGyjrjFjyrSW9HyFM979Nj7IwesC8Se342k3ocT9UWoG0CZspRjVG3B5TO9hIAyu-/s1600/wildlife+book+two+002.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Al Hochrein photograph</span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Part Seventeen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What Will the Physical Environment in Heaven</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be Like?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my last blog article, we saw that at the end
of this present age the earth will not be obliterated but restored and redeemed
as a “New Earth.” God does not create another earth </span>from scratch; He will renew
this earth. </span> Isaiah, Ezekiel,
and other Old Testament prophets <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">clearly
foretold this, and it’s confirmed by Romans 8:19-23.</span> So, what will this
transformed earth be like? Here’s what we can glean from Scriptures.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The New Testament (i.e. Revelation) does not
describe the <i>natural</i> environment in the prophesied New Earth. On the
other hand, the Old Testament does give tantalizing glimpses of what the New Earth’s
physical environment may look like. The Jews understood that the future kingdom
of God would be on <i>this</i> earth; spiritually restored Israel would be an
earthly abode. For example, the prophet Ezekiel wrote that on the renewed earth
the Dead Sea will be
purified with fresh water and inhabited by “swarms of living creatures
(47:8-9). Indeed, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">the Old Testament
prophets </span>foresaw the new earth as being
similar, in many respects, to the Garden of Eden.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The New Earth Will Resemble the Garden of
Eden</span></b> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speaking about the prophesied future kingdom of God,
Isaiah told the Israelites that “<span class="textisa-51-3">The </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="textisa-51-3"> will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on
all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the
garden of the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="textisa-51-3">. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and
the sound of singing” </span>(51:3). The Prophet Ezekiel made a similar
statement: “<span class="textezek-36-35">They [the Israelites] will say, ‘This
land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden ‘”(</span>36:35). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What did the Garden of Eden look like? Since God was its
Creator, it would have been unspoiled, pristine, and indescribably beautiful.
There was no death in Eden since it was created before the Fall and nature’s
subsequent curse (Gen 2-3). Thus, natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis, would have been unknown. Furthermore,
there could not have been predators or other dangerous animals in Eden, and
poisonous and harmful plants would have been absent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam and Eve, and all the animal inhabitants
of the Garden, were vegetarians (Gen. 1:29–30). Clothes for warmth and
protection were unnecessary for the first couple (2:25), and food was bountiful
and available merely by harvesting it (2:16). Adam and Eve’s only
responsibility was to tend and care for the Garden (2:15). They didn’t even
have to water it (2:10). In short, the Garden of Eden was a paradise, a place
where humans lived in harmony with other living creatures and in friendship
with God. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
Bible further describes the natural environment in which God placed the first
couple as having “all kinds of trees . . . that were pleasing to the eye and
good for food” (Gen. 2:9). Perhaps these trees resembled the great forests of
Lebanon, which God planted (Ps. 104:16). Ezekiel parabolically compares the
ancient cedars of Lebanon, whose magnificence was widely proclaimed in the
ancient world, with the trees in the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 31:8-9 cf. Isa.
35:2). In any case, Eden would not have been a manicured garden in the sense of
what we think of as a garden today. (It’s probably referred to as a “garden”
because God planted it—Gen. 2:8.) Yet certainly the Garden of Eden would have
included an abundance of flourishing, edible green plants to feed and shelter
both humans and animals (Gen. 1:29-30), as well wild, stunning, natural forests
embracing a variety of exotic, colorful vegetation. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other prophetic passages that refer to the New Earth provide
similar parallels with the Garden of Eden. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For example, the Holy City (new Jerusalem), which will descend onto the
earth from Heaven (Rev. 21:10), will have, like Eden, a flowing river and tree
of life (cf. Gen. 2:8-10; Rev. 22:1-2). </span>Isaiah declares that the new
earth will have no deserts or wastelands (<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">51:3; cf. 35:1, 7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I</span>n
chapter eleven Isaiah further reveals that the future kingdom of God will have
no predators or dangerous animals: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the
leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling
together. . . . The cow will feed with the bear . . . and the lion will eat
straw like the ox. . . . [T]he young child [will] put his hand into the viper’s
nest” (6-8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So although wolves,
leopards, and lions will inhabit the New Earth, they will no longer be
carnivorous or dangerous to humans and each other. In fact carnivores will
become herbivores (v. 7), and wild nature and humanity will peacefully
co-exist. What an amazing and wonderful world! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notice that all of the prophetic passages I’ve quoted or
referenced, which illustrate parallels between the Garden of Eden and the New Earth,
were made within an <i>historical</i> context that anticipates an
eschatological Kingdom. Even Old Testament passages that seem to focus
primarily on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spiritual</i>
restoration of Israel forecast the future New Earth as an eternal Peaceable
Kingdom (more on this later). We can be certain that the renewed ecological
balance, restored habitats, transformed predators, and peaceful relationship
between humans and animals will be a literal reality in the New Earth.</span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
New Earth Will Surpass the Garden of Eden</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b>Although the Garden of Eden may be
its prototype, the future New Earth will be far more magnificent. It will
surpass even Eden in grandeur, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">wonder,
splendor, beauty, and enchantment. In other words, it will be more than a
reinvigorated Garden of Eden. It will be Heaven itself! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, it will have many astonishing
features that differ radically from what we experience on our present earth.
For example, there will be no oceans in the new earth (Rev. 21:1). Nor will
light be derived entirely from the sun and moon (Isa. 60:19-20; Rev. 21:23). Unlike
Eden, the New Earth will encompass more than nature. There will be
civilizations, including nations, rulers, and cultures (5:9-10). Indeed, the
metaphorical language used to describe the new Jerusalem (precious minerals,
pearls, golden streets, etc.—Rev. 21:18-21) indicates a world that humans words
cannot adequately describe. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Best of all “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain”
in the new Heaven on earth (21:4). Nor will the human population include “the
cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murders, the sexually immoral, those
who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the
fiery lake of burning sulfur” (21:8). In a word, there will be no evil or sin
or the possibility of a second Fall in the redeemed and restored new earth
because Satan and his minions would have been cast into hell “for ever and ever
(20:10). But w</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">hat makes this New
Earth truly Heaven—and distinct from the Garden of Eden—is that God will dwell
there with His people (Rev. 21:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
God occasionally visited the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8,) He will actually live
in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:3)! Saved, resurrected humans will see the
Lord Jesus Christ face-to-face and live with Him forever (1 Thess. 4:16-18;
Rev. 22:3-4). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Next week’s blog
article will explore the meaning of Old Testament prophesies concerning the
eschatological restoration of Israel in the future “new heaven and earth.” As I
said previously, my recent blog articles may seem to drift away from the
central focus of this series, that is, to demonstrate that soul-bearing animals
will inhabit Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there is a
reason for apparent “rabbit trail,” and it will be clear shortly.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCUh87ZE8wNQN51nKip_cB3_bBXc__EXE-os1Lw1GjoOWWijOohfH9cKF6B37R_DtGC0tYPv-9nTt8vya79eQVDygqEtCH742g5yDHwhONVeILzV4I07cWx0z0XkScMAS-lFEetahzoCZ/s1600/DSCN3282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCUh87ZE8wNQN51nKip_cB3_bBXc__EXE-os1Lw1GjoOWWijOohfH9cKF6B37R_DtGC0tYPv-9nTt8vya79eQVDygqEtCH742g5yDHwhONVeILzV4I07cWx0z0XkScMAS-lFEetahzoCZ/s1600/DSCN3282.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story Photograph</span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Part Sixteen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will the Prophesied “New Heaven and Earth” </span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Be on</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> This</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Earth?</span></b></div>
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The
Bible refers to the future, eternal abode of redeemed and resurrected humans as
“a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1-4). The <i>Evangelical Dictionary of
Theology</i> describes it this way:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 10.0pt; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">The biblical doctrine of the
created universe includes the certainty of its final redemption from the
dominion of sin. The finally redeemed universe is called “the new heavens and
new earth. . . .</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 10.0pt; tab-stops: -.5in;">
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
new heavens and the new earth will be the renewed creation that will fulfill
the purpose for which God created the universe. It will be characterized by the
compete rule of God and by the full realization of the final goal of
redemption: “Behold the dwelling of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3—pg. 763) </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This bare-bones
description gives us the theological fact of the new heaven and earth—but not
what it’s like. It does, however, reveal the two most important features of
this future “redeemed universe” and “renewed creation:” Sin will be permanently
vanquished, and God will dwell with His people forever. But this doctrinal statement
omits any description of the physical environment of the “new” earth and its
non-human inhabitants. There are passages in the Bible that reveals this
information, however, and we’ll look at many of them as we move through the
next few blog articles. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Old Earth Will Pass Away</span></b></div>
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Before we start, it needs to established that the Bible
plainly teaches that our present earth and “heavens” (the atmosphere and outer
space) will be replaced by a redeemed and restored “new heavens and earth.”
Passages in both the Old and New Testament testify to this.</div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Psalm
102:25-26:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="textps-102-25"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the beginning you laid the
foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. </span></span><span class="textps-102-26"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and
they will be discarded.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Isaiah 51:6:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-51-6"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth
beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a
garment. . . . </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Matthew 24:35:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">[Jesus said,] “Heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will never pass away.”</span></span><br />
</div>
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</div>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Hebrews
1:10-12:</b> </span><span class="textheb-1-10"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“In the
beginning, O’ Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are
the work of your hands. </span></span><span class="textheb-1-11"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They will perish, but you remain; </span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">they</span></span><span class="textheb-1-11"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. “ </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="first-line-nonetop-05">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2
Peter 3:10:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span class="text2pet-3-10"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But the day
of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it
will be laid bare.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">There
Will Be a New Earth </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Just as there are passages that reveal the present earth
will “pass away,” there are also Old and New Testament passages that predict a <i>new</i>
earth. </div>
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<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Isaiah 65:17:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span class="textisa-65-17"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Behold, I [God] will create</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-65-17"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">new heavens and a
new earth.”</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Isaiah 66:22:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span class="textisa-66-22"><sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> ”</span></sup></span><span class="textisa-66-22"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As the new
heavens and the new earth that I make will endure. . . . </span></span></div>
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<span class="textisa-66-22"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
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<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="textisa-66-22"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A</span></span>cts
3:21:</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span class="textacts-3-21"><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He [Jesus] must remain in heaven until the time
comes for God to r<i>estore</i> everything, as he promised long ago through his
holy prophets.”</span></span><br />
</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Revelation 21:1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span class="textrev-21-1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Then I saw a new heaven and a new
earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . . </span></span><span class="textrev-21-5"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Present Earth Will Be Redeemed and Purified—Not
Obliterated</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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During a radio
interview shortly after my book <i>Should Christians Be Environmentalists? </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was released, the host put forward a common
argument many Christians use to justify abusive and unnecessary
environmental<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>exploitation: “Why should<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we care what happens to the environment if
God is going to destroy the earth at the end of this age?” This argument is
based on 2 Peter 3:10-13, which reads in part: </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
But
the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a
roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in
it will be laid bare. . . . But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness ((2 Pet. 3:
10, 13).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
This
passage <i>appears</i> to say that there will be<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> a fiery cataclysmic end to the earth on “the day of the Lord” (v. 10),
when Jesus returns to crush Satan and his minions and then recreate the “new”
heaven and earth (see Rev. 20 – 22).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
I don’t agree
with this interpretation for several reasons. <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>For one, it’s<b> </b>the only passage in
the Bible, which I’m aware of, that seems to imply that the earth will be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">totally</i> “destroyed” by fire at the end
of this age. None of the passages quoted above require an interpretation that
earth will be annihilated. On the other hand, there are passages that clearly
state the earth <i>will</i> remain forever (e.g. Ps. 78:69; 104:5; Eccl. 1:4). <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The angel proclaims in Revelation 11:15, “The
kingdom of the<i> </i>world [the earth] has become the kingdom of our Lord and
of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” He doesn’t say the kingdom
of the world will be destroyed. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the world and its
inhabitants but to save it (John 3:16) and to redeem the earth (Rom. 8:19-23).
Revelation 5:9-10 teaches that people “purchased” by Jesus’ blood would include
“every tribe and language and people and nation . . . . and they will reign on
the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">earth.</span>”</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the Bible fire is often associated with
judgment. So rather than a fire literally destroying this earth and God
creating a brand new earth from scratch, Peter is likely speaking about this
earth being purified<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and renewed. In this
view, “destroyed” in verse 10 means the same as Peter used it in verse 6, when
he said the earth was “destroyed” by the worldwide flood. We know the earth
wasn’t literally destroyed, but was cleansed and purified of sin. </span>Revelation
21:1 and Isaiah 65:17 both speak of this new heaven and earth, but not in
context of the old earth being destroyed by fire. Additionally, b<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">oth Isaiah and Ezekiel further point out </span>that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this present earth will return to<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Garden of Eden like conditions </span>(Isa.
51:3; Ezek. 36:35). <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So it appears Peter
is</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
speaking <i>figuratively</i> about purifying and renewing fallen creation. He
is </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">saying in 2 Peter 3:10-13 that
the earth will be cleansed of evil and purified from sin—not annihilated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">God’s
eschatological purpose is to redeem and decontaminate the earth of sin and to
restore it to Garden of Eden-like conditions. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Apostle Paul says as much in Romans: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="textrom-8-19">For all creation is
waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children
really are.</span> <span class="textrom-8-20"><sup> </sup>Against its will,
all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,</span> <span class="textrom-8-21">the creation looks forward to the day when it will join
God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.</span> <span class="textrom-8-22"><sup> </sup>For we know that all creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.</span> <span class="textrom-8-23"><sup> </sup>And we believers also groan, even though we
have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for
our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope
for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,<sup>
</sup>including the new bodies he has promised us</span> (Romans 8:19-23, NLT).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
Paul says nothing in this passage
about the destruction of the present earth. He is writing about the removal of
the curse and the redemption of all creation (including animals) when Jesus
returns to establish His everlasting Kingdom. T<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">he first creation will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> be
destroyed and then replaced by an entirely new creation. It will be restored
and renewed; sin will be obliterated and the curse will be removed. This is all
part of God’s redemptive plan for redeemed humanity and restored creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next few blog articles will show why this
concept is important to understand in terms of animals inhabiting the new
heaven and earth. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Note: I could not get this blog formatted correctly. Hopefully by next week I will have figured out what was wrong. Dan</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-44766082415130331192014-05-23T17:00:00.003-07:002014-05-23T17:07:42.228-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28eqLjMqNwylH4ju-piwQ-TQ65HWYMxCCVuOqY17IENeqh1-2rUYqk7mv-0XL_uhT1HqZ5bH9is_zz5My4kyB8_kAgdmo9tsmFHoJUAluIGYK7U9P4-ZpY4w4ZaLTLxfAHme70W791low/s1600/photo+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28eqLjMqNwylH4ju-piwQ-TQ65HWYMxCCVuOqY17IENeqh1-2rUYqk7mv-0XL_uhT1HqZ5bH9is_zz5My4kyB8_kAgdmo9tsmFHoJUAluIGYK7U9P4-ZpY4w4ZaLTLxfAHme70W791low/s1600/photo+-+Copy.JPG" height="310" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Fifteen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If Animals Inhabit Heaven, What
Will Heaven Be Like?</span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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This blog article is a milestone in
my series, “Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven?” Up to this
point, my goal has been to demonstrate that at least sentient animals (animals
that can perceive and feel things) possess<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> an immaterial dimension to their being—a mind/soul—and therefore God
has gifted them with immortality. </span>What remains to be answered in this
series are three things: (1) A<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ssuming
that earth-bound animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> possess
immortal souls and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will </i>dwell in the
new heaven and earth, which is prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments,
what will such a heavenly environment be like? (2) If earth-bound animals
inhabit Heaven, what will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i> be
like and what will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our</i> relationship
with them be like? (3) And (most controversial) will our pets and other
animals—both deceased and alive—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">resurrect</i>
alongside God’s people when Jesus returns to vanquish Satan and his minions and
set up His prophesied eternal Kingdom.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Before we begin exploring this exciting and intriguing dimension of
animal immortality, </span>I want to be sure you do not misunderstand what I am
saying in this series. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am not</i>
saying that animals are equal to humans in God’s eyes. God <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does</i> love and provide for non-human life independent of His love
and provision for people; He wishes for all created life to fulfill the purposes
for which He created them. Humans, however, are far more important to God than nature.
According<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to Psalm 115:16, God had
the human race in mind when He created the Earth, not to destroy it but to care
for nature and it’s wild inhabitants. (I go into great detail on this in my
book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Should Christians Be
Environmentalists?</i>—Kregel Publications, 2012). The Bible also says that only
people were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27); we are the crown of creation
(Ps. 8); and we are more valuable to God than animals (Matt. 12: 11-12; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Luke 12:6-7). </i>But this in no way
distracts from the reality of God’s love, provision for, and enjoyment of animal
life—and that He has gifted them with an eternal immortal soul. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Will Earth-bound Animals
Live in the New Heaven and Earth? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
I want to start part two of this
series with a quote from Randy Alcorn’s novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Safety Home</i>:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The pure air
of heaven filled his lungs. He saw horses and deer and dogs and cats and
rabbits and squirrels and badgers and hedgehogs. Until now he’d never thought
of animals celebrating or lost in joy, but that’s exactly the impression he got
when seeing them run and frolic and play with each other and with people. He
saw trees that cast light instead of shadows. Some of them hung heavy with
citrus fruits, picked and eaten freely by passersby. . . . </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The best
parts of that other world, he realized, had been but sneak previews of this
one. . . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Compared to
what he now beheld, the world he’s come from was a land of shadows, colorless
and two-dimensional. This place was fresh and captivating, resonating with
color and beauty. He could not only see and hear it, but feel and smell and
taste it. Every hillside, every mountain, every waterfall, every frolicking
animal in the fields seems to beckon him to come join them, to come from the
outside and plunge<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into the inside. This
whole world had the feel of cool water on a blistering August afternoon. The
light beckoned him to dive in with abandon, to come join the great adventure
(pg. 376). <b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Who would not
wish for Heaven to be as Alcorn describes it? But is it a realistic portrayal?
Will humans run, frolic, and play with </span>horses, deer, dogs, cats, badgers
and other wild and domesticated animals? <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Just how accurate is Alcorn’s description of heaven,<i> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">when</span> measured against biblical
revelation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the remaining
articles in this series will reveal that it’s <i>very</i> accurate. And I for
one look forward to joining the “great adventure” in the age to come. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Before we get
started, a few preliminary things need to be said upfront. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">First, the Bible
doesn’t give us all the information we wish we had with regard to what heaven
will be like. Rather, it’s more like the trailer of a movie—a stirring glimpse
of what the full feature will reveal; a partial unfolding of the rose, but not
the full blossom. Still, there is enough information about Heaven in Holy
Scripture to allow me to draw some legitimate conclusions with regard to animal
life, which I believe to be sensible and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">accurate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Second, some of
what I’m about to share may be interpreted differently by some readers. Fair
enough. On the other hand, I believe that what I share can be reasonably
assumed from Scripture and from what we know of God’s great love for all
created life. And <i>nothing</i> I suggest is outside biblical possibilities or
contrary to established, orthodox biblical truths. Heaven may very well be as
Alcorn (and I) describe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Finally, this and
the following four articles may seem to drift away from the focus of this book—which
is to demonstrate that pets and other earthly animals in will inhabit Heaven. But
there is a reason for this apparent rabbit trail. The best way to envision why
soul-bearing, earth-bound animals will inhabit Heaven is to see that there is a
<i>continuity</i> between our present earth, its animal inhabitants, and the
“new heaven and earth” prophesied in the Old and New Testaments. So, let’s
explore this together beginning next week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: -.1in; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-57739262304541595072014-05-17T05:08:00.002-07:002014-05-18T20:03:27.073-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUw3kxTwnaDSYlnnKsV7S4qLwJsSoC_Emwf7j1FoRmy6JW5x05clIiU9nAZ-7sdVTxaNMTxghp7Ct7Nwvot45CJh69_omuETiwLmS-NffxHJ0cSpPDYoL6Uj5NmNiUjS3RH737wh8ADX0/s1600/128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0QwEH5nJsxczT7X35gUbhy0dSnMki1598tJDwGkXNfugqWEI_Q4bXmRIsGRf1uBialBD6OUSPveYTWM8ACsVeYjcgdznMvCX9vdZ7aJQ5eomnc5CHhz1EmO5HyI7bJaOlZy3VbYXZILo/s1600/DSCN1917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0QwEH5nJsxczT7X35gUbhy0dSnMki1598tJDwGkXNfugqWEI_Q4bXmRIsGRf1uBialBD6OUSPveYTWM8ACsVeYjcgdznMvCX9vdZ7aJQ5eomnc5CHhz1EmO5HyI7bJaOlZy3VbYXZILo/s1600/DSCN1917.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b></b></div>
<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story Photograph</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part Fourteen:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Do Animals Have Emotions and
Thoughts Analogous to Humans? (Continued)</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Last
week’s blog article looked at some of the emotions that many animals share with
humans. In this article we’ll see that many animals also share <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cognitive</i> (thought-driven) attributes
analogous to humans. Altogether, they further confirm the existence of a mind
in sentient animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said last week,
however, space in these short articles does not allow me to include examples. But
I did suggest three books written by some of the world’s leading ethologists (people
who study animal behavior), which give specific examples of human-like emotions<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>and cognitive behaviors displayed in
many sentient animals. In terms of cognitive attributes, they are readily observed
in three broad areas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Learning </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
Cognition is the
mental ability to acquire and understand knowledge through thought, experience,
and the senses. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It was long assumed
that animals were incapable of much thought and functioned mostly on instinct.
It’s now widely known that many species have astonishing cognitive skills. They
are quite proficient at learning and benefiting from what they learn, as well
as teaching such information to offspring and others of their kind. Mammals and
birds in particular, but even some less complex animals, are capable of gaining
knowledge and understanding and can learn to respond with flexibility to
environmental and other challenges, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>often
in ways that trump instinct.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Memory </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Learning would be of little value unless an
animal could apply it by remembering the past and planning for future
activities. Studies in animal behavior have shown that many species of birds
and mammals think about the future and learn from past mistakes. For example,
subordinate chimpanzees and wolves will pretend they do not see a particular
food item if a dominate animal is around—but will return later to eat it. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Actually,
it doesn’t take a trained ethologist to know that animals
have remarkable memories. Most dog and cat owners are well aware of the
abilities of their animal companions to remember past errors that resulted in
punishment and behaviors that elicit rewards. And as many of us know, dogs have
an incredible ability to learn and remember human words. Some can respond to
more than a hundred commands!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: -.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Communication </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If animals can learn and remember, it
follows they should be able to communicate this knowledge to other animals.
They can. We may not understand them, but many animals speak a “language” using
various audible sounds that communicate specific information. Dolphins, whales,
elephants, dogs, crows, ravens, parrots, gorillas, and many other animals
communicate verbally. Other animals “speak” to one another through body
language. Specific postures and the position of ears, eyes, tails, and facial
expressions are all ways in which animals communicate their emotions and
feelings to each other—as well as to humans, if we are attuned to them. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Self-awareness </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In this and the previous blog article, I have
just touched briefly on the mounting scientific evidence that numerous animal
species have emotions, express deep feelings, and engage in thought-driven
behaviors. They can learn and pass on important knowledge, retain memories that
determine how they will respond to future events and circumstances, and, in one
way or another, are able to clearly communicate with one another. All these
human-like mental activities seem to imply the likelihood that at least some
sentient animals are self-aware (have a degree of self-consciousness). Recent research with primates, dolphins, dogs, and a few other
animals have demonstrated this. Within the limitations their individual mental
capabilities, it seems likely that </span>at least some animals are self-aware.
Why is this significant? More than any in other mental activity, self-awareness
cannot be reduced to mere instinct. It requires independent, flexible, and <i>abstract</i>
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Conclusion </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Decades of field studies by skilled
ethologists and laboratory research by trained scientists has demonstrated that
many animals do in fact possess emotional and cognitive abilities that reflect
intelligence, feelings, and thought-driven behaviors remarkably similar to
humans. This in turn sufficiently demonstrates that animals, like humans,
possess an immaterial dimension to their being: a mind—the seat of all mental
activities. In humans, as we saw in parts eleven and twelve, the mind is the essential
faculty of our souls and cannot be reduced to chemical and neurological
processes operating within our physical brains. Since animals likewise possess
emotional and cognitive attributes that originate in an immaterial mind
distinct from their brains, it’s legitimate to conclude that animals also
possess souls.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What does this have to do with Animals immortality?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let me review what we’ve seen so far in this
series of blog articles. In parts 1-6, I demonstrated that animals have value
to God independent of their instrumental value to humans; God also created
animals for His own enjoyment and to fulfill the purpose of their individual
creation. In parts 7-12, I demonstrated, theologically and biblically, that
animal, like humans, possess immaterial minds and souls. And in my recent
articles, parts 13 and 14, I have provided <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scientific</i>
evidence to support this conclusion. Altogether, I believe I have made a
compelling case that God has bestowed on (at least) sentient animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">immortal</i> souls. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now it’s time to move in a new direction and
explore a different but intriguing aspect of animal immortality. Assuming that
earth-bound animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> possess
immortal souls and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will </i>dwell in the
new heaven and earth prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments, what will
such a heavenly environment be like? This will be the topic of the next few
blog articles. Then, I’ll end the series with the most controversial issue of
all: will earth-bound animals be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">resurrected</i>
alongside of God’s people when Jesus returns to set up His eternal Kingdom (cf.
Rom. 8:19-23)? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this
series are adapted from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article form, either
electronically or in print, without my written permission. But feel free to
send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your personal email
list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy them. Or post
a link on your own website. If you would like </span>to be added to my personal
blog email list (people who receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog
article), contact me through my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-19213910823405699822014-05-09T17:13:00.001-07:002014-05-09T17:18:28.032-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68cZqDm5lxmWGBWuHWwJhJOeooNYA9iTBDNKLPwphGoJevBzoLjp-jCp5eFXQO_KwFJw5Wf_qtl1NuQlOlCuQzZpP27k15hpNA8_UZamSdgP5n9TSZMHd9Pd4dFkiLNi92gyvYHwW-riH/s1600/wildlife+book+two+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68cZqDm5lxmWGBWuHWwJhJOeooNYA9iTBDNKLPwphGoJevBzoLjp-jCp5eFXQO_KwFJw5Wf_qtl1NuQlOlCuQzZpP27k15hpNA8_UZamSdgP5n9TSZMHd9Pd4dFkiLNi92gyvYHwW-riH/s1600/wildlife+book+two+006.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Al Hochrein photograph</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Part Thirteen: Do Animals Have Emotions and Thoughts Analogous to
Humans?</span></b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We learned in the previous two blog articles
that mental states in humans originate in our <i>minds</i>—the immaterial
dimension of our being—not from the physical matter of our brains. While in our
physical bodies, our minds are “housed” within our brains, and our brains are
the vehicles through which our thoughts are expressed. But the brain and mind
are not the same thing. The brain decays at death, but the mind lives on in our
souls. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In this and the next blog article, I’ll
demonstrate that many animals have certain cognitive abilities and emotions that
closely parallel similar characteristics in humans. If such mental states in
people originate in their minds, it’s perfectly legitimate to conclude that
such traits in animals would likewise originate in <i>their</i> minds.
Moreover, since in humans the mind is the essential faculty of our souls, it
can further be concluded that animals must also have souls (as</span> I
demonstrated in parts 7-9).<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now, we must keep this in perspective.
Regardless of the degree of their complexity, mental activities in animals are
far less sophisticated and intensely experienced than they are in humans. Nor
does the fact that some animals have mental faculties analogous to humans
elevate their value in the created order to that of people—not my mind, not in
most peoples mind, and certainly not in God’s mind. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Space in these short articles does not allow me to give examples of the
following human-like emotions and thoughts displayed in animals. But let me
assure readers that I’ve </span>researched this topic thoroughly and examined
numerous sources that document what I’m going to share. For readers who are
interested seeing examples of animal displaying these characteristics, there
are three books in particular that I can recommend. Two of them are by one of
the world’s leading authorities on animal behavior, Marc Bekoff: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emotional Lives of Animals</i>. For
current studies on dogs—probably the most<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>frequently studied domesticated animal in behavioral research (other
than experiments on rodents)—read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inside
of a Dog; What Dogs See, Smell, and Know </i>by psychologist and animal
behaviorist, Alexandra Horowitz. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Then and Now</span></b></div>
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Prior to the 19<sup>th</sup>
century, most scientists assumed that nature was a vast organic machine
operating according to immutable natural laws. Animals were regarded as little
more than biological machines. Rene Descartes and other 17<sup>th</sup> century
philosophers and scientists even believed that animals do not feel pain. This
resulted in the cruel practice of vivisection, where experiments and surgery
were performed on live animals without anesthesia. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Today, it’s hard to imagine anyone
ever believing that animals don’t feel pain or experience other emotions.
During the last century, an enormous amount of data has been accumulated on
animal behavior. It’s widely recognized today that animals not only feel pain
and retain memories of it, but they also engage in thought-driven behaviors and
experience real emotions. As Professor Bekoff put it:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New studies are producing information that
shows just how fascinating and complex animal behavior can be. Animals who seem
incapable of much thought have been shown to have remarkable cognitive skills.
. . . Many individual . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>animals show
distinct personalities and idiosyncratic quirks, just as humans do. There are
extroverts, introverts, agreeable individuals, and neurotic animals. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is now mounting evidence that joy,
love, grief, jealousy, and embarrassment, for example, are all experienced by
individuals of many species. (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The
Emotional Lives of Animals</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, p.xx, 10).</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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So it turns out that what many pet
owners intuitively knew all along is true—animals can have <i>real</i>
emotions, and their behaviors are often deliberate, flexible, and <i>not</i>
motivated by just instinct. Below <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ll
point out some of the most obvious and well-attested <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">emotions</i> displayed in many animals, and next week we’ll look at
some of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cognitive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>(thought-driven) behaviors observed in
many species of animals. In both cases, you will see that many of these mental
attributes parallel similar thoughts and emotions in humans. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Emotions and Feelings</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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What kinds of
human-like emotions and feelings do animals experience? Most of the same kinds
that humans experience: altruism, devotion, loyalty, <span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">grief,
loneliness, sadness, compassion, empathy, joy, pleasure, play, affection, and,
yes, even love. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Now, when it comes to fully understanding what
these human-like emotions mean to animals, we must be careful not to be guilty
of exaggerated anthropomorphism. Animal emotions </span>cannot be thought of as
being directly equivalent to similar human emotions. If a dog or elephant
expresses love or joy, it will be dog-love and dog-joy and elephant-love and
elephant-joy, not human-like love and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Animal emotions can only be expressed within the mental capabilities and
physical makeup of the animal. But that they are not human-like in intensity or
complexity does not mean they do not exist. The same is also true of animal
cognition—learning, memory, communication, and (for some animals)
self-awareness. We’ll examine these mental attributes in next week’s article. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-15931773942489030332014-05-02T17:57:00.000-07:002014-05-03T05:06:39.765-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? * <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ3y5UsMIH3_HWZtf0RhRVMZffRR3TdI1QfGxxb9Xzir4DaLScD3K5Z305v42bS6JH94qsE32DiBstp0gC_2QVFBb7YbWXhJtBOv_Ct88-3CQDZmBo1tE7pfzzi9t6CYzT1t5vkMu1Cu3/s1600/wildlife+book+two+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ3y5UsMIH3_HWZtf0RhRVMZffRR3TdI1QfGxxb9Xzir4DaLScD3K5Z305v42bS6JH94qsE32DiBstp0gC_2QVFBb7YbWXhJtBOv_Ct88-3CQDZmBo1tE7pfzzi9t6CYzT1t5vkMu1Cu3/s1600/wildlife+book+two+010.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Al Hochrein photograph</span> </span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Part
Twelve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More Scientific Evidence That
Animals Possess Immaterial Minds/Souls</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In last week’s blog article, I provided scientific
evidence that our minds—the essential faculty of our souls—are distinct from
our material (physical) brains. In this article, I will provide additional
scientific evidence to support this thesis and then address a common challenge.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now, these two articles may seem rather technical,
and it may appear that I have drifted away from the goal of this series; that
is, to demonstrate that earth-bound animals will be redeemed alongside God’s
people and will inhabit the new heaven and earth, when Jesus returns to
establish His eternal Kingdom. But this is not a rabbit trail. My purpose in
these two articles is to demonstrate that sentient animals also possess
immaterial minds distinct from their physical brain. And since the mind is the
essential faculty of human souls, there is every reason to believe animals also
possess immaterial souls. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our Thoughts Can “Rewire” the Neurons (Nerve Cells) in Our Brains</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Recent studies in brain science have
demonstrated that changing one’s thinking can actually <i>rewire</i> the brain.
Studies using brain-imaging technology on people experiencing
obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) have revealed that changing one’s thought
patterns can alter the neuronal circuits of the brain. In other words, it was
discovered that when OCD sufferers learned to focus their attention on positive
things, they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literally</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rewired the brain circuit in the area of
the brain that was the source of the problem. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This data is supported by “cognitive
therapy,” a counseling technique that teaches patients to redirect their
thoughts away from compulsions to thoughts and behaviors that are more
emotionally beneficial and pleasant. The outcome of such therapy was changes in
the way patients felt about themselves and other people. (It’s significant that
the apostle Paul gave us the same advice nearly two thousand years ago in
Philippians 4:8-9!)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This is exciting because it gives empirical,
scientific confirmation that chemical and neurological processes in the brain <i>do
not </i>dictate our subjective thoughts and other mental activities, as evolutionary
materialists claim. Rather, our subjective thoughts and feelings, originating
in our immaterial minds, can alter the physical functions of our brains. The
mind dominates the brain, not the other way around. This is tremendously
compelling evidence for the existence of immaterial souls. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But what about Brain Injury? </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If it’s true that our minds exist
independent of our brains, why do people loose mental capabilities when their
brain is injured by head trauma? Why is thinking impaired—sometimes to the
point of hallucination—from alcohol or drug abuse? Along the same line, why
does the mind seem to loose mental acuity as one ages? These are valid
questions, but not hard to explain. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’s true that injury, substance abuse, and
age can cause the brain to dysfunction, and this can affect mental processes.
However, this only shows that while in our physical bodies our minds are
“housed” within our brains—not that brain and mind are one and the same. Our
brains are a receiver and the medium of transmission for our minds, but they
are not identical. Injury to the brain would impose certain limitations on how
the brain processes our thoughts while our souls are confined to our physical
bodies. But because the mind exists independent of the physical brain—and
remember the mind is the essential faculty of our souls—injury to the brain would
not obliterate the mind itself. In other words, damage to or deterioration of
the brain may interrupt the transmission of mental activities, but it would not
affect our mind once it’s disembodied from our brain—the mind itself is <i>not</i>
affected by our physical condition. Once our mind is liberated from its
physical body, as when death occurs, it continues to exist fully functioning
within our immaterial soul. When our brains die our consciousness continues in
our souls because our souls never die.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now, let’s apply this to animals. If
sentient animals have cognitive thoughts and emotional feelings (albeit much
less sophisticated or as intensely experienced as in humans), it strongly
suggests that they too must possess immaterial minds that exist independent of
their physical brains. In other words, if the origin of such mental activities
in humans can’t be reduced to neurological and chemical process in brain cells
(merely matter), why would similar mental states in animals not also originate
in their immaterial minds? To go the logical step further, if human minds are the
essential faculty of our souls, and if some animals experience mental states in
their minds similar to humans, we have a good reason to believe that animal
souls will also survive physical death. There is no scientific reason—or
biblical (as we saw in parts 7-9)—why this shouldn’t be true. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The key here is whether or not animals
actually experience emotions, feelings, and thoughts that in humans can only
originate in our immaterial minds, our souls. If sentient animals share these
same qualifying attributes, they too must have an immaterial mind or soul
distinct from their physical brain. Demonstrating that sentient animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> possess human-like emotions,
feelings, and thoughts—the fundamental attributes of immaterial minds/souls—is
the topic of the next two blog articles.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-35590093308195835102014-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:002014-04-25T15:00:25.820-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story photograph</span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Part Eleven: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do Animals Have Minds Distinct from Their
Brains?</span></b>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In my last blog article, I pointed out that ethologists (scientist who
study animal behavior) have demonstrated over the past half century that many
complex animals exhibit devotion, grief, empathy, sorrow, affection, play, joy,
altruism, inter-species friendships, thought-driven behaviors,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and other mental states analogous to humans.
Such qualities in humans demonstrate the existence of immaterial minds <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">distinct</i> from our material brains, since such qualities can't be reduced to physical matter.
Because sentient animals possess similar cognitive and emotional states as
humans—albeit not as fully developed and intensely experienced—it suggests that
they too possess immaterial minds distinct from their physical brains. And
since the mind is the essential faculty of the soul in humans, it further
suggests the presence of souls in sentient animals. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So the task at hand is to demonstrate that our minds <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> distinct from our physical brains.
If we can demonstrate this in humans, it’s reasonable to conclude that it’s
also true for sentient animals. This would be additional compelling evidence
that animals, like humans, have souls that survive physical death. So, let’s
explore the scientific evidence for this.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mind As Opposed to Brain</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Evolutionary materialists (people who think
nothing exists but physical matter and physical laws) believe than all mental
activities in humans (and animals) can be reduced to chemical and neurological
processes operating within the brain—that is, to mere matter. They posit that
all human thoughts and emotions, including religious beliefs, tastes in music,
political opinions, feelings of fear, love, and all other psychological states
of mind, have their origin in neurological processes operating strictly within
the physical matter of our brain cells. There is no immaterial reality. There
is no such thing as a “mind” independent of the brain, let alone a soul; just
brain cells. Thus, materialists claim that what theists believe are immaterial
minds or souls are merely inventions of material brains. But is this true?
Recent studies in brain science indicate that it’s not true. In fact they suggest
just the opposite.</span><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’s been demonstrated that human thoughts
can <i>only</i> be explained in terms of an immaterial mind operating
independently of the physical brain. This isn’t hard to understand, and there
are several ways to demonstrate it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">To begin with, most of the cells in the
human body are regenerated or replaced about every seven years.<b><sup> </sup></b>So
physically we are totally different persons than we were seven years ago. Yet
we all have memories that go back to early childhood. This alone demonstrates
that our minds are not identical to brain matter. Apparently <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">brain</span> cells do not regenerate in the same
fashion as other cells in our body; nevertheless, they still gain and loose
atoms and molecules and are constantly changing relationships to each other.
Thus, at a sub-cellular level, even brain cells undergo physical changes—just
like all the cells in our body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Here’s another way to explain this. Right
now you are reading my article, which contains thoughts I’ve generated from
research and reflections on this topic. I always print a copy of my articles to
file away, as well as back them up on a USB storage device. Afterwards, I post
the articles in my blog and send notices to people on my personal blog email
list and to several Facebook groups. Someday I’ll combine these articles into a
book and email the manuscript to a publisher. The editor will make hard copies
and/or emailed the manuscript to proofreaders and perhaps other editors. But
notice that in all these various mediums, although my thoughts remain
unchanged, the printed words, computer file, electronic transfers, and so on
are all <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">physical</i> matter. If you
examined a printed page with a magnifying glass, you would see only paper and
ink. My thoughts exist <i>apart</i> from the paper and ink and <i>before</i>
they were recorded in any other physical form. In like manner, memories and
other thoughts in my mind exist apart from the physical matter in my brain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Here’s another illustration to help make
this clear. If you cracked open a skull and put a piece of brain tissue under a
microscope, what would you see? Just brain cells. What you wouldn’t see are
memories, feelings, emotions, and other thoughts. Why? Because the mind cannot
be reduced to the physical proprieties of our brain, just as my thoughts cannot
be reduced to the physical properties of paper and ink. Again, this can only
mean that our minds (thoughts, memories, etc.) must exist <i>independent </i>of
our physical brains. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If thoughts, emotions, and other mental
activities originate in an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">immaterial</i>
mind distinct from brain matter, it’s strong evidence that our mind can survive
physical death within an immortal soul. Remember, our minds are the essential
faculty of our souls. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now, some will argue that my illustration of
cracking open a skull and peering inside to see if we can observe thoughts and
emotions inside the brain is simplistic. I would argue that the materialist
assumption that thoughts and emotions are somehow hidden in the physical
tissues of our brain is unsustainable reductionism. The fact is matter has shape,
size, density, weight, and so on—but not cognitive awareness such as thoughts
and memories. My <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thoughts</i> about Rocky
Road ice cream are not identical to the physical ingredients of Rocky Road ice
cream, that is, they do not have weigh, density, and so on. Neither can our
belief in God, taste in music, and other mental states be identified as merely
physical properties in our brains. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mind
and matter are entirely different properties, entirely different dimensions of
our being. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">At times our brain and mind work in
tandem—but they are still distinct. For example, when I hide behind a bush and
watch a doe with fawns, the light reflecting off the animals passes into my
retina, stimulating the cells in my optic nerve, which then carries data to my
brain. At the same time this physical activity is going on, my <i>mind </i>is
thinking how much I’d love to play with the fawns; I wonder if their fur is
soft or if it’s course like their mother’s; I sure hope they survive to
adulthood, and so on. There is a clear distinction between physical events and
mental events. Thoughts cannot be described in terms of physical laws or body chemistry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now, why am I going into all this? The
reason is because the mind <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> the
essential faculty of the soul. If there is no immaterial mind distinct from the
physical brain, it would be hard to justify the existence of immortal souls and
therefore life after death in a resurrected body. Without immortal souls, there could be no eternal
life for humans or animals. On the other hand, if it can be demonstrated that our
immaterial minds are distinct entities of our being, we have powerful evidence for
the existence of souls—and eternal life. And if sentient animals also possess
minds distinct from their physical brains, we have compelling evidence that
they too have immortal souls. </span><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">All this will become clearer in my next blog
article, where I’ll provide additional evidence to demonstrate that our minds
are separate entitles of our being. We’ll also look at the troubling question
of brain injury. If injury to our brain can affect our mind, doesn’t it mean there
is no mind distinct from our brains, that they are one and the same? We’ll see
that while in our physical bodies our minds are “housed” within our brains, and
the brain acts as a medium of transmission for our minds, but they are not
identical. In fact the mind can actually modify brain function! This too will
become clear next week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoFooter" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
blog articles in this series are adapted from copyrighted material and may
not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be reproduced in book or article
form, either electronically or in print, without my written permission. But
feel free to send links to these articles, with a brief introduction, to your
personal email list, Facebook friends and groups, or other people who may enjoy
them. Or post a link on your own website. If you would like </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">to be added to my personal blog email list (people who receive an email
notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through my website: </span></i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.danstory.net</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-15616381154165429402014-04-18T15:43:00.000-07:002014-04-18T15:52:42.605-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMx9W-8C9rOVNCgrjA1qk5TrMFmve0gBSXEoWIpC5p7b2xJb7dTUWudrBIcZaPnihah7Eu5OFxDSBcMB2Vo6uHfxPCBFm6TqjMOw_tVDFmS-5ong0ee70QO6lBdD8a0Btzhj07vR2_6QO/s1600/108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMx9W-8C9rOVNCgrjA1qk5TrMFmve0gBSXEoWIpC5p7b2xJb7dTUWudrBIcZaPnihah7Eu5OFxDSBcMB2Vo6uHfxPCBFm6TqjMOw_tVDFmS-5ong0ee70QO6lBdD8a0Btzhj07vR2_6QO/s1600/108.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Al Hochrein photograph </span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Part Ten:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More Arguments against
the Immortality of Animal Souls</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In my previous article, we examined the three Bible passages skeptics
most frequently use to justify their rejection of the immortality of animal
souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained why none of the
passages are relevant, that is, none of them actually speak to the issue of
animal immortality. Therefore, they all three fail as valid arguments against
the existence of animal souls. In addition to these three Scripture passages,
however, there are three other arguments skeptics often use to refute the
likelihood that earth-bound animals possess immortal souls, and therefore they
will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> inhabit the eschatological
new heaven and earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this blog
article, we’ll briefly examine them and see why they too are invalid arguments.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Only
humans were created in God’s image, therefore animals do not have immortal
souls</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This is probably the most common argument used to “prove” that animals
are merely physical creatures without immortal souls. The assumption is that
because only humans were created in God’s image, animal souls expire at
physical death. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is unarguable that humans have a special relationship with God that
animals do not share. We are the “crown” of God’s creation (Ps. 8:4-8); only
people were made in His image (Gen. 1:27). By virtue of this, humans alone
possess the <i>communicable</i> attributes of God, and we are of far greater
value than animals (Matt. 6:26). Moreover, as far as we can tell, at least here
on earth, only humans are innately aware that God exists (Eccl. 3:11). And as I
explained in a previous article, animals have souls, but not spirits. Thus,
they do not have the spiritual connectedness with God that humans enjoy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But why should this mean that animals can’t have immortal souls? It
doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God could bless animals with
immortal souls if He chooses to do so, and it’s presumptuous to say He can’t. </span>Theologian
Andrew Linzey sums it well: </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText2" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There is something theologically odd about
all discussions of immortal souls—the plain absurdity, no less, of humans
deciding for themselves which essential or substantial qualities qualify them
for eternal life and which may or may not exclude animals. . . . Eternal life
is God’s own gift; it is not something which we can merit. . . . If full weight
is given to God’s gracious and wide-ranging activity in creation, then it is
inconceivable that the God who redeems will be <i>less</i> than the God who
creates. In this sense the issue of animal immortality is wholly integral to
the view that God does actually care not only for the whole world but for each
and every individual being within it, including—of course—sparrows. (<i>Animals
on the Agenda</i>, 119)<b> </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .7in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Human
dominion over animals means they do not have souls </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This argument claims that because the human race was instructed to have
“dominion” over the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:28, KJV), animals do not possess
immortal souls. This is probably the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weakest</i>
argument against animal immortality. Not only is it clearly a <i>non sequitur</i>,
but it doesn’t make sense. Space does not allow me to provide </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">an analysis of
what dominion means when examined within its full biblical context, but most
theologians agree that dominion means <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stewardship</i>.
It denotes mankind’s caretaker role in creation; it doesn’t give people a
license to use animals anyway we please. I devote five chapters in my book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Should Christians Be Environmentalists?</i>,
to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>demonstrate this fact (Kregel<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Publications, 2012). </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We saw in parts two through five in this blog series that God loves,
enjoys, provides for, and values the creatures He created. </span>If human
dominion (stewardship) over creation teaches us anything, it’s that God <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">desires for all animal life to fulfill the
purposes for which He created them. Animals have far more value to God than
just their </span>instrumental use for humans. It’s reasonable to conclude from
what we’ve seen in previous articles that God’s love for non-human life will
not end with their physical death. There is no reason to assume that His love
for the animals inhabiting the Earth today will not extend into eternity; that
God has <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">more in mind for animals than
their short sojourn on this present Earth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Animals
lack the mental attributes that indicate the presence of an immortal soul</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This argument claims that animals do not have immortal souls because
they lack soul-like qualities. In other words, animals lack the cognitive and
emotional attributes humans associate with the existence immaterial souls in
us. This may have been a legitimate argument decades ago, but no longer. Since
the mid-twentieth century, ethologists (scientist who study animal behavior)
have demonstrated that many complex animals exhibit devotion, grief, empathy,
sorrow, affection, play, joy, inter-species friendships, altruism, and other
mental states analogous to humans. Some mammals and birds even exhibit
thought-driven behaviors, and in some cases, a degree reflective reasoning that
can trump instinct. Such qualities in humans demonstrate the existence of an
immaterial mind distinct from our physical brains—the essential feature of a
soul. If some animals possess limited but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>similar cognitive and emotion states as humans, why would it not reflect
immaterial minds and thus souls? The fact that these mental states are not as
fully developed and intensely experienced in animals as they are in humans does
not lesson the likelihood of their origin in immaterial minds/souls. This is
such an important concept to grasp—that many sentient animals exhibit soul-like
qualities—that I’ll spend the next one or two blog articles examining the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scientific </i>evidence<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>for this in more detail. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But let me add this for now. Even if animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do not</i> possess human-like thoughts and emotions and instead
functioned totally on instinct, there is still no reason why God would not
grant them eternal souls and extend His love for them into the next life. He
may do so for no other reason than for His own pleasure—and the pleasure they
will give humans. On this earth, wildlife is what makes the wilderness
wild,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and numerous varieties of animals
are our friends and companions. Nothing in Scripture suggests that the new
heaven and earth will be inhabited only by redeemed humans, or that animals
will not continue their role in the restored new earth. Indeed, the Old
Testament in particular says much about animals in God’s eternal kingdom—as
we’ll see in future articles. I like the way Randy Alcorn put<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this in his acclaimed book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heaven</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Why [do] so many people find such
companionship, solace, and joy in their pets?. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe it’s because of how God has made
animals, and us….It would be simple for him to re-create a pet in Heaven if he
wants to. He’s the <i>giver</i> of all good gifts, not the<i> taker </i>of
them. If it would please us to have a pet restored to the New Earth, that may
be sufficient reason.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">(p. 385)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Next week we’ll examine scientific support
for the biblical evidence that at least sentient animals possess an immaterial
dimension (a mind/soul), which is distinct from their physical brains. This
clearly supports the reality of immortality (new life after physical death) for
animals—just as it does for humans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div>
dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-76898415878559801842014-04-11T21:05:00.000-07:002014-04-18T15:51:29.646-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56McIRySC3wzAiA0gdDac6pWkAJczNzj3dp6PnSXQTGUel_sGFinYPdRgkdlMY6bR8bRrpCgaP_ofTF-N7nh9yZsJu4uvL6aJmYUSb7C58vnj4jV1jRTZEuGeNb786BzZrApVzlDSPIuI/s1600/DSCN3260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56McIRySC3wzAiA0gdDac6pWkAJczNzj3dp6PnSXQTGUel_sGFinYPdRgkdlMY6bR8bRrpCgaP_ofTF-N7nh9yZsJu4uvL6aJmYUSb7C58vnj4jV1jRTZEuGeNb786BzZrApVzlDSPIuI/s1600/DSCN3260.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story photograph</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Part Nine: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Animals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t</i>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have Immortal Souls!”—Objections
Overruled!</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In this and the following blog article, I’ll examine the major arguments
raised by skeptics who reject the idea of animal’s possessing immortal souls. In
this article I’ll focus on the three Bible passages skeptics most frequently
quote to support this claim. As you read them, notice that the first two do not
even speak to the issue of animals souls. (All Scripture from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New International Version</i>.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Psalm
49:10-20: </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The first passage is Psalm 49:10-20, in particular verses 15 and 20:
“But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to
himself….A man who has riches without understanding is like the beast that
perishes.” At first glance this passage may seem to imply that godly men will
be rescued from the grave (resurrected) but animals will perish. Why this
interpretation? Because skeptics <i>assume</i> the passage is focusing on <i>spiritual</i>
death. Thus, since animals allegedly lack eternal souls, at death they decay in
the grave (14) while humans, who do have eternal souls, eventually rise from
the grave (15). But is this what the passages is concerned about? Not at all. It explains
that both humans and animals die <i>physically </i>(12); the fate of our bodies
is no different than theirs—we all return to dust.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Besides the mistaken assumption that the passage is focusing on spiritual
death—which it’s not—this interpretation is grossly out of context. The passage
says nothing about the eternal state of animals. It’s speaking about the fate
of a godless rich man (represented as sheep—v. 14) who “will take nothing with
him when he dies” (17). In other words, just as animals have no material possessions
to carry to the grave, neither do humans. When a person dies, regardless of the
riches or honor he or she enjoyed in this life, they take nothing with them to
the grave—just like animals. The passage says nothing about animal souls or
their eternal destiny. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Matthew 25:31-46:</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The second passage that skeptics believe refutes the notion of animals
possessing immortal souls is Matthew 25:31-46, especially verse 46: “Then they [the
unrighteous] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal
life.” But read the entire passage. It’s not talking about animals at all.
Jesus is distinguishing righteous people (represented by the sheep on His right)
from unrighteous people (the goats on His left—v. 32). The passage is saying nothing
whatsoever about whether or not animals (i.e. the sheep and goats) possess
souls. Indeed, if it <i>were</i> speaking about the destiny of animal souls, at
least some (the sheep) <i>would </i>“go away . . . to eternal life” (v. 46).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ecclesiastes 3:19-21:</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Probably the most common passage used to discredit the immortality of
animal souls is Ecclesiastes 3:19-21:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">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 (<i>ruach-</i>-spirit)
and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the
same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust [i.e. their
physical bodies]. Who knows that the breath (<i>ruach-</i>-spirit) of the beast
descends downward to the earth?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skeptics interpret this passage to mean that
while the bodies of people and animals both decay (turn to dust), human
immortal spirits go to Heaven but animal spirits (souls) do not. Again, this is
an assumption. The author points out that human and animal bodies “all go to
the same place.” Then he <i>asks </i>a question<i> </i>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> make a statement): “Who knows” if the breath (i.e. <i>ruach—</i>spirit)
of animals “descends downward to the earth?” The most obvious interpretation of
this passage would seem to be the <i>opposite</i> of the skeptic’s. If the
“fate” of human and animal bodies is the same, that is, “all go to the same
place” (physical death—dust), the author may well have assumed that the spirits
of humans and animals also go to the same place. But perhaps he wasn’t
absolutely certain about it (just like many Christians), so he asked the
question: “Who knows that the breath (<i>ruach-</i>-spirit) of the beast
descends downward to the earth?” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .75in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Some skeptics have attempted to support
their interpretation by arguing that verse 12:7 clarifies the issue. When the
teacher says,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“and the dust returns to
the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it,” they <i>assume</i>
that the dust returning to the ground is the animal’s spirit in verse 3:21.
Thus, animal spirits are extinguished at death while human spirits ascend to
God. This is pure speculation. In context of all chapter twelve, verse 12:7 is
obviously referring to just people. It’s saying that people’s spirits go to God
while their physical bodies return to dust. It says nothing about animal
spirits (souls). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .75in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As these three examples illustrate, the passages
skeptics rely on to justify their belief that animals do not possess immortal
souls, in reality, say no such thing. To conclude otherwise requires the
skeptic to read his or her own presumptions <i>back into the text</i>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is There
a More Fundamental Reason People reject the Immortality of Animals Souls?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’s true that animals do not possess <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">spirits</span> in the <i>tripartite</i> sense of a unique spiritual
connection with God, which only humans enjoy by virtue of being created in His
image (see part seven). But this is no reason to conclude that their <i>souls</i>
are merely corporeal and without God-given eternal qualities. The fact is
nothing in Scripture speaks about the annihilation of animal souls. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, if animals do have souls, it seems
reasonable they would be immortal—just as in humans.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I believe that the reason many people reject the immortality of animal
souls is not for biblical reasons, but for philosophical reasons. They worry
that if we admit animal souls are eternal, we are elevating animals to human status
or are acquiescing to some kind of pagan, earth-based religion where there is
no value distinction between people and animals. There is no reason to have
this concern. Animals were not created the same as humans (1 Cor. 15:39), nor
do animals have the same value to God as people (Matt. 6:26). In the future new
heaven and earth, we can expect these distinctions to remain. (We’ll look at
this in detail later.) Just because animals have souls that survive physical
death does not change their status in the hear-and-now nor in the age to come.
Animals in heaven will still be just animals. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-23882940499724861352014-04-04T15:57:00.002-07:002014-04-18T15:51:52.054-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals( Greet Us in Heaven?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOq5TLd8FwDmkAnqGdo3AEXGHsPkWTLoB2pQNwsynDKUNLPEKmFA-F7dGxdM8HiuufgnuF6t9kPJmMOuzLlyw5z0IrfhR71qN4cypGm9MStstXpVjLoz_1JR16fLGOrbOn5DoQYh2p1XY/s1600/Arizona+Desert+Museum+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOq5TLd8FwDmkAnqGdo3AEXGHsPkWTLoB2pQNwsynDKUNLPEKmFA-F7dGxdM8HiuufgnuF6t9kPJmMOuzLlyw5z0IrfhR71qN4cypGm9MStstXpVjLoz_1JR16fLGOrbOn5DoQYh2p1XY/s1600/Arizona+Desert+Museum+010.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Story photograph</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Part Eight: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Animals Have
Souls—but Are They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immortal </i>Souls?”</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We saw in the previous blog article that at least sentient animals have
souls (animals that are able to feel and perceive things). Although most
theologians agree with this, many assume that animal souls, unlike human souls,
are mortal—they are extinguished when the animal dies. In order to discern
which view is correct, that is, whether or not animals have <i>immortal</i>
souls, can be determined to a large degree on the meaning of two Hebrew words: <i>nephesh</i>
(soul) and <i>ruach</i> (spirit). So the task at hand is to flesh out their
meanings within the context of how they are used in passages relating to
animals. If these two words describe human souls and spirits (which we know are
immortal) and also refer to animal <i>souls</i>, it’s reasonable to conclude
they too are immortal. </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Nephesh</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">:</span></b><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Hebrew word <i>nephesh</i> is translated <i>soul</i> 238 times—more
than a hundred times its second most common usage (<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">life</span>). <i>Nephesh</i>, when translated as “soul,” refers to our
immaterial self, that part of our being that continues to exist once it’s released
from our bodies upon physical death. Does this mean the word <i>nephesh</i>,
when speaking of animals, indicates that they have souls? The following
passages suggest that it does. (Scripture quotes from the New American Standard
Bible.) </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Genesis 1:20:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> “Let the waters team with swarms of living<i>
creatures</i>” (<i>nephesh—</i>souls). </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 1:24:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth
living <i>creatures</i> (<i>nephesh-</i>-souls) after their kind. . . .’”</span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 1:30:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“. . . and to every beast of the earth and to
every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has <i>life</i>”
(<i>nephesh-</i>-soul).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 2:19</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“. . . and whatever [Adam] called a living <i>creature</i>
(<i>nephesh-</i>-soul), that was its name.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Job 12:10</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">: “In whose
[God’s] hand is the life <i>(nephesh</i>—soul) of every living thing. . . .</span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Proverbs 12:10</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The righteous man has regard for the <i>life</i>
(<i>nephesh-</i>-soul) of his animal.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Some skeptics argue that in the above passages soul is referring to an
animating “life force,” not an <i>immortal</i> soul. In the following passages,
however, <i>spirit</i> is also applied to animals. So even if soul (<i>nephesh)
</i>means an animating life force, spirit (<i>ruach</i>) would still imply
immortality of animal souls—given soul and spirit are synonymous in animals.
The following passages illustrate this.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ruach</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Hebrew word <i>ruach</i> is translated
breath, wind, or spirit. However, it’s used 203 times for <i>spirit</i>—more
than twice it’s next most common usage (<i>wind</i>). The following passages
show that the Hebrew word translated <i>spirit</i>, just like the Hebrew word
translated <i>soul</i>, is ascribed to both humans and animals: </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 6:17</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of
waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh [human and animal] in which is the <i>breath</i>
[<i>ruach—</i>spirit] of life.” </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 7:15</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">: So
they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which there was the
breath [<i>ruach—</i>spirit] of life. </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genesis 7:22:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . of all that was on the dry land, all in
which nostrils was the breath of the <i>spirit</i> [<i>ruach</i>] of life,
died. </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Psalm 104: 29:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You hide Your face, they [the animals] are
dismayed; You take away their <i>spirit</i> [<i>ruach</i>] they expire and
return to their dust. </span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ecclesiastes 3:19:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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 <i>breath</i> [<i>ruach—</i>spirit] and there is no advantage for man
over beast.” </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This brief word study shows that the Hebrew words translated soul and
spirit are applied to both humans and animals. In light of this, if human souls
are immortal it seems reasonable and probable that animal souls are also
immortal—especially since nothing in the Bible tells us that animal souls are
extinguished upon physical death. Still, this alone may not convince some
skeptics. They typically raise several objections. We’ll examine them in the
next couple blog articles.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4546428485119610496.post-65094823236767855422014-03-21T16:46:00.001-07:002014-04-18T15:53:58.037-07:00Will Our Pets (and Other Animals) Greet Us in Heaven? *<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8ax2vjldFx_FbKI1M5F7ojVt_Zg5yNWM12VyDIcAiBdxnC6_9d-Q3g7xN-CwkkOjCf9PZCXH00OCjMMsc2yC_fogkqIV7CdTYEZ4ZHNArQdnsTmVgr5vYWKxvIxCmrv0Yn5AyPU1uwcH/s1600/Copy+of+BEARS+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8ax2vjldFx_FbKI1M5F7ojVt_Zg5yNWM12VyDIcAiBdxnC6_9d-Q3g7xN-CwkkOjCf9PZCXH00OCjMMsc2yC_fogkqIV7CdTYEZ4ZHNArQdnsTmVgr5vYWKxvIxCmrv0Yn5AyPU1uwcH/s1600/Copy+of+BEARS+105.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Steve McSparran photograph</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Part Seven: “Do Animals Have Souls?</span>” </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There seems to be two reasons why Christians <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">assume</i> that animals do not have
souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some reject the idea because the
Bible only speaks about people going to heaven. It doesn’t provide
straightforward information on the eternal destiny of animals—so it’s assumed
they do not possess souls. Other Christians acknowledge that at least sentient
animals <i>do</i> possess souls, in terms of some kind of animating life force.
But they assume that God did not intend for animals to survive physical death.
Therefore, their souls are extinguished when life ends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I reject both views. I believe a compelling
biblical case can be made that animals not only possess souls, but also their
souls will continue to exist after physical death. Demonstrating this is the
goal of the present and following blog article. After this, I’ll address the
common arguments against such a conclusion.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What Does the Bible Say?</span></b> <br />
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Theological studies on whether or
not animals have souls, especially <i>immortal </i>souls, have not been high on
the church’s agenda. Nevertheless, theologians who have commented on the
subject seem to agree that animals <i>do</i> have souls. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Gary Habermas and J.P Moreland point out
that “throughout the history of the church, the classic understanding of living
things has included the doctrine that animals, as well as humans, have souls.
Christians have maintained this because the Bible teaches that animals have
souls” (<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Habermas and Moreland, <i>Immortality;
The Other Side of Death</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">p. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">51). Even so, many
</span>theologians down through the ages have maintained that animal souls are
different from human souls in that animal souls are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> immortal. Habermas and Moreland continue: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Even though the church has been quite clear
about the existence of animal souls, there has been no consensus about the
existence of animals in the afterlife, some Christians favoring the idea, some
arguing against it, some remaining agnostic” (Ibid.). </span>So t<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">he crux of the argument is not whether
animals have souls, but whether their souls are immortal or whether they become
extinguished at physical death.<b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup></b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For Christians, whether or not </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">animals have <i>immortal</i> souls depends
on what the Bible has to say on the subject. This in turn hinges, to a large
degree, on the definition and application of two Hebrew words translated in the
Old Testament as “soul” and “spirit.”</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Soul versus Spirit</span></b> <br />
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Before we examine these two Hebrew
words, something should be said about the disagreement among Christians on
whether “soul” and “spirit” are synonymous or whether they are two distinct
components of a human’s immaterial dimension. Some take the position that in
the Bible the words for soul and spirit are used interchangeably, and therefore
people are comprised of two parts: body and soul/spirit. There is biblical
justification for this view, which is called <i>bipartite</i>. <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>For example, in John 12:27 Jesus said, “My
soul has become troubled;” while in John 13:21 “He became troubled in spirit”
(see also Gen. 41:8; Ps. 42:6; Matt. 27:50; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9). In these
cases, spirit and<i> </i>soul seem to be used interchangeably.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Other Christians are <i>tripartite</i> and believe that the Bible
teaches that people are composed of three distinct parts: body, soul, <i>and</i>
spirit. These people view the body as the physical part of our being, the soul
is associated with the immaterial “mind” (the seat of emotions, cognition, and
will), and the spirit is that part of our being that relates specifically to
the spiritual realm: a Christian’s personal connectedness with God.
<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>In support of the tripartite
view, the Bible sometimes uses soul and spirit in the same verse, implying a
clear distinction. For example, Job 7:11 say: “Therefore I will not keep
silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit [<i>ruach</i>], I will complain
in the bitterness of my soul [<i>nephesh</i>].<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later he writes,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In his hand is
the life [<i>nephesh</i>—soul] of every creature and the breath [<i>ruach</i>—spirit]
of all mankind (12:10). The New Testament makes it even clearer. The Apostle
Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “May your whole spirit [<i>pneuma</i>],
soul [<i>psyche</i>] and body [<i>soma</i>] be kept blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ.” Likewise the author of Hebrews wrote, “The word of God
is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul [<i>psyche</i>] and spirit [<i>pneuma</i>]” (4:12). </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The question is, if human souls are eternal, why wouldn’t animal souls
be eternal? I believe they are. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus warned us not to “be
afraid of those who kill the body [<i>soma</i>] but cannot kill the soul [<i>psyche</i>].”
This clearly implies that the soul can exist without the body. So again, why
would this not also be true of animal souls? If the same Greek word for soul is
used for both humans and animals, it seems to me that animal souls, like human
souls, will likewise survive physical death.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Although the Hebrew word for spirit (<i>ruach</i>) is sometimes applied
to animals, as we’ll see in the next blog article, I’m choosing to use the word
“soul” rather than “spirit” to describe an animal’s immaterial dimension. This
avoids the risk of implying that animals have a “spirit” in the tripartite
sense of a special connectedness with God, which only humans enjoy. I find no
biblical evidence that animals have a spirit distinct from their souls. Thus,
in the case of animals, the bipartite view seems correct. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With this said, we can now examine the Hebrew words for soul and spirit
and see how they apply to sentient non-human life. This will be the topic of my
next blog article. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*</span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog articles in this series are adapted
from copyrighted material and may not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
reproduced in book or article form, either electronically or in print, without
my written permission. But feel free to send links to these articles, with a
brief introduction, to your personal email list, Facebook friends and groups,
or other people who may enjoy them. Or post a link on your own website. If you
would like </span>to be added to my personal blog email list (people who
receive an email notice whenever I post a new blog article), contact me through
my website: </i><a href="http://www.danstory.net/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.danstory.net</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div>
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dan storyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03003707794028890588noreply@blogger.com0