“…and a time to die…”
Ecclesiastes 3:2b
Lynx fell asleep in my lap.
And woke up in the everlasting arms of God.
“The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms”
Deuteronomy 33:27
God loves and cares for all of His amazing creation, including His animals. After creating a perfect environment of land, seas, and sky, God designed specially adapted living creatures to dwell in His new world. He created the birds to fly in the sky and the fish to swim in the waters on Day 5 of the Creation Week. He created the land animals, large and small, to dwell upon the earth on Day 6 of Creation Week. God saw that it was all good. In fact, God was so delighted with His creation that He said “Behold” [or WOW! Look at that!]. All that He had made was “very good,” including His animals.
Animals and people both have the “breath of life” and are “living beings.” Animals have intelligence, and can learn. Pets can learn their name, and they can learn tricks. They can even learn when children will come home from school. Animals can make choices. They can choose to eat one type of food but not another. They can choose to play with your toys instead of theirs. Animals have emotions. They can be excited to see you. They can be afraid of loud thunder and lightning. They can purr happily in your lap. People also have the breath of life, are living beings, have intelligence, make choices, and have emotions. Humans are unique because they alone were created in the image and likeness of God. Humans were also given dominion over God’s creation as well as over the animals.
God’s creation and creatures reveal His character. His power can be seen in a herd of gazelles thundering across the Serengeti plains. His humor can be seen in the laughter of a child, or the playfulness of an otter. His creativity can be seen in the log neck of the giraffe, the hovering acrobatics of a hummingbird, the gigantic graceful bulk of the elephant, or the intricate pattern of a butterfly’s wing. His majesty can be seen in the brilliance of the stars on a clear dark night. His orderliness can be seen in the cycles of the seasons, each with its own beauty. And His heart can be seen in the unconditional love of a beloved pet.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…”
Romans 1:20
God values His animals. When the sin of mankind in the ancient world increased to the point that God sent the flood, He provided Noah’s ark to preserve people as well as animals. If fact, God brought two animals of every kind to Noah, so Noah could preserve their life, because animals have value to God. After the flood had resided, Noah and his family and all of the animals departed from the ark. Then God established His covenant with Noah, with his descendants, and with the animals that had been on the ark with him, for all successive generations. God loves and cares for people, and animals, and the earth, and His rainbow is a beautiful reminder of that love.
God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.”
Genesis 9:12-13
God shows His love for animals by providing many guidelines for their proper care and treatment. A day of rest for both man and his domesticated animals is established in God’s Ten Commandments. Animals should not be unequally yoked (not an ox with a donkey, but rather a pair of oxen or a pair of donkeys) to prevent unnecessary hardship and possible injury. Animals should not be muzzled when treading corn, but allowed to enjoy the product of their labor. Animals should be restored to their owner if they become lost. Animals should be restored if stolen. When the stolen animal is returned the fine is doubled, but if the stolen animal has died, the fine will be greatly increased. Animals should be assisted and released if they fall under a burden, even if someone else owns them, and even if someone you do not like owns them. Pits should be carefully covered to protect animals from injury. Jesus recognized God’s care and provision for animals, including seemingly insignificant birds and sparrows, as an example for believers to not be anxious, and to realize their incredible value to God.
The ancient city of Nineveh was wicked and rebellious against God, so He sent His prophet Jonah to preach to them. When the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh repented, God declared His compassion for those who turn toward Him in faith. He also declared His compassion on young children who do not yet know the difference between their right and left hand. And then He also specifically declared His compassion and concern for the many animals in Nineveh.
“And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Jonah 4:11
God has a future for animals. One day in the future animals will live together in harmony. Wolves will live in peace with lambs and not eat them. Leopards and lions will no longer hunt smaller prey. Animals will no longer devour each other, but eat grass. And even little children will be able to play with all types of animals safely. The tragic effects of sin upon creation will be reversed, and God’s original plan for His beautiful world will be accomplished. This will take place during the future reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. And it will include a wonderful variety of His amazing animals.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:6-9
Animals will praise God! All people, including kings and princes, men and women, as well as the old and young, will praise the name of the Lord! And wild animals, domesticated animals, small creatures and flying birds will join in this future praise of God! In fact, every created living thing, which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and in the sea, will join together in a chorus of praise and blessing to God! This will include the praise of all of His animals.
And every created thing, which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne [God the Father], and to the Lamb [Jesus Christ], be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Rev 5:13
God’s amazing creativity and wisdom can be seen in the many animals He created! The earth is full of God’s creatures, and He cares and provides for them all. Birds, cattle, wild donkeys, rock badgers, and even lions seek their food from God. Large whales, leaping dolphins, magnificent swordfish, schools of tuna and cod swarm the seas without number. Even plesiosaurs may play in the sea! And God provides for them all. But eventually God takes away their spirit – their breath of life – and they die, and return to dust. But God sends forth His Spirit and they are created and restored!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions.
There is the sea, great and broad,
In which are swarms without number,
Animals both small and great.
There the ships move along,
And Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it.
They all wait for You
To give them their food in due season.
You give to them, they gather it up;
You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
You hide Your face, they are dismayed;
You take away their spirit, they expire
And return to their dust.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the ground.
Psalm 104:24-30
Perhaps animals, including beloved pets, will be raised to dwell in the New Heavens and New Earth. If God will populate heaven with people who have lived on this earth, it is also very probable that He will populate heaven with the precious animals that have lived on this earth as well.
After studying the Word of God, this is the best plan that I can imagine! It includes God’s love and care for His animals in the present, it includes His provision for animals in the past, as well as His revealed plans for animals in the future and throughout eternity. I believe heaven will include resurrected original animals, including pets, presently extinct animals, and even dinosaurs! Won’t that be wonderful?
While this is the best plan I can imagine now after studying God’s wonderful Word for a lifetime, if His plan is different, it can only be better than I can imagine!
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us,
to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
God’s heart abundantly provides beyond our wildest dreams in the past, present, and throughout eternity!
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