Do All Dogs REALLY Go to Heaven?
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We all get understanding at different times. We have to be patient with the questions that are in asked in sincerity. In your patience you possess your soul.(scripture). I don't believe animals have souls. We eat animals, we are told thou shall not kill. So, no they will not be resurrected. However their spirit which is life does go back to the Father of life. The body turns to dust.
Third point - Prayer with the Animals
The animals pray with us. I know, this is hard to believe for those who are not too familiar with Orthodox thought but we continually mention the animals praising God in the writings of the Saints and in our Church services because it is in Holy Scripture . Read the Psalms. Even better, read Revelations 5:6-14. The Heavenly Liturgy. Notice verse 13. Yes, they have their own hymn in the Heavenly Liturgy before the throne of God.
[h=3]Revelation 5:6-14[/h]New International Version (NIV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[SUP][a][/SUP] of God sent out into all the earth. [SUP]7 [/SUP]He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. [SUP]8 [/SUP]And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. [SUP]9 [/SUP]And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [SUP]12 [/SUP]In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
[SUP]14 [/SUP]The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
IC XC NI KA
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"Secondly there is the soul, the life-force that vivifies and animates the body, causing it to be not just a lump of matter, but something that grows and moves, that feels and perceives. Animals also possess a soul, and so perhaps do plants. But in man's case the soul is endowed with consciousness; it is a rational soul, possessing the capacity for abstract thought, and the ability to advance a discursive argument from premises to a conclusion. These powers are present in animals, if at all, only to a very limited degree." - Met. Kallistos (Father Kallistos Ware), The Orthodox Way
"The soul has three powers: first, the power of nourishment and growth; second, that of imagination and instinct; third, that of intelligence and intellect. Plants share only in the first of these powers, animals share in the first and second only, and men share in all three." - St Maximos the Confessor-Animals and Man: A State of Blessedness
Thirdly, there is the spirit, the 'breath' from God (see Gen. 2:7), which the animals lack. It is important to distinguish 'Spirit,' with an initial capital, from 'spirit' with a small s. The created spirit of man is not to be identified with the uncreated or Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity; yet the two are intimately connected, for it is through his spirit that man apprehends God and enters into communion with him. With the soul (psyche) man engages in scientific of philosophical inquiry, analysing the data of his sense-experience by means of the discursive reason. With his spirit (pneuma), which is sometimes termed nous or spiritual intellect, he understands eternal truth about God or about the logoi or inner essences of created things, not through deductive reasoning, but by direct apprehension of spiritual perception--by a kind of intuition that St. Isaac the Syrian calls 'simple cognition'. The spirit or spiritual intellect is thus distinct from man's reasoning powers and his aesthetic emotions, and superior to them both.
Because man has a rational soul and a spiritual intellect, he possesses the power of self-detemrination and of moral freedom, that is to say, the sense of good and evil, and the ability to choose between them. Where the animals act by instinct, man is capable of making a free and conscious decision. Sometimes the Fathers adopt not a tripartite but a twofold scheme, describing man simply as a unity of body and soul; in that case they treat the spirit or intellect as the highest aspect of the soul. But the threefold scheme of body, soul, and spirit is more precise and more illuminating, particularly in our own age when the soul and the spirit are often confused, and when most people are not even aware that they possess a spiritual intellect. - Met. Kallistos (Father Kallistos Ware), The Orthodox Way, (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1986), pp. 61-62
"The soul has three powers: first, the power of nourishment and growth; second, that of imagination and instinct; third, that of intelligence and intellect. Plants share only in the first of these powers, animals share in the first and second only, and men share in all three." - St Maximos the Confessor-Animals and Man: A State of Blessedness
Thirdly, there is the spirit, the 'breath' from God (see Gen. 2:7), which the animals lack. It is important to distinguish 'Spirit,' with an initial capital, from 'spirit' with a small s. The created spirit of man is not to be identified with the uncreated or Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity; yet the two are intimately connected, for it is through his spirit that man apprehends God and enters into communion with him. With the soul (psyche) man engages in scientific of philosophical inquiry, analysing the data of his sense-experience by means of the discursive reason. With his spirit (pneuma), which is sometimes termed nous or spiritual intellect, he understands eternal truth about God or about the logoi or inner essences of created things, not through deductive reasoning, but by direct apprehension of spiritual perception--by a kind of intuition that St. Isaac the Syrian calls 'simple cognition'. The spirit or spiritual intellect is thus distinct from man's reasoning powers and his aesthetic emotions, and superior to them both.
Because man has a rational soul and a spiritual intellect, he possesses the power of self-detemrination and of moral freedom, that is to say, the sense of good and evil, and the ability to choose between them. Where the animals act by instinct, man is capable of making a free and conscious decision. Sometimes the Fathers adopt not a tripartite but a twofold scheme, describing man simply as a unity of body and soul; in that case they treat the spirit or intellect as the highest aspect of the soul. But the threefold scheme of body, soul, and spirit is more precise and more illuminating, particularly in our own age when the soul and the spirit are often confused, and when most people are not even aware that they possess a spiritual intellect. - Met. Kallistos (Father Kallistos Ware), The Orthodox Way, (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1986), pp. 61-62
nothing in the Bible says that pets have souls. I think the Bible is clear that everything that has ever lived other than devils and people in Hell will jofully praise the Lord. In Revelation it says he heard every creature saying praise the Lord. The animals and microbes and everything that ever lived was caught up in death which entered the material universe through man. The animals will be delivered from the bondage of corruption with the whole creation. The only things lost are sinners who refused to seek God' salvation before their death was finalized, and devils who never could be saved. The only animal I believe is referred to as being in Hell is "the worm" in the fire that is never quenched and the worm never dies, but this seems to be referring to the sinners in Hell as the worms. I don't believe there will be actual worms in Hell. The psalm writer said "I am a worm, and no man.."
I think it is logical and scriptural to say that all animals will be in heaven or on the earth after the earth is restored to what it was originally created to be, paradise.
I think it is logical and scriptural to say that all animals will be in heaven or on the earth after the earth is restored to what it was originally created to be, paradise.
One interesting thing I heard years ago was that when humans breath out their breath gos upward , while all animals when they breath out their breath gos downward. I do not know the significance of this but it is interesting.
I sure hope my beautiful Golden Retriever Amazing Grace is waiting for me in heaven, Lord willing.
I sure hope my beautiful Golden Retriever Amazing Grace is waiting for me in heaven, Lord willing.
the bible speaks specifically to the fact that there will be animals in heaven.. after all, God created them and gave them a soul. If leopards, lions, calves and lambs will be in heaven, rest assured that dogs and cats will be there also..lol.. 
JMO
JMO
Would you also say love for animals is biblical? Because I notice a lot of other cultures don't share the same love.
You will have all eternity to find out, and when Jesus is there and we are like Him forever after we see Him face to face, I don't think the animals will be that important, but I do think they will be special and enjoyed by us and by God as His creatures. The verse which supports this, plainly stating every "creature", not lmiting the creatures to mankind, is Rev. 5:13. They all are heard saying "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".
Jesus said if the people did not praise Him, the trees and rocks themselves would start to sing. Balaam's ass spoke when God opened it's mouth to rebuke Balaam. I see no problem with God putting a voice in everything that has ever lived by which to praise Him for redeeming them from the curse of sin and death.
I hope to see three good dogs somewhere over the hilltop soon, but much more than that I look forward to seeing Jesus who took my place on the cross when I'm the one who deserves it.
They were required to sacrifice a lamb without blemish. In order for a lamb to be kept unblemished, they have to be completely protected, and they were kept as pets to be protected for sacrifice. If you think the kids did not get attached to those animals, go ahead and LOL..typical of an atheist, cold hearted
Well, the Scriptures say that all life has a soul (Job 12:10 KJV) and that animals will go to Heaven (Romans 8:19, 20,21, 22) (Pay close attention to verse 21).
The person who said that was probably thinking of Ecclesiastes 3:21.
"Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"
It is strongly recommended to read the verse in context with the chapter, and probably with a good commentary too. "Spirit" is the hebrew word meaning breath, spirit and/or soul of a man or beast.
Personally I hope my little Nancia is there. She was a sweetheart of a cat. She was blue murder on the local wildlife (mice, voles, moles, rats, birds, squirrels, even a rabbit) but she never would roughhouse with me. She just wanted to purr and be petted.
"Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"
It is strongly recommended to read the verse in context with the chapter, and probably with a good commentary too. "Spirit" is the hebrew word meaning breath, spirit and/or soul of a man or beast.
Personally I hope my little Nancia is there. She was a sweetheart of a cat. She was blue murder on the local wildlife (mice, voles, moles, rats, birds, squirrels, even a rabbit) but she never would roughhouse with me. She just wanted to purr and be petted.
God grieves when He sees a sparrow die, and we are much more than many sparrows to Him. Suffering is nothing to laugh at even if it is only an animal suffering. God is love. There is nothing wrong with loving an animal as God does, giving it tenderloving care out of a tender loving heart.
Atheists tend to be proud of being cold hearted, lol at somebody who grieves over a pet. God grieves over the death of one individual animal..and God's plan is to remove suffering from creation and leave it with the sin that caused it all in Hell forever where it belongs, where nobody will be able to know God''s love when they can only feel the wrath of His burning agaisnt sin.
God loves fools, but they are running out of time and need to get saved while they can still believe God loves them. I really feel sorry for atheists.
Atheists tend to be proud of being cold hearted, lol at somebody who grieves over a pet. God grieves over the death of one individual animal..and God's plan is to remove suffering from creation and leave it with the sin that caused it all in Hell forever where it belongs, where nobody will be able to know God''s love when they can only feel the wrath of His burning agaisnt sin.
God loves fools, but they are running out of time and need to get saved while they can still believe God loves them. I really feel sorry for atheists.
Yes, this goes along with Rev 5:13, the whole creation groans waiting for the redemption....and when it is complete, every creature will praise the Lord....only sinners who are not saved and devils who cannot be saved will not be there, but even they will bow and say Jesus is Lord in Hell agaisnt their will and give God the honor He is due as their Creator.
K
Mankind is made in God's image. Mankind have souls. Animals do not have souls. People favor cats and dogs, but snakes, bugs and plants are alive as well. If it were true that dogs go to heaven, it would have to also be true of every animal, plant, bug, and germ. So in other words everything physical. But God is going to destroy all physicality- even our bodies, and even the good bacteria that keeps our physical bodies alive. God says look to the ant (influence) but He didn't say preach to the ant and have it baptized.