by Randy Alcorn
The word translated "living creatures" is zoon. Throughout most of the New Testament the word is translated "animal" and is used to indicate animals sacrificed in the Temple and wild, irrational animals (Hebrews 13:11; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 1:10). In the Old Testament, the Septuagintused zoon to translate the Hebrew words for animals, including the "living creatures" of the sea (Genesis 1:21; Ezekiel 47:9). In extrabiblical writings, zoon commonly referred to ordinary animals and was used of the Egyptians' divine animals and the mythological bird called the Phoenix (1 Clement 25:2-3). In virtually every case inside and outside of Scripture, this word means not a person, not , , . , The whole brute creation will then, an angel, but an animal.
The whole brute creation will then,
undoubtedly, be restored, not only to the
vigour, strength, and swiftness which they had
at their creation, but to a far higher degree of
each than they ever enjoyed.
JOHN WESLEY
The King James Version trans-undoubtedly, be restored, not only to the lates zoon "beasts" in Revelation, vigour, strength, and swiftness which they had but the negative connotations of at their creation, but to a far higher degree of that word led subsequent translators to settle on living creatures."The most natural translation would be simply "animals." That word would likely have been chosen by translators if it didn't sound so strange for readers to envision talking animals praising God around his throne! The "living creatures" look like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle (Revelation 4:7). They appear to be the same creatures of Ezekiel 1:5-14 and Ezekiel 10:10-14, also called the cherubim, who are distinguished from angels (Revelation 15:7). The cherubim are first mentioned in Genesis 3:24, as Eden's guardians. Their images were carved out of gold and placed on the Ark of the Covenant, indicating their closeness to God.
Somehow we have failed to grasp that the "living creatures" who cry out "Holy, holy, holy" are animals—living, breathing, intelligent and articulate animals who dwell in God's presence, worshiping and praising him. They preexisted and are greater than the animals we know. 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.
When we grasp these passages, we'll see the error of one writer's statement, "Clearly animals do not fit into the main purpose of heaven, which is the articulation of God's praise."294 On the contrary, the primary beings shown articulating God's praise in Heaven, along with angels and humans (the elders), are animals!
Although earthly animals aren't capable of verbalizing praise as these animals in Heaven do, the passages speaking of earthly animals praising God and the story of Balaam's donkey clearly suggest that animals have a spiritual dimension far beyond our understanding. The Bible tells us that animals, in their own way, praise God. By extending to them the blessings of mankind's redemption, just as he extended to them the curses of mankind's sin, God will grant them an important role on the New Earth.
Once we recognize that the living creatures are animals, we need not see other references to animals in the present Heaven as figurative. For instance, Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a chariot pulled by horses (2 Kings 2:11). Revelation suggests there are horses in the present Heaven (Revelation 6:2-8); in fact, there are enough horses for the vast armies of Heaven to ride (Revelation 19:11-14). There are also invisible horses in angelic armies dispatched to Earth (2 Kings 6:17).
These horses could be symbolic, but as we saw in chapter 6, we find many other references to physical objects in the present Heaven, including Christ's resurrection body. It's therefore possible that besides the "living creatures," horses as well as other animals could be in the present Heaven. Even if this isn't the case, however, we have every reason to expect animals will find their ultimate home on the New Earth.
WILL WE SEE GOD'S ATTRIBUTES IN ANIMALS?
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made" (Romans 1:20). Often this verse is understood to refer to stars, mountains, lakes, and natural wonders. But we shouldn't overlook God's supreme creation besides mankind: animals. God's invisible qualities, his divine attributes, are evident in animals.
If this is true even now, how much more will it be true on the New Earth? What will it be like to look at lions, study them, touch them, and see their power, nobility, and royalty—and see God in them} What will it be like to look at lambs and see their loving gentleness, meekness, and servanthood, to ponder their role in first covenant sacrifices—and see God in them}
In the Old Testament God asks Job, "Do you give the horse his strength . . . ? Do you make him leap like a locust . . . ? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength. . . . He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing" (Job 39:19-22). The horse's strength, courage, and determination testify to those virtues in its Maker.
What qualities of loyalty, devotion, ingenuity, and single-mindedness will we see in animals on the New Earth? What will we learn from mice, iguanas, or armadillos? Certainly we'll praise God for his creativity and humor (consider the duckbill platypus).
Once the Curse is lifted, we'll see more attributes of God in animals than we've ever thought about. Consider what's visible in otters, dogs, and countless other animals: God's playfulness. (Did you think human beings invented play on our own?) I for one have praised God for and been drawn to him by the playfulness, exuberance, love, and devotion in the dogs I've had over the years. They communicate the beauty of their Maker.
Adam, Noah, and Jesus are the three heads of the three Earths. When Adam was created, God surrounded him with animals. When Noah was delivered from the Flood, God surrounded him with animals. When Jesus was born, God surrounded him with animals. When Jesus establishes the renewed Earth, with renewed men and women, don't you think he'll surround himself with renewed animals?
CHAPTER 40
WILL ANIMALS, INCLUDING OUR PETS, LIVE AGAIN?
Christ proclaims from his throne on the New Earth: "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5, ESV). It's not just people who will be renewed but also the earth and "all things" in it. Do "all things" include animals? Yes. Horses, cats, dogs, deer, dolphins, and squirrels—as well as the inanimate creation—will be beneficiaries of Christ's death and resurrection.
Christ's emphasis isn't on making new things but on making old things new. It's not about inventing the unfamiliar but about restoring and enhancing the familiar. Jesus seems to be saying, "I'll take all I made the first time, including people and nature and animals and the earth itself, and bring it back as new, fresh, and indestructible."
HOW CLOSELY ARE ANIMALS TIED TO OUR RESURRECTION?
Did Christ die for animals? Certainly not in the way he died for mankind. 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 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. Romans 8 is explicit on this point: "The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth.... We ourselves . . . groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for . . . the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:21-23).
This is a clear statement that our resurrection, the redemption of our bodies, will bring deliverance not only to us but also to the rest of creation, which has been groaning in its suffering. This seems to indicate that on the New Earth, after mankind's resurrection, animals who once suffered on the old Earth will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
If God created a new race of humans on the New Earth—rather than raising the people who had lived on the old Earth—would it ful
fill the promise in Romans 8 of redemption, deliverance, and resurrection? No. Why? To have meaning, the people who are redeemed and resurrected into the new world must be the same people who suffered in the old world. Otherwise, their longing for redemption would go unmet. As goes mankind, so go the animals. If we take to its logical conclusions the parallel Paul makes between humans' and animals' groaning, then at least some of those animals who suffered on the old Earth must be made whole on the New Earth.
It's not some abstract "animalkind" that cries out. The creatures that groan and cry out for their resurrection are specific suffering people and specific animals. They cry out for their deliverance, not another's. I believe this suggests that God may remake certain animals that lived on the old Earth.
Many passages indicate that God will bring judgment on "men and animals" or "man and beast" because of mankind's sin (Exodus 9:22-25; Jeremiah 7:20; 21:6; Ezekiel 14:12-13,17). God's blessings on the righteous include blessings not only on their children but also on the offspring of their animals (Deuteronomy 7:13-14; 28:1-4).
This fits the words anticipating Christ's coming: "And all flesh will see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:6, NASB). The Greek word translated "flesh" is sarx.Some Bible versions translate this as "all people" or "all mankind," but the word is more inclusive. "All flesh" includes animals. They too will behold and benefit from Christ's redemptive work.
Psalm 104 demonstrates God's intimate involvement with the lives of his animals and his purposes for them. The psalm speaks of birds, cattle, wild donkeys, rock badgers, and lions, saying "the earth is full of your creatures" (v. 24). It speaks of "the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small" (v. 25). It says, "These all look to you" (v. 27). Then the psalm writer adds, "When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust" (v. 29). But then we're told something amazing: "When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth" (v. 30). The "they" seems to refer to the animals who've died and returned to the dust. What does God mean that he sends his Spirit and creates them? It appears that he's talking about re-creating animals after they've died. Why? To "renew the face of the earth." The same "they" who die are the "they" who are created or recreated as part of the earth's renewal (Matthew 19:28).
WILL EXTINCT ANIMALS LIVE ON THE NEW EARTH?
Someone wrote to me, "My children are hoping extinct animals will be in Heaven, maybe even dinosaurs." Is this merely a child's fantasy? I think it's a question based on a rational conclusion. Were dinosaurs part of God's original creation of a perfect animal world? Certainly. Will the restoration of Earth and the redemption of God's creation be complete enough to bring back extinct animals? Will extinct animals be included in the "all things" Christ will make new? I see every reason to think so and no persuasive argument against it. I think we should fully expect that extinct animals and plants will be brought back to life. By resurrecting his original creation, God will show the totality of his victory over sin and death.
It's apparent that the Curse that fell on the earth resulted in some species dying out. But God promises, "No longer will there be any curse" (Revelation 22:3). And because it seems that the Curse will not merely be nullified but reversed, it seems likely that God might restore extinct animals and plants on the New Earth.
Animals are created for God's glory. What could speak more of his awesome power than a tyrannosaurus? When talking to Job, God pointed out his greatness revealed in the giant land and sea creatures behemoth and leviathan (Job 40-41). Why shouldn't all people have the opportunity to enjoy these great wonders of God on the New Earth?
Imagine Jurassic Park with all of the awesome majesty of those huge creatures but none of their violence and hostility. Imagine riding a brontosaurus—or flying on the back of a pterodactyl. Unless God made a mistake when he created them—and clearly he didn't—why wouldn't he include them when he makes "everything new"?
WILL OUR PETS BE RESTORED ON THE NEW EARTH?
Humorist Will Rogers said, "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." This statement was, of course, based on sentiment, not theology. However, it reflects something biblical: a God-given affection for animals. I've often thanked God for my golden retriever, who, when I was a boy, crawled into my sleeping bag as I lay in my backyard gazing up at the stars. Although I didn't know God then, he touched my life through that dog. Nanci and I have experienced many hours of laughter and joy in animals.
Certainly people can go to unhealthy extremes with their animals. Still, though we understandably roll our eyes at pet psychologists or estates left to Siamese cats, we should ask ourselves why so many people find such companionship, solace, and joy in their pets. Is it because of sin? I believe it's because of how God has made animals, and us.
That's why the question of whether pets will be in Heaven is not, as some assume, stupid. Animals aren't nearly as valuable as people, but God is their Maker and has touched many people's lives through them. It would be simple for him to re-create a pet in Heaven if he wants to. He's the giver of all good gifts, not the taker of them. If it would please us to have a pet restored to the New Earth, that may be sufficient reason. Consider parents who've acquired a pet because of their child's request. God is better than we are at giving good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:9-11). And if we object that animals won't make us happy in Heaven, we betray our Christoplatonism again—for by finding happiness in God's creation, we will find happiness in him.
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, sufsuffered, and died on the old Earth must be made whole on the New Earth. Wouldn’t some of those likely be our pets?
Somethinq better remains after death for
these poor creatures . . . that these, likewise,
shall one day be delivered from this bondage
of corruption, and shall then receive an ample
amends for all their present sufferings.
JOHN WESLEY
It seems God could do one of three things on the New Earth: (1) create entirely new animal s ; (2) bring back to life animals that have suffered in our present world, giving them immortal bodies (this could be re-creating, not necessarily resurrecting); (3) create some animals brand-new, "from scratch," and bring back to life some old ones.295
I'm avoiding the term resurrection 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. However, in the broad sense of the terms, the words redemption and resurrection can appropriately apply not only to mankind but also to Earth, vegetation, and animals. A resurrected field, meadow, flower, or animal, of course, would in no sense be equal to resurrected humans; it's simply that just as Creation and the Fall rode on the coattails of mankind, so will redemption and resurrection.
In many of his writings, C. S. Lewis commented on the future of animals. He said, "It seems to me possible that certain animals may have an immortality, not in themselves, but in the immortality of their masters. . . . Very few animals indeed, in their wild state, attain to a 'self' or ego. But if any do, and if it is agreeable to the goodness of God that they should live again, their immortality would also be related to man—not, this time, to individual masters, but to humanity"296 In The Great Divorce, Lewis portrayed Sarah Smith, a woman ordinary on Earth, as great in Heaven. On Earth she loved both people and animals. In Heaven she's surrounded by the very animals she cared for on Earth.297
In her excellent book about Heaven, Joni Eareckson Tada says, "If God brings our pets back to life, it wouldn't surprise me. It would be just like Him
. It would be totally in keeping with His generous character.... Exorbitant. Excessive. Extravagant in grace after grace. Of all the dazzling discoveries and ecstatic pleasures heaven will hold for us, the potential of seeing Scrappy would be pure whimsy—utterly, joyfully, surprisingly superfluous. . . . Heaven is going to be a place that will refract and reflect in as many ways as possible the goodness and joy of our great God, who delights in lavishing love on His children."298
In a poem about the world to come, theologian John Piper writes,
And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come. She leaped the stream—
Almost—and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye. I knelt to drink,
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endlessjoy. And everywhere
I turned I saw a wonder there.299
IS IT WRONG TO GRIEVE A PET'S DEATH?
Many people grieve deeply when their pets die. Some have told me they're embarrassed or even ashamed at this. Their loss is great, and they long for hope that they'll see their pets again.
If we regard pets as God-created companions entrusted to our care, it's only right that we should experience grief at their loss. Who made these endearing qualities in animals? God. Who made us to be touched by them? God. Do we love animals because of sin and the Curse? No. We love animals because God created us—and them—to love each other. We can turn people into idols, but it doesn't mean it's wrong to love people. The same is true of animals.
We know the stories of pets who've risked their lives and died for their owners because the animals' instinct for love and loyalty outweighed their instinct for self-preservation. It's noble for a person to lay down his or her life for others, so animals who do the same must also be noble. We needn't be embarrassed either to grieve their loss or to want to see them again. If we believe God is their creator, that he loves us and them, that he intends to restore his creatures from the bondage they experienced because of our sin, then we have biblical grounds for not only wanting but also expecting that we may be with them again on the New Earth.