Heaven

by Randy Alcorn

  This understanding fits perfectly with Daniel's vision of the Messiah's re­turn to Earth: "He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the na­tions of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him" (Daniel 7:14, NLT). There's a direct continuity between the kingdoms of the old Earth and God's eternal Kingdom on the New Earth. Earthly king­doms will not be destroyed but "handed over" to God's people: "Then the sover­eignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints" (Daniel 7:27).

  Surely the greatness of the nations that will be handed over to God's people cannot be restricted only to those nations existing at Christ's return. Indeed, most of the nations Daniel speaks of—including Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Rome—faded away long ago. But in the sweeping breadth of his redemptive work, I believe that God will resurrect not only modern nations but also ancient ones, including, for instance, Babylon and Rome. I think it's likely we'll not merely meet the redeemed people of ancient civilizations but also walk among redeemed civilizations. Are ancient Assyrians, Sumerians, Phoenicians, Bab­ylonians, and Greeks among God's redeemed? We know they are, for no nation, past or present, is excluded from "every tribe and language and people and na­tion" (Revelation 7:9). In Heaven, God has determined to have representatives from every tribe, people group, and culture.

  Because Scripture explicitly tells us that resurrected nations will be part of the New Earth, I think there's every reason to believe we'll see a resurrected Egypt, Rome, India, and China, as well as resurrected cultures of every part of ancient Africa, South America, North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe, including small cultures about which we presently know very little.

  I interpret "every tribe and language and people and nation" literally. God chose people in even predominantly pagan nations and reached them by send­ing men and women or angels, dreams, and visions. What people groups will be worshiping Christ on the New Earth? Celts, Goths, Huns, Lombards, Saxons, Vikings, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Canaanites, Hittites, Phoenicians, Sumeri­ans, Assyrians, Persians, Mongols, Malaysians, Aztecs, Mayans, Incas—and countless other civilizations, ancient and modern. Representatives of nations and cultures that no longer exist today will be raised, to God's glory, in a purified form that includes whatever pleased God and excludes whatever didn't.

  Do you have a special interest in Europe of the Middle Ages? Then perhaps you'll enjoy developing relationships with those who lived in that era. Perhaps on the New Earth you'll live in a beautified version of their culture. (We shouldn't assume that all ancient people would embrace every modern conve­nience, even when given the choice.)

  Does this sound speculative? I imagine it only because of Scripture's own words. I base my observation on the texts I've cited here and elsewhere in this book. I didn't begin with a vivid imagination of Heaven—exactly the opposite. I studied the Scriptures about Heaven. Only over the years, over the decades, did they infuse my imagination.

  I believe we have more than just biblical permission to imagine resurrected races, tribes, and nations living together on the New Earth; we have a biblical mandate to do so. So close your eyes and imagine those ancient civilizations.

  Not just what they were, but what they yet will be.

  SECTION ELEVEN

  WHAT ABOUT ANIMALS?

  CHAPTER 39

  WILL ANIMALS INHABIT THE NEW EARTH?

  People often ask me whether animals will be in Heaven. Their second ques­tion, which is discussed in the next chapter, is whether they'll ever see their pets again. To some people, these are merely sentimental questions. To others, they are very important. Children especially want to know the answers. What do we tell them when they ask?

  Scripture says a great deal about animals, portraying them as Earth's second most important inhabitants. God entrusted animals to us, and our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives.

  Isaiah 11:6-9 speaks of a coming glorious era on Earth when "the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

  Some interpreters contend that this passage speaks only of the Millennium, but as we've seen, Isaiah anticipates an eternal Kingdom of God on Earth. Isa­iah 65:17 and 66:22 specifically speak of the New Earth. Sandwiched between them is a reference very similar to that in Isaiah 11: "'The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,' says the Lord" (65:25).

  When will there be no more harm on the earth? Not on the old Earth or even in the Millennium, which will end in rebellion and warfare, but on the New Earth, where there will be no more sin, death, or suffering (Revelation 21:4). These descriptions of animals peacefully inhabiting the earth may have applica­tion to a millennial kingdom on the old Earth, but their primary reference ap­pears to be to God's eternal Kingdom, where mankind and animals will enjoy a redeemed Earth.

  DO ANIMALS HAVE SOULS?

  When God made the animals, he made "the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25). An­imals were important in Eden; therefore, unless there's revelation to the contrary, the principle of continuity suggests that they'll be important on the New Earth.

  Like humans, animals were formed from the ground. "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air" (Genesis 2:19). When God breathed a spirit into Adam's body, made from the earth, Adam became nephesh, a "living being" or "soul" (Genesis 2:7). Re­markably, the same Hebrew word, nephesh, is used for animals and for people. We are specifically told that not only people, but animals have "the breath of life" in them (Genesis 1:30; 2:7; 6:17; 7:15,22). God hand-made animals, link­ing them both to the earth and humanity.

  Am I suggesting animals have souls? Certainly they do not have human souls. Animals aren't created in God's image, and they aren't equal to humans in any sense. Nonetheless, there's a strong biblical case for animals having nonhuman souls. I didn't take this seriously until I studied the usage of the Hebrew and Greek words nephesh and psyche, often translated "soul" when referring to humans. {Nephesh is translated psyche in the Septuagint.) The fact that these words are often used of animals is compelling evidence that they have non-human souls. That's what most Christians in the past believed. In their book Beyond Death, Gary Habermas and J. P. Moreland point out, "It wasn't until the advent of seventeenth-century Enlightenment. . . that the existence of animal souls was even questioned in Western civilization. Throughout the history of the church, the classic understanding of living things has included the doctrine that animals, as well as humans, have souls."293

  I cannot emphasize strongly enough that humans and animals are different. Humans continue to exist after death, but that may not be the case for animals. However, to do justice to Scripture, we need to recognize that people and ani­mals share something unique: They are living beings. Because God has a future plan for both mankind and Earth, it strongly suggests that he has a future plan for animals as well.

  WHY DID GOD SAVE ANIMALS FROM THE FLOOD?

  One of the most revealing Old Testament pictures of God's redemptive work is the Flood and Noah's ark. When God saved people from the destruction of the Flood, he also took great care to save the animals, the people's companions and helpers. God commanded Noah, "You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves
along the ground will come to you to be kept alive" (Genesis 6:19-20).

  After the Flood, God made a covenant with Noah, and in that new covenant God included animals. Notice the repeated emphasis on animals:

  God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "I now establish my cov­enant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living crea­ture on earth. . . . Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all genera­tions to come. . . . I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. . . . Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of'every kind'on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.' (Genesis 9:9-17, emphasis added)

  God's plan for a renewed Earth after the Flood emphatically involved ani­mals. Wouldn't we expect his plan for a renewed Earth after the future judg­ment to likewise include animals? If the rescue of mankind in the ark is a picture of redemption, doesn't the rescue of the animals in the ark also anticipate their restoration as part of God's redemptive purposes?

  In 2 Peter 3:5-7, we see a direct parallel between God's past judgment of the earth with water and his future judgment with fire. Mankind was judged in the Flood, and on his coattails most animals also perished. Eight human beings were rescued from the Flood to inhabit the new post-Flood Earth, but God didn't limit his rescue to people. He rescued representatives of every animal spe­cies to also occupy this new Earth. This is a powerful picture of what Romans 8 states—mankind and animals and all creation are linked together not only in curse and judgment but also in blessing and deliverance. Together they will ex­perience life on a New Earth.

  Selected humans, animals, vegetation, and geographical features (including mountains) were preserved by God in his judgment by water. Shouldn't we expect the same in his judgment by fire?

  WHAT DOES GOD SHOW US ABOUT ANIMALS' IMPORTANCE?

  God uses animals to fulfill his purposes. He ordered ravens to feed Elijah (1 Kings 17:4, 6). He "provided a great fish to swallow Jonah" (Jonah 1:17). He sent a fish with a coin in its mouth to teach his disciples a lesson (Matthew 17:27).

  Consider the story of Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22). God sends an angel to stop Balaam from doing evil. Balaam doesn't see the angel, but the don­key does. She veers off the road, and Balaam beats her. The donkey sees the an­gel twice more. Each time she veers off, and each time Balaam beats her. "Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?'" (v. 28). Significantly, the wording doesn't suggest God put words in the donkey's mouth, as in ventrilo­quism; he "opened the donkey's mouth," permitting her to verbalize what ap­pear to be actual thoughts and feelings.

  Finally, God opens Balaam's eyes to see the angel, who asks him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? . . . If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her" (Numbers 22:32-33).

  Note that the angel says the donkey saved Balaam's life. If she hadn't, the an­gel would've killed Balaam while saving the donkey. God sometimes protects animals while judging their human masters. Animals, it appears, can have thoughts and feelings and can be responsive to realities in the spiritual realm that people are blind to. Furthermore, God cares about the welfare of his ani­mals and holds us accountable for them.

  When God sent Jonah to rescue Nineveh, God expressed his concern not only for the people in Nineveh but for its "many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4:11). After Jonah warned Nineveh of coming destruction, the king commanded his people: "Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God" (Jonah 3:7-8). Both people and animals were commanded to fast and put on sack­cloth—explicitly spiritual rituals.

  God's care for animals appears even in the Ten Commandments: "Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your house­hold may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you" (Exodus 20:9-10, NLT). Animals also need rest. God carved into stone his care for them.

  Some people accuse God of disrespect for animals because of the sacrificial system. But it was only because animals, created with the breath of life, are so loved by God and mankind that they qualify for the highest representative role imaginable: symbolizing God's messianic Redeemer. Lambs were often beloved pets (2 Samuel 12:3). It was because of their value that their sacrifice revealed sin's horror and the exorbitant cost of redemption. Millions of lambs were slaughtered in Israel's history, each pointing to Christ's redemptive work.

  HOW WILL PEOPLE AND ANIMALS RELATE?

  In the Genesis account of creation, God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18). God then brought animals and birds to the man. Only afterward did God create the woman as a more suitable helper.

  God placed animals under the man's benevolent care: "Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 1:28). This relationship is celebrated: "You made [mankind] ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas" (Psalm 8:6-8).

  God created us to be stewards of animals. He holds us accountable for how we treat them. "The godly are concerned for the welfare of their animals" (Prov­erbs 12:10, NLT). We are caretakers for the animals, but they belong to God, not us: "For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me" (Psalm 50:10-11, NLT).

  Some people regard emotional attachment to animals as a modern develop­ment. But many cultures' historical records demonstrate otherwise. The prophet Nathan spoke to King David of the poor man who had a little lamb "who shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him" (2 Samuel 12:3). There's no suggestion this man's affection for his pet was inappropriate. David, unaware the story was told to expose his own sin, angrily responded that the man who stole the precious pet deserved to die.

  We needn't speculate how God might populate a perfect Earth. He popu­lated Eden with animals, under the rule of people. God doesn't make mistakes. There's every reason to believe he'll restore this self-proclaimed "very good" ar­rangement on the New Earth. We should expect the New Earth to be a place where we'll fulfill our calling to be faithful rulers and stewards of animals.

  God directed Adam to name the animals (Genesis 2:19-20). The process of naming involved a personal relationship with the name-bearer. Note that Adam wasn't instructed to name the plants, only his wife and the animals, indicating their special relationship.

  Eden was perfect. But without animals Eden wouldn't be Eden. The New Earth is the new Eden—Paradise regained, with the curse of the first Adam re­versed, transformed into the blessing of the last Adam (Romans 5:14-15). Would God take away from us in Heaven what he gave, for delight and com­panionship and help, to Adam and Eve in Eden? Would he revoke his decision to put animals with people, under their care? Since he'll fashion the New Earth with renewed people, wouldn't we expect him also to include renewed animals?

  WILL ANIMALS PRAISE GOD?

  Throughout Scripture we read that animals praise God. I don't know exactly how animals praise God, bu
t our inability to understand it shouldn't keep us from believing it.

  Consider the psalms. Psalm 148 commands all of creation to praise the Lord, including the animals: "Wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens" (w. 10-13). If in some sense fallen animals, shadows of what they once were, can praise God on this fallen Earth, how much more should we expect them to do so on the New Earth? "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). Since animals are said to have breath, they are in­cluded among those directed to praise God.

  Passages in Revelation also indicate that the animals will praise their cre­ator: "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'" (Revelation 5:13). What are these "creatures" said to do? To sing praises to God in worship. If "every creature in heaven and on earth" includes animals, then an­imals praise God.

  The most striking example of animals praising God in Heaven is often overlooked because of word selection in our Bible translations. We're told eight times in Revelation of "living creatures" in the present Heaven: "Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'. . . The living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne" (Revelation 4:8-9).