Secrets from Beyond The Grave

that the catching away and the resurrection fall under the classification of a mystery . We know how certain things will happen but are uncertain of the many details that are linked to these two events! Back to Pets

Here is the summary: Both man and beast are formed from the same substance, the dust of the earth. Both man and beast return to the dust at their deaths. Both man and beast have breath ( ruach ) that departs when they expire. The spirit of man goes back to God, and the spirit of a beast returns to the earth. Man's spirit is eternal, and the spirit of the beast ceases at death. There are animals that appear in spirit forms in heaven. There are animals on the earth during the thousand-year reign.

Heaven itself is very much like Earth, with rivers (Rev. 22:1), trees (v. 2), a city (Rev. 21:2), mountains (Heb. 12:22), books (Rev. 20:12), and so many other things. When Moses constructed the tabernacle, he built the structure based upon the patterns he saw of the heavenly temple (Heb. 8:5). The earth is covered with thousands of species of animals, including four-footed beasts, small creatures, and birds. There must be some form of animal life in heaven--albeit most are in some unique spirit form (such as the horses we will ride in Revelation 19:14). These are probably creatures that were created from the beginning of time and have been a part of heaven from Genesis 1:1. It is unclear from the Bible if a person's individual earthly pets would be resurrected and spend eternity with that person. During my lifetime from childhood until before I was married, my family and I had about five dogs, many cats, and a few birds and fish. I enjoyed them all very much at the time . However, for me personally, I would have no desire to have all five dogs and all the cats running through my mansion. (Somehow I get a very funny picture of all of them jumping all over the furniture.) However, I have ministry friends and partners who have told me they believe their departed pets, which they loved dearly, will be in heaven. Since Scripture is silent as to whether there will be pets in heaven, it is best to leave the issue up to the Lord, and we can all say, "We'll see in the future." I am 100 percent certain that heaven is such a place of perfection that nothing will be lacking or missing when we enter the land of no time. Finally, for those who have personal pets (which we too have as a family) and are concerned about the coming of Christ and no one to care for their pets if they remain behind, I am reminded of how God said He watches the sparrows and the lilies of the field (Matt. 10:29-31). Certainly He will care for anything close to the heart of one of His children. This is where a person must simply trust God in all things. What About People in Other Religions? Often when Protestant ministers are interviewed on secular television, they are asked in blunt, in-your-face tones this question: Do you think Jews and Muslims are going to hell? I have heard well-known ministers stumble, cough, get sidetracked, or try to avoid answering the question. Let me comment on this question. First, the issue is not whether Jews and Muslims are going to hell; the issue is that all men who are lost are sinners and are bound for hell. In reality, all men are under a death penalty because of Adam's sin, for it is written,