Animals and Heaven

Animals are perceived as domesticated or wild.  Many animals can be domesticated to some degree, but many maintain a wild streak that can break out even with loving caretakers.  Circus goers enjoyed seeing acts of tamers with their animals.  Animal rights persons are often offended at the use of animals as objects of entertainment and tamers as exploiters of living vertebrates born to freedom.  So attached are some persons to animals that they treat them with royal fare and bury them at great expense in graveyards.  In 2014 Pope Francis comforted some children by telling them that they would have their animals in heaven so giving great comfort to the children, perhaps also to parents who would share heaven with their beloved pets.  This type of hope promise borne of sympathy becomes a large problem to persons wrestling with mixed beliefs about heavenly citizenship.  The promise seems to be wishful if entry requires penitence and affirmation to make the Elysian Fields.  How do animals rate free transition?  Scripture leaves them out.

We return to a basic concept that heaven is known to us only by that which is revealed, and not open to human speculation.  Speculation, even if proved true in the hereafter, becomes a barrier to belief of that which is known.  Speculation is a burden to truth, carrying poorly in spiritual meaning. We are given hints that may be parables such as the Revelation’s note that the heavenly streets will have the hue of gold.  They are not paved with gold: they just look like it.  Gold would make a poor pavement for a street.  Macadam is much better.  The speculations of Christians in telling the Christian story are often barriers to it.  On occasions the point may be humorous in that water animals would beach.  We are told there is no water there in H²O compound.  So much for the goldfish, and the friendly little penguins I saw in Australia.

I do not write about long term relationship (heavenly) with persons I love who, I firmly believe, will be in heaven – because I have no specific promise of that privilege.  We shall be known as we are known so identity is clear.  On this side of heavenly events I hope that joining will occur – here is my wife, there is my mother, over there my children with their families.  I have no information of a fellowship born of earth that I believe I could enjoy forever.  Something tells me that we shall be so taken by the immensity and beauty of the glory of God that we will give up any alternative, no matter how attractive it was on earth.  Further there is something about mankind that has an image of unity in it so that those admitted to the kingdom of God will share similar context.  We have some differences in the small declensions of earth that offer us a thousand streams, faded when we stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon on a clear day and see the mighty Colorado below.  Every moment of heaven is a clear day and every point of vista is grand.  Our earth experiences of beauty, love and peace are simply shadows of those awaiting engagement.

There are earth reasons why we speculate to more than we know.  If the animals we love were to join us we would have difficulty in justifying the use of them in the food chain, of wearing their fur to protect us from the weather, and to be comfortable in leather shoes.  Perhaps the feathers in our pillows, or on our caps become witness against our distortions.  There are many persons who have some of that feeling and refuse meat for food in nature.  I have no doubt that Jesus ate meat, that the people of Israel were known as shepherds using meat and wool from their animals as gifts from God.  (This is not to deny that many vegetarians choose only plant life for food, without identifying any spiritual meaning – but persons may make misleading distinctions.)  Heaven does not need pets, what with Seraphim and Cherubim. The truth of the matter appears to be that earth’s memories are so mingled and mixed that they have no part in the kingdom of God, any more than we remember the life of the womb when we entered the life of nature.  Everything was different for us in the delivery from womb to nature.  We will awake again to a new context carrying spiritualDNA developed in the birth from humanity.  I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come to mind. (Isaiah 65:17)  . . . . There was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1)  (Perhaps there may be a river of life.)  Behold I make all things new. (Revelation 21:5)