Practise Animals Accept Eternal Souls?

Who knows whether the spirit of human being goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes downwardly into the earth? – Ecclesiastes 3:21

Human being and Animals Are Not The Same

Animals do not have souls such as nosotros have. Considering animals have a consciousness which makes them different from plants, and because the Hebrew word nephesh in the Onetime Testament is used sometimes in reference to this characteristic of animals, some people would say that animals have souls. This would lead to the conventionalities that killing an creature for meat would be murder.

However, this is not and then. They have a consciousness which makes them different from plants, merely they do not have souls like human being beings, which go to Heaven or Hell when they dice. When animals are buried, that is the terminate of their life. When man is cached, this is non the instance.

The Bible teaches the three parts of human being – body, spirit and soul – in 1 Thessalonians 5:28. Homo is the only creature or creation of God which has the power to be saved if he will plow to the Lord Jesus. Animals practise non have the moral conscience which tells them they are sinners in need of forgiveness.

The Bible on occasion pictures animals as possessing souls. The Hebrew word nephesh is translated by the word "soul" 428 times in the Bible; merely on ii occasions it is rendered "animate being" (Leviticus 24:28 and Genesis 2:nineteen). For this reason, nosotros need to define the nature of homo and the nature of animals.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 2:26-27). Therefore, man is triune in nature–he possesses spirit, soul and torso. He is a trichotomous being. On the other hand, animals possess body and soul, but non spirit. This would make them dichotomous beings.

Being dichotomous in nature, an animal would have no sense of right or wrong–no conscience. Therefore, even though he loves his principal, and is loved by his primary, and even though he may larn to "obey" his master, he would not be held accountable by God for his actions. The Lord gave man "dominion" over all fauna life (Genesis 1:26-28).

However, the Lord made provision for the intendance of animals (Genesis 9:9-10; Psalm 36:half-dozen-1 Deuteronomy 25:4; Psalm 104). Even though animals are without a soul and nosotros practise have "rule" over them, this doesn't mean we should always exist intentionally abusive to animals.

What the Bible Say About Animals and Eternity

The best reference to the final destiny of animals would be the passage found in Ecclesiastes 3. Observe the reference to "beasts" (Animals – all forms of animals) establish in verses 18-22, and particularly verse 21:

I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may encounter that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as i dies, and so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to i place. All are from the dust, and to dust all render. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the creature goes down into the earth? So I saw that in that location is aught improve than that a human being should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to come across what will exist afterward him?

There has been much debate through the years over this poetry. The well-nigh natural agreement of this verse is equally a statement apropos how man and animals differ–in soul or spirit, equally discussed above.

The word translated "spirit" is the same Hebrew word ruach that is translated "breath" in verse 29. Solomon, in these verses, rightly identifies the essential difference between the man soul and the soul of an animal. He is maxim in these verses that the soul of man returns to God when the jiff of life (spirit of life) ceases. Nonetheless, the creature was fabricated to derive its happiness and fulfillment from the globe.

In summary, considering the in a higher place, an animal would simply perish when it dies–and the spirit of the animate being… "goes downwardly into the globe" (Ecclesiastes 3:21).

Man has that third element of a trichotomous being discussed above–spirit. At his death, his spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). For homo, it is either Heaven or Hell, depending on his own free choice to take or refuse the Lord. For animals, it is just a case of them returning to dust (12:seven).

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Dr. Elmer Towns is a higher and seminary professor, an author of popular and scholarly works (the editor of two encyclopedias), a popular seminar lecturer, and defended worker in Lord's day schoolhouse, and has developed over 20 resource packets for leadership teaching.His personal educational activity includes a B.S. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Th.Grand. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971, and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty'due south existence. Today, the University has over xi,400 students on campus with 39,000 in the Altitude Learning Program (at present Freedom University Online), and he is the Dean of the School of Religion.Dr. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over l theological seminaries in America and abroad. He holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. He has written over 2,000 reference and/or pop articles and received six honorary doctoral degrees. Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism.