Dear Gino,

          I do believe that there are animals in heaven – and that there will possibly be resurrected animals there as well.  Psalm 36:6 states: “Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.”  Remember that God saved animals on Noah’s Ark and may do so again since the end times are compared to the days of Noah.

          If you look at the Bible’s discussion of the types of resurrection bodies that we will have, 1Corinthians 15:35-49 includes animals, sea life, plants and heavenly bodies in the discussion.  It seems that, our resurrection bodies will depend on the type of bodies that we originally have.  No life or creation appears to be lost or left out.  Perhaps this is because, when an eternal all-powerful Being like God puts His breath or essence (i.e. life) into something it cannot be destroyed:

“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

                                                                                                                            

Since Scripture tells us that there will be a New Heaven and New Earth – 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1; Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 67:22, I do not think that it is farfetched to believe that animals will get immortal bodies as well.

 

          Remember that God cared enough about animals to have Adam name them and to care for them.  Animals are important to God.

          "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.  He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.  So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field."  Genesis 2:19-20. 

          "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.  Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.'  And it was so."  Genesis 1:27-30.

 

I would contend that everything that has the breath of life in it has something of God or the eternal in it. This life or essence will continue.

 

The Bible also presents us with a vision of all types of clean and unclean animals being lowered in a sheet from heaven in Acts 10:9-15.  Although the point of this vision was to show Peter that Gentiles should be permitted to join the Church, it is interesting to note that we also have an example of different animals in heaven.  

"About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  Then a voice told him, 'Get up, Peter.  Kill and eat.'  'Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied, 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.'  The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'"  Acts 10:9-15.

          Finally, Jesus the Lamb of God is Himself a picture of a resurrected animal.  When the Apostle John sees Jesus in a vision of heaven, he said the following: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and elders."  Revelation 5:6.

          Perhaps then Jesus is a “firstfruits” of  the animals who are to be resurrected.

All Creatures Praise God

          Animals seem to be in tune with the spiritual.  How else did the specific pairs of animals know to go to Noah's Ark?  How did Balaam's donkey see the angel of the Lord and speak to Balaam?  Why did the ravens obey God's order to take bread and meat to Elijah? 

          There must be a connection between God and all of His Creation.  We tend to be people-centric; but God has established relationships with all of His Creation.  Since He clearly wants to have an eternal relationship with us, it should not surprise us if He wants to have an eternal relationship with the rest of His Creation.

          Revelation 5:13 shows us that non-humans are capable of praising God: "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!'"

          Even nature rejoices in the Lord: "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."  Isaiah 55:12.

 

          Creation Groans

          There is a great passage in Romans 8:18-25 which talks about creation being in a state of frustration prior to our resurrection.  We know that creation was also subjected to the curse of Adam's sin.  (See Genesis 3:17-18.)  But this passage in Romans shows us that after we are liberated from mortality, creation can also expect a similar liberation from mortality.  Since animals are part of creation, I think we can extrapolate that they will be included in this transformation.

          "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that 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 right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."  Romans 8:18-25.

 

          So, while we wait for our resurrection bodies, all creation is waiting too.

 

So what’s on the menu?

You asked if we would be eating meat during the Millennium kingdom.  I’m not sure.  But there is a verse that shows that some strict carnivores will be vegetarians at that time:

 

“And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”  Isaiah 11:7

We know that we will eat fruit from the tree of life (see Revelation 2:7 ) and drink wine with Christ:

“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”  Matthew 26: 29.

I’m sorry but I don’t know what else we may be eating.  The only feast day that I know that will still be celebrated in the future is the Feast of Tabernacles (See Zechariah 14:18.)

I hope this answered your questions.  But let’s face it – whatever God serves us is going to be delicious.  I can’t wait.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”  Psalm 34:8-10.

If it is all right with you, my dog Homer and I will look for you at the Wedding Supper and join you for dessert.  Maranatha.

                                                                                                                                                                                                – Lisa Taylor