Do All Dogs go to Heaven?
8/3/11
A
number of years back you may remember the animated movie entitled “All Dogs go
to Heaven.” It was a popular movie for young and old, but do you
believe that animals go to heaven? Some, if not most believe that
their pets and even wild animals go to heaven at the time of their death. Are
such beliefs scriptural? Can you actually find a scripture that
openly states such to be true?
Let
me say this, there will be animals in the Kingdom! When the Messiah
returns and establishes His Kingdom, the scriptures are quite explicit about
animals living and even playing together and creatures that in our day we would
not expect to have such a close relationship with one another!
The problem from which the belief that our pets and wild animals
are in Heaven, stems from a false doctrine that when humans die we also either
go to Heaven or are cast into a fiery Hell. People
have been raised to believe certain doctrines but have never proven what they
believe for themselves. Since most are not being called of Yahweh at
this present time, most then will not accept anything other than what they were
taught and raised to believe.
I
have been shocking people for years when I have stated that at death, we all go
to Hell! I’m not talking about the Catholic false doctrine of
purgatory, but that we do actually go to Hell upon death. Such a
statement may shock you as well, unless you know the meaning of the term,
“Hell.”
You
must understand that the scriptures were written in Hebrew (Genesis to
Malachi), and in Greek (Matthew to Revelation). Although
there is much evidence that originally Matthew to Revelation may also have been
written in Hebrew or Hebrew Aramaic. But each Hebrew and Greek word was
translated into our English language. There is one Hebrew and three
Greek words that were translated to our English word “Hell.”
The
one Hebrew word that was translated to our English word “Hell” is the word “Sheol.” One of its primary meanings is
the grave. Of the three Greek words that was translated
to our English word “Hell” is the word “Hades.” One of its primary
meanings is also the grave. These two words, Sheol and Hades, are used more often in the scriptures
than any other words that were translated into our English word “Hell.” When
reading the scriptures, most of the time when you see the term “Hell,” it is
referring to the grave.
There
is another Greek word translated as Hell which describes the lake of
fire. This lake of fire Hell is yet future, after the resurrection
of the dead from the Sheol/Hades Hell and then
after the judgment of the dead. There are more
than one resurrection from Sheol/Hades Hell. Yahweh’s
true obedient followers will come forth in the 1st resurrection which saves
them from the 2nd death. That is the complete fulfillment of what salvation is
all about. Those who come forth in a later resurrection from Sheol/Hades Hell may be cast into the lake of fire Hell,
which is the second death. (Revelation 20:4-6,12-15) The
last Greek word translated into our English word “Hell,” speaks of a prison for
the fallen Angels.
You
can see by understanding the meanings of the term, “Hell” you can comprehend my
original statement that when we die, we all go to Hell. Most have
been raised to believe that really bad people go to the lake of fire Hell upon
death and that really good people go straight to Heaven upon their death. With
just a little study you can see that this is just not so. This
ministry is presently working on an extensive teaching on the “State of the
Dead” which will appear on the Teaching page of our web site in the not too
distant future.
How about the term “Heaven?” There are 4 different Hebrew words
that were translated into our English word “Heaven.” Each of these
essentially speak about the sky, the clouds, and
the firmament which separates outer space from the inner space that
surrounds the earth. In other words where the birds fly and where we
can look up and see the sky and the clouds. In one Hebrew meaning,
the word gives us a glimpse into where the stars and planets and other such
celestial objects are positioned which is also translated into the English
word, “Heaven.”
There
are also 4 different Greek words that were translated into our English word
“Heaven.” Most of these have very similar meanings as was so in the
Hebrew. Only one gives us the meaning as being the abode of Yahweh.
We
here at the Old Paths Restoration Ministry do not believe that upon death, an
individual goes straight to the abode of Yahweh Heaven. As stated
previously, we believe that we all go to Sheol/Hades
Hell, which means the grave. In general, mankind dies and
then await in the grave for their resurrection, after which each are judged and
either rewarded with eternal life in the Kingdom of Yahweh Heaven or will be
cast into the lake of fire Hell where they are annihilated and put out of their
misery. Now granted there is much more to the story than this brief
statement, but such will have to suffice until a more in-depth teaching is
produced.
The
truth of the matter is that Heaven is coming to Earth. The very
throne room of Yahweh is going to come to this planet and the kingdom of Heaven will
be established on Earth. (Revelation chapters 21 & 22) True
peace will break out upon the world as we will live in a utopia beyond what the
carnal mind can presently understand. No sickness, no hospitals, no
crime, no prisons, no sin, no curse, no sorrow, no tears, no wars, only
peace. It will be a world made new, the garden of
Eden restored. And yes, there shall be animals
living there and since the curse has been removed, they will not
hurt each other nor will they hurt mankind.
Isaiah
11: 6-9 “The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young
lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And
the cow and the bear shall feed; and their young ones shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child
shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on
the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My set apart mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.”
To
say that dogs and cats and even wild animals all go to heaven when they die is
not based upon the scriptures but more upon a compassionate and empathetic
desire. It is truly admirable to think and hope such could be true,
but it is not scriptural. If one day Yahweh grants
such, then so be it, but for now the scriptures seem silent on such a notion. I
would gladly admit error if someone can prove from the scriptures that upon
dying, animals go to heaven.
In
all things, we must have a standard to go by. The Word of Yahweh
(written in the scriptures) is the standard. Whatever we want to
believe must be based upon the standard. It is mere folly to just
believe something without a standard to base what we believe upon.
The Old Paths Restoration Ministry
PO Box 247
Marengo, IN 47140