Do Animals Have Eternal Souls?

Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes downwardly into the globe? – Ecclesiastes 3:21

Man and Animals Are Not The Same

Animals do non accept souls such every bit we have. Because animals take a consciousness which makes them dissimilar from plants, and because the Hebrew word nephesh in the Quondam Testament is used sometimes in reference to this feature of animals, some people would say that animals have souls. This would pb to the belief that killing an animal for meat would be murder.

However, this is not then. They take a consciousness which makes them different from plants, but they do not accept souls similar human beings, which become to Sky or Hell when they die. When animals are buried, that is the stop of their life. When human is buried, this is non the case.

The Bible teaches the iii parts of man – body, spirit and soul – in 1 Thessalonians 5:28. Human being is the only brute or creation of God which has the ability to be saved if he volition plow to the Lord Jesus. Animals do not 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 give-and-take nephesh is translated by the discussion "soul" 428 times in the Bible; simply on two occasions information technology is rendered "beast" (Leviticus 24:28 and Genesis 2:19). For this reason, we need to define the nature of human 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 trunk. He is a trichotomous being. On the other hand, animals possess trunk and soul, simply not spirit. This would make them dichotomous beings.

Being dichotomous in nature, an animal would take no sense of right or incorrect–no censor. Therefore, even though he loves his master, and is loved by his master, 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 animal life (Genesis 1:26-28).

Even so, the Lord made provision for the intendance of animals (Genesis 9:9-ten; Psalm 36:vi-1 Deuteronomy 25:4; Psalm 104). Even though animals are without a soul and we do have "dominion" over them, this doesn't mean nosotros should always be intentionally calumniating to animals.

What the Bible Say About Animals and Eternity

The best reference to the final destiny of animals would exist the passage institute in Ecclesiastes 3. Notice the reference to "beasts" (Animals – all forms of animals) found in verses eighteen-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 see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, then dies the other. They all have the same jiff, 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 return. Who knows whether the spirit of human goes upwardly and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a human being should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who tin bring him to see what will be after him?

In that location has been much debate through the years over this poetry. The most natural understanding of this poesy is as a statement concerning how man and animals differ–in soul or spirit, every bit discussed to a higher place.

The discussion 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 human being soul and the soul of an animal. He is saying in these verses that the soul of man returns to God when the breath of life (spirit of life) ceases. However, the creature was made to derive its happiness and fulfillment from the world.

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

Man has that third element of a trichotomous beingness discussed in a higher place–spirit. At his decease, his spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:seven). For human, it is either Heaven or Hell, depending on his own free choice to accept or pass up the Lord. For animals, it is only a case of them returning to grit (12:7).

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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 dedicated worker in Sunday school, and has developed over 20 resources packets for leadership education.His personal education includes a B.S. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Thursday.M. 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-fourth dimension teacher in the first year of Liberty'south existence. Today, the Academy has over 11,400 students on campus with 39,000 in the Distance Learning Program (now Freedom University Online), and he is the Dean of the Schoolhouse of Religion.Dr. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over fifty theological seminaries in America and abroad. He holds visiting professorship rank in 5 seminaries. He has written over 2,000 reference and/or pop manufactures and received six honorary doctoral degrees. Iv doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious didactics and evangelism.