Jesus Has Wiped Out Death
By Niki Behrikis Shanahan
And now, the time has come! That grace was revealed when our Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appeared; and through His resurrection He has wiped out death and brought to light life and immortality by way of this good news.
2 Timothy 1:10 (Voice)
The New Year has just begun and I would like to start 2016 by reiterating what I have said many times. Because of Jesus we all have eternal life/immortality to look forward to. As you can see from the verse above Jesus “has wiped out death.” This great news is not only for the people that believe in the Lord, but it’s for all the animals as well. We have seen in Romans chapter 8 that the Apostle Paul goes into detail about how the animals are waiting along with us for the resurrection of our bodies when Jesus Christ comes back again.
We see from Genesis to Revelation how the animals are an inseparable part of our lives here and in Heaven. The animals were actually created before we were. You can see the reference to God creating the animals here is Genesis 1:20-25 (NIV), and He thought they were “good.”
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
God always intended that the animals would live with us and be companions for us. Certainly after the fall there are many animals that we can’t get close to like lions and tigers, etc., but that is because after the fall all creatures changed. We have all heard of the Scriptures of the lion and the lamb being together in Heaven. That’s the way it will be someday. All animals and people will be together walking around and enjoying Heaven like they once did here on earth with Adam and Eve before the fall. Although we can’t get close the wild animals, there are plenty of tame animal companions that live in all of our homes. They are part of our families. We call them our sons and daughters.
When we leave this earth we go to Heaven with the Lord. When our beloved animal companions leave this earth they also go to Heaven with the Lord. They wait for us to arrive in Heaven and then they are going to spend eternity with us.
Here is one last set of verses that I’d like to share. They are in Revelation which is foretelling the future. The first verse of Revelation states “the things which must shortly come to pass.” The word Revelation means “an act of revealing something in usually a surprising way.” It reveals that every animal and creature is in Heaven. They even worship God in Heaven according to these Scriptures.
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5:13-14 (NIV)
The future is bright for our animal companions and for us because Jesus “has wiped out death.” I hope this message will encourage and reinforce your faith and hope that we will once again be with our animal family members one day in Heaven. God bless you all.
Note:
For more information and details about animals and pets going to Heaven, please refer to Niki Behrikis Shanahan’s books on the subject. They are:
There Is Eternal Life For Animals
The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven’s Gain
Who Says Animals Go To Heaven
A Future Life For Animals (Nook and Kindle book only)
Copyright 2018 Niki Behrikis Shanahan All rights reserved. Not to be used without author’s explicit written authorization. To reprint this article, please contact the author at eternalanimals@comcast.net.