“No Horsing Around”

Friday, March 27, 2020

     Do animals go to heaven… like, when Elisha flew to heaven in a fiery chariot, wouldn’t a horse pull the chariot?  And when Jesus comes back, won't He be riding on a horse that came from heaven?

Sincerely,
Horse Whisperer

Dear Horse Whisperer,

Any horse that could pull a chariot that is on fire and flying through the sky isn’t a “horse” in the traditional sense, and Rev 19:11’s reference to Jesus on a white horse is symbolic just like the rest of the book.  The white horse represents purity, not necessarily a physical steed.

Animals don’t go to heaven.  Animals are a blessing from God (Gen 1:26).  Animals have the “breath of life” just like humans do (Gen 2:7, Gen 6:17).  This “breath of life” is also sometimes referred to as the “spirit” of a man or animal (Gen 7:22).  Animals have spirits, and humans have spirits, but humans were also made in the image of God (Gen 1:26).  Our spirits are eternal and will go up to be with the Father, and animal spirits are temporary and will return to the dust of the earth (Eccl 3:21).  God made our spirit of a different caliber than He made those of the animal.

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