Animals Have Souls
Nearly all pet lovers have asked the question, “Does our pets have souls?” Which can be answered through the hard work of study. The Bible does give clear truths which can answer the question – do animals have a soul?
Just what does the Word of God say?
To help understand a soul, let us take the human perspective. Humans are comprised of three parts according to Scripture. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Our body is our physical shell, and our spirit is the part which enables us to connect and commune with God. Our soul is where our will and emotions live. In a post from Bibles for America I read, “Our soul is our personality, who we are. With our soul we think, reason, consider, remember, and wonder. We experience emotions like happiness, love, sorrow, anger, relief, and compassion. We are able to resolve, choose and make decisions.”
People often use the term soul and spirit interchangeably, and how you use the word will determine what you believe regarding animals having a soul. Knowing the fact the soul is where our emotions flow out of, where you get the foundation of thinking, reason and making decisions, then yes animals have a soul. Animals can think, reason, sense danger, enjoy happiness, sadness, and all of the things we mentioned in our understanding of the human soul - then common-sense points to animals having souls.
Every pet owner can tell the happiness their pet expresses when they return home from work or from a trip. You can also see that expression on their face when they recall what they had done was wrong. These are intentional emotions which flow out of their soul. Taking note how animals hunt, protect their young, mourn loss – all these emotions come from a soul. Taking time to looked at the word of God, will also show us animals have souls
God Gives Animals Souls
The Bible tells us that God created animals with a soul. In fact, Scripture says that animals are souls. For example, the Hebrew word for “soul” is [nephesh.] It is translated as “soul” 256 times in the Old Testament, and “creature, living being, life and lifeblood” other times. Genesis 1:20, 21, 24, 30; 2:7, 19; 9:12, 15, 16 provide a few examples where nephesh is translated as “creature” or “creatures.” Nephesh is used to refer to the life blood (Proverbs 28:17), a man’s appetite (Ecclesiastes 6:7), a person’s heart (Song of Solomon 5:6), a man’s hunger, and a person’s life (Proverbs 29:24). The soul in the Old Testament has the meaning of a “life force.” Nephesh refers to the essence of life, that which causes the body to function. Animals have a nephesh, and so do people. So, that means a creature and soul were interchangeable concepts.
Revelation 5:13 says, “And I heard every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’”
All animated creation now joins in the ascription of praise. Those under the earth are probably the “spirits in prison” of 1 Pet. 3:19, though Vitringa understands the expression to be used of the devils “who unwillingly obey Christ,” and even declare his glory, as in Mark 1:24, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” The sea is meant literally; the apostle’s object being to include all animated beings wheresoever existing. It has been remarked that St. John’s exile at Patmos would render him familiar with the appearance of the sea, and account for its frequent use in the Apocalypse, both literally and symbolically. The things on the sea would signify, not merely ships with their inhabitants, but also those animals in the sea which are known to men by dwelling near the surface. “All things that are in them” serves to render emphatic the universality of the description, as in Exod. 20:11 and Ps. 146:6, “The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Revelation (p. 167). Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
From the Derby Bible – which was written in 1890, by John Nelson Darby. We read from Romans 8: 18-22, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. For the anxious looking out of the creature expects the revelation of the sons of God: for the creature has been made subject to vanity, not of its will, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same, in hope that the creature itself also shall be set free from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now. (Darby, J. N. (1996). The Holy Scriptures: a new translation from the original languages (Ro 8:18–22). Logos Research Systems.)
The NIV says, ‘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.”
Catch what the Message Bible says, “The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.” (Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Ro 8:19–21). NavPress.)
Let us get some clarifications on key words.
First, “Creature” (?t?sµa ktísma) Stresses the result of which the product is creation. (Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study ) The study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG term every creature refers to all His works in all places of His dominion. Proverbs 103:22 says, “Praise be to the Lord, all His works everywhere in His dominion.” (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 567). Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
From Bible Dictionary
“Creatures” as used in our Biblical text already looked at, are aspect of being alive [meaning an eternal creation]. The Greek term embraces ‘all flesh that is upon the earth.’ Gensis 9:16 says, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I [God] will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Therefore, any created being, humans included, brought into existence as a result of God’s power and authority. The Bible declares that the Redeemer God is the Sovereign Creator of all things. Through His might and power, He brought the universe into existence. (Genisis 1:3-34; Psalm 33:6)
Closing: Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. writes: “All animals have souls. The soul comprehends both the spark of life and sentience. Without the soul, the flesh is dead, inanimate. That the soul is the spark of life. But the soul also includes the capacity of the senses which allow all sentient beings to relate to the world around them.
Man, though he has the added dimension of spirit, is sometimes thought of only as body and soul. [In reality] he is body, soul and spirit.” Dr. Zodhiates also writes “Like the spirit, the soul does not cease to exist after death.” (Sickness Why Healing How, Chapter 1, page 4 first paragraph)
The ESV Bible, Psalms 74:19 says, “Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beast…” The Hebrew word for “soul” (?????? nep_eš) means the enter being with its thoughts and emotions. It is applied to both human and animals. (Baker, W., & The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament (p. 746). AMG Publishers .Carpenter, E. E. (2003).)
Another key verse for truth is Proverbs 12:10, “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast…” The Hebrew for life in this passage is the same Hebrew word (?????? nep_eš) translated as soul in Psalm 74:19. The great communitarian Matthew Henry tells us, [the righteous looks out for and takes care of the animals put under his stewardship] “because they are God’s Creatures.” In regard to the wicked [unsaved] who do not have a right heart “Their pretend kindness are only cover for purposed cruelties.” (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 980). Hendrickson.)
The Holy Scriptures gives us clear teaching animals have souls. Our Biblical teaching Do Furry Friends Await Us (CrossRoads Messages) teaches we will see our beloved pets and other animals in heaven.
