What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” —the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV - see also Isaiah 64:4)
The Bible clearly proclaims that the Triune God is love, good, and kind, and His faithfulness and mercies are new every morning (Psalm 145:8-9; Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 John 4:16). He cares deeply about all of creation and every living thing. He is beyond all human comprehension and understanding. His thoughts, perspectives, plans, purposes, and ways are not our ways, but are exponentially different (Isaiah 55:8-9). He desires that human beings walk in humility, trust, and reliance on His guidance and wisdom, regardless of the circumstances.
God created the heavens and the Earth, as well as all the animals and every other living thing on the Earth, but they were not given an eternal spirit. Then He created human beings, both male and female, to live forever with Him with an eternal spirit in His image and likeness with intellect, emotions, the ability to choose between right and wrong, to reason, create, innovate, and express themselves, along with the capacity to think, understand and establish a unique and loving relationship with Him and reflect His nature so that they could represent Him (Genesis 1:26-27). Humans possess qualities that reflect God's character and nature, enabling them to discern right from wrong and form meaningful connections with others. God also gave humans dominion over the Earth and responsibility to care for it and all living creatures.
Unfortunately, the first humans intentionally chose not to trust God. They sinned against Him, bringing a curse upon all of Creation and causing every living thing to suffer and ultimately die from sickness and disease because sin permeated the DNA of every living thing (Galatians 3:13).
It was by the sacrifice of Jesus, God, the Son, freely shedding His blood on the Cross that every human being on the planet can now go to Him and have eternal life spent with Him.
SO, WHAT ABOUT OUR PETS?
Throughout my life, I have had insects, rodents, reptiles, rabbits, fish, birds, horses, sheep, dogs, cats, and if I could, I would have had many other kinds of animals as Pets. I enjoyed them all and became emotionally attached to many of them, and heartbroken when they were gone.
The Bible does not explicitly rule out the possibility that there are currently animals in Heaven, as horses are mentioned being there, and if horses are present, other animals could also be there (Isaiah 65:17, 25; 2 Kings 2:11; Revelation 6:2-8; 19:11-14). However, many believe these verses are symbolic of power, divine judgment, and armies, and are not to be taken literally.
All the animals, cattle, small creatures, and flying birds praise God and He wants His people to care for their needs (Psalm 148:10; Deuteronomy 22:4; Proverbs 12:10). It is biblical truth that God loves animals and has compassion on all He has made and cares about them (Psalm 145:9; Matthew 10:29;12:11). He made animals without an eternal spirit before people, who were given an eternal spirit and then brought them to Adam to name them (Genesis 1:20-26; 2:19).
Sadly, because of sin entering into the world through Adam, God demanded a sacrificial system of animals to temporarily atone for their sins (Exodus 10:26). Yet, God cares enough about animals that He made provision on the Ark to preserve them so they could propagate and repopulate the Earth (Genesis 7:2–3). Jesus ended the need for animal sacrifice on the Cross when He became the final sacrifice.
Because of Adam’s sin, the entire creation and everything in it fell into a state of decay and ruin. When Jesus returns, it will turn into a state of emancipation and liberty from sin.
The “whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23-25 NIV). Spending eternity with Jesus, love Himself, that Christians have this hope, but “hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:22-25 NIV).
As a result of Jesus’ sacrificial death and the coming triumphant return to Earth with His Bride at the beginning of His Millennial reign, all of Creation, including animals, will be “liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21-22 NIV).
The Bible describes the Millennial Reign of Jesus after the Tribulation as a time of peace and harmony with all created things, using analogies and symbolism such as “the wolf would live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf, lion, and yearling will be together, being led by a little child, and the cow will feed with the bear, their young lying down together with the lion eating straw like an ox. An infant will play near a cobra’s den, and a young child will put its hand in a viper’s nest without any harm or destruction.” (Isaiah 11:6-9 NIV)
The Bible tells us that when Jesus comes for His Bride, just before His millennial reign begins, the dead will be raised first, and then Christians alone who are alive will be taken with Him and given a new, immortal, and imperishable spiritual body raised in glory (1 Corinthians 15:35-44 - also 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Bible promises that all “flesh” will see God’s salvation. Still, only Christians will experience it because Jesus died as the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, and only human beings can be Born-Again by repenting of their sins and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 3:6,13:3; John 3 16; Acts 2:38,17:30-31,26:20).
WILL PETS BE RAPTURED?
I have both read and heard this question of whether pets will be raptured countless times. Many of the responses have been a bit shocking, to say the least. The vast majority believe that their pets will be raptured with them, even though the Bible does not infer or say that will happen. The Bible is the absolute and final authority in the life of a Christian. Words can only mean what the original writer intended them to mean in their grammatical and historical context. Dreams and voices heard in their head must align 100% with God’s written Word. The fact is that only Human beings possess an eternal spirit and can become Born Again.
There is no definitive biblical or theological answer regarding the impact of the return of Jesus and the taking of His Bride at the end of the Tribulation period on pets because the Bible does not say anywhere that there is a resurrection of animals. After all, Jesus didn't shed His blood for them. Animals do not possess the spiritual capacity to repent of their sins and choose Jesus as their Lord, putting their trust in Him, because they are not considered part of the salvation covenant and would not be "caught up" with their owners (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
The ‘rapture’ is most often seen as a ‘get out of jail free’ card, allowing individuals to avoid the persecution and suffering of the Tribulation period. I strongly believe that the underlying issue is that too many Christians do not truly understand who Jesus is and what eternity spent with Him means.
The Second Coming of Jesus is the blessed hope of the Church (Titus 2:3; also Amos 5:18). The first "coming of the Lord" was at His birth. Jesus told the Disciples that He would return in power and "descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel," for His second "coming" immediately after the seventh and final trumpet sound of the Tribulation, which begins the day of His wrath that will be unleashed on those who have rejected Him as Lord and Savior, as He 'gathers' all His people; both the righteous living and those who have recently died, and take them with Him in spectacular power and glory to Israel to fight and defeat the Antichrist and his armies, and then begins His Millennial reign as "all things are subjected to Him" to establish the "Kingdom of Heaven" (2 Peter 1:16; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39; John 6:40, 44,54; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:4:16,13-18,5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-11, 2:1-4; Revelation 11:15-19, 19:20; see also 1 Corinthians 15:23,28,51-54; Zechariah 14:2; Jeremiah 6:11).
For the first 1800 years after Jesus rose from the dead, the church taught that He would return at the end of the Tribulation period (aka ‘pre or post millennialism) and some taught amillennialism. As a result, millions of Pets would not be permanently left behind and suffer in the chaos and turmoil facing neglect and starvation without their owners because God's character and loving-kindness toward all creation suggests that He will provide care for them in the aftermath of the Tribulation and will be looked after (See Psalm 145:9; Matthew 10:29-31). The Bible does not specifically state, but also does not rule out, that pets, along with the rest of creation, may be restored in the new, perfected Earth. Ultimately, Christians must trust in God's compassionate character.
All seven churches in the province of Asia went through horrendous persecution, the likes of which we have yet to see. An interesting side note is that the only church that survived total annihilation and made it to the 20th Century (AD 1922) was the Church at Thyatira, which tolerated Jezebel, practiced sexual immorality, and ate food sacrificed to demonic idols.
Every generation of the Church believed they were going through a great tribulation. Throughout the ages, Christians were willing to be tortured, skinned alive, and endure a gruesome death rather than say the 'Shahada' or renounce their faith in Jesus as the Lord God of all creation. It seems somewhat spiritually arrogant and pretentious to think that a future generation will be spared the effects of tribulation when previous generations were not.
THE BEAUTIFUL GOD
I wrote a Devotional book on growing in intimacy with the Creator of the Universe, entitled “The Beautiful God.” The following are excerpts from that book.
“Beauty is the possession and characteristic of God and is one of the qualities which are distinctive of Him. It emphasizes the form in which He reveals Himself in the external manifestation of His presence and the quality of His greatness, authority, dignity, preeminence, power, perfection, and majesty.
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in Heaven and Earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." (1 Chronicles 29:11-13 NIV)
The word "glory" is used throughout the Bible to describe God's beauty. It originates from the Hebrew word "kabhod" and the Greek word "doxa," which are often translated throughout the Bible to convey God's glory, perfection of character, splendor, majesty, abundance, and honor, as well as to describe the ecstasy found in Heaven. The word's root meaning denotes weight, or heaviness, size, rarity, beauty, brilliance, brightness, desire, and adornment. This divine quality is beyond man's understanding because "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the one who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" (Psalm 113:4-6 NIV).
THE FOUNDATION OF BEAUTY
Beauty is the universal foundation of all things. It is transcendent by nature. The beauty and glory of God are far more incredible and surpass any earthly beauty you could ever know. Everything about Him is beautiful. His power is beautiful. His love is beautiful. Beauty is rooted in Him. He is the foundation of all beauty in the universe. His beauty is what makes Him worthy of our worship. Beauty begins and ends in God. He is the revelation of all that is good, loving, and kind. He signs His name using a rainbow and uses beauty as His messenger, declaring across the universe that He is "altogether lovely" (Genesis 9:13; Song 5:16).
Deeply rooted in every human heart is an unquenchable longing for beauty, a God-given sense that beauty must have a more significant and permanent meaning than ourselves. It can arouse pleasure, delight, and even bring rest. We long to observe and be a part of beauty. We seek a rare glimpse of greatness. We yearn for a vision of glory. We are moved by music, the words of a poet, the work of an artist, a newborn child, the uniqueness of all living creatures, the multicolored hues of a sunset, the brilliance of a sunrise, the majesty of mountain peaks, the melodic sound of a waterfall, the wind rustling through the leaves, the simplicity of a flower, the lightness of a snowflake. These things cultivate our sensory awareness and expand our consciousness as we learn and appreciate something of the Creator. Yet, they are all but token twinkles and shimmering shadows of the beauty of God that has been intricately woven through the fabric of all creation.
THE BEAUTY REALM OF GOD
The Prophets Daniel and Isaiah were given a glimpse into the Beauty Realm, the Secret Place of God. It so overwhelmed Isaiah that he cried out, "Woe to me!"…" I am ruined!" (Isaiah 6:5 NIV). The breathtaking beauty of God ruined him forever. He could no longer be content with what the world had to offer. Any Born-Again Believer who seeks after God with their entire being will also be ruined forever as they will take on the beautiful "fragrance of Christ" and become His reflection (2 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV). The cares of the world and what it offers won't mean that much anymore because you will finally understand your true destiny; to "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4 NIV).
The Apostle John, also known as John the beloved, received a prophetic revelation concerning Jesus when an angel visited him. At the same time, he was exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1). John made a valiant attempt to describe the indescribable, what he saw and experienced, with words we could understand. He provided a tiny glimpse into the transcendent glory of Jesus and the Beauty Realm.
I have combined various Scripture verses to build a portrait of what John saw. However, the depiction is at best insufficient and severely lacking in its representation. Nevertheless, what John is able to describe is the beauty of Jesus, which is beyond description, and how one day, every Born-Again Christian will "share in the glory to be revealed" (1 Peter 5:1 NIV).
THE THRONE ROOM OF HEAVEN
Surrounding the great throne of Jesus are "seven gold lampstands"… "with burning flames. They are the seven spirits of God" (Revelation 1:5,12). The glory of Jesus illuminates all of Heaven. He is "as brilliant as gemstones--jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow" (Revelation 4:3 NLT).
Jesus "is wearing a long robe"… "dipped in blood" (Revelation 19:13)… "with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire. His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations (Revelation 19:15). He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance (Revelation 1:12-16 NLT). "and on his head were many crowns" (Revelation 19:11 NLT). "He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire" pure "water of life, clear as crystal flowed"… "from his presence" (Daniel 7:9-10; Revelation 22:1 NLT).
"Twenty-four thrones" surround Jesus, "and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.".. "Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense--the prayers of God's people!".. "And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder" (Revelation 4:5-6,8 NLT).
The "twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God" fall" on their faces" and worship Him saying; "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth" (Revelation 11:15-18 NLT).
Around the throne and the twenty-four elders are "four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back."… "each having six wings"… "The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle" (Revelation 4:6-8 NKJV). "Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew" (Isaiah 6:2 NLT).
The four living creatures "Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty--the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" (Revelation 4:8 NKJV). Whenever the living creatures "give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created" (Revelation 4:1-11 NLT).
As the twenty-four elders fall in worship, they sing a new song; "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God's Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10 NLT).
Throughout eternity, as Jesus continually reveals more of His transcendent beauty, the mighty Seraphim call to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:1-5 NIV). Millions upon millions of angels surrounding the throne sing in a mighty chorus: "The Lamb is worthy--the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5:11-12 NLT).
Those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior appear as "a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language," and stand "in front of the throne and before the Lamb." They are "clothed in white" and hold "palm branches in their hands," shouting, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!" All the angels stand "around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings" and then fall "face down before the throne" worshipping Jesus, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!" (Revelation 7:9-12 NLT). Every created being "in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea" cries out: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever." "And the four living beings said, "Amen" (Reveation 5:13-14 NLT).
In front of the throne is a "shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal"…mixed with fire.” On it stands "all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed" (Revelation 4:6; 15:2-4 NLT).
The vast crowd shouts out, sounding like "the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself…" (Revelation 19:4-9 NLT).
CONCLUSION - REFLECTING HIS BEAUTY
You reflect His beauty and give glory to God when you confess your sins (Joshua 7:19; Jeremiah 13:16). It takes humility to admit or confess that you are wrong. Humility opens the doors for the glory to shine forth.
Remember the Fun House carnival mirrors. One would make you look tall or short, fat or skinny, distorting how you really are. Just as those mirrors can distort the glory of God, so can your behavior, pride, arrogance, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, bitterness, lack of trust, rebellion, the things you watch and listen to, the way you treat others, and the words you use.
If you want to be a clear and brilliant reflection of God's beauty in a dark and ugly world, you must walk in humility. Pride and unforgiveness cause the brilliance to dim. It dulls the image and fogs His reflection like the steam rising from a long, hot shower fogs a bathroom mirror.
Because of the "hope of the glory of God," every Christian stands "justified through faith" and has "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and has "gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5:1-3 NIV). Since you share in the glory of Jesus and have been "raised with Christ," you must "set your hearts on things above"… "not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossian 3:1-4 NIV). The majestic God who created the universe with all its galaxies and solar systems longs to know you intimately and died to prove it. By setting your heart on those things that have eternal value and releasing the cares of this world by trusting in Him, you will become a true reflection of the wondrous brilliance of His beauty.
When you see Jesus as He really is – love incarnate - and learn how to hide your life in Him, not when you die, but now, you reflect His glory, and His glory appears in you; the world begins to see Him through you. That can only happen when there is the divine exchange, when you exchange your life for His. You surrender and say God, I’m through, I’m done, I don't want my SELF anymore, I want you to replace my fear and anxiety and worry and stress and anger and bitterness! I want to replace that with your glory, your love, patience, forgiveness, and meekness and kindness. I want you to reflect from me so that your light will shine from me in this dark and dreary world of sin. When you ask this, you will attract the lost like a moth to flame in the middle of the night.
The majestic God who created the intricate universe, with all its galaxies and solar systems, longs to know you intimately and died to prove it. By setting your heart on those things that have eternal value and releasing the cares of this world by trusting in Him, you will become a true reflection of the wondrous brilliance of His beauty.
Christianity isn’t actually all about life but about death. It’s about dying to self and coming to the place where you esteem others more highly than yourself. It is a difficult path to walk because it requires us to pray the Gethsemane prayer daily - NOT my will but yours be done! Once you say that prayer, there is no getting around the Cross you must pick up daily and follow Jesus, ready for Him to put to death something that stands in the way of greater intimacy with Him.
Christians don’t consistently walk the way of Gethsemane and the Cross because their pride, cares, worries, and fears of this world hinder every supernatural move of God and hinder them from seeing Him as He is.
Every Christian will cry out like the prophet Isaiah when they have a glimpse of God’s glorious beauty and say, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). That will only happen when you walk in holiness and humility, submitting yourself to God. You can rest assured that once you stand before Jesus and see Him in all His glory, NOTHING else will have ever mattered.
