Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows if the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? |
Subject: Do animals have souls? |
Bible Note: Hi Country Girl, I think we're both correct on this issue. Only man (mankind) was made in God's image, not the animals. There is no indication from my Bible studies that animals will be resurrected either. Only man possess the four main attributes of God, showing he was made in God's image; Love, Wisdom, Power, and Justice. Interestingly though, you and I probably differ on an issue that began in the garden of Eden when Satan the devil told the woman Eve that she would Not die if she ate of the forbidden tree. He assured her further by telling her that she would become like God, know good and bad. These are profound statements made by Satan and have influenced mankind's thinking no less today than then. Taking into consideration what the soul (you with your personality, body, and the actuating force to be alive that comes from God or spirit) and Satan's statement that "you will not die", most religions, have and still do teach that man (soul) does not die. This was Satan's first lie! We must reject the lie if we expect to have God's smile of approval don't you agree? Throughout the Scriptures we are shown that the soul (you yourself Ge. 2:7) dies, but it's the spirit that returns to God. Ecclesiastes 12:7, reads: “The dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the spirit itself returns to the true God who gave it.” At Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 the effects of old age and death are portrayed in poetic language. After death, the body eventually decomposes and again becomes a part of the dust of the earth. The “spirit,” on the other hand, “returns to the true God.” So man’s death is linked with the spirit’s returning to God, this indicating that man’s life in some way depends upon that spirit. How, then, does this invisible, impersonal force or spirit return to God? Does it return to his literal presence in heaven? The way in which the Bible uses the word “return” does not require that we, in each case, think of an actual movement from one place to another. For instance, unfaithful Israelites were told: “‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ at Malachi 3:7 Obviously this did not mean that the Israelites were to leave the earth and come into the very presence of God. Nor did it mean that God would leave his position in the heavens and begin dwelling on earth with the Israelites. Rather, Israel’s “returning” to their God Jehovah meant a turning around from a wrong course and again conforming to God’s righteous way. And Jehovah’s “returning” to Israel meant his turning favorable attention to his people once again. In both cases the return involved an attitude, not a literal movement from one geographical location to another. That the return of something does not require actual movement might be illustrated by what happens in a transferal of a business or a property from the control of one party to another. For example, in a certain country the control of the railroads might be shifted from the hands of private enterprise to those of the government. When such a transferal takes place, the railroad equipment and even all the records may remain where they are. It is the authority over them that changes hands. So it is in the case of the spirit or life-force. At death no actual movement from the earth to the heavenly realm need occur for it to ‘return to God.’ But the gift or grant of existence as an intelligent creature, as enjoyed once by the dead person, now reverts to God. That which is needed to animate the person, namely, the spirit or life-force, is in God’s hands. (Psalm 31:5) Into your hand I entrust my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Jehovah the God of truth. (Luke 23:46) And Jesus called with a loud voice and said: “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” When he had said this, he expired. The Bible says much much more on the subject of soul and spirit and I'm so thankful for it's clear understanding. Tara |