Why do animals die? I mean why would animals who are incapable of moral judgment, be subjected to the Fall of Adam? Presumably they would have had an interminable lifespan like Adam and Eve before the fall. Why did a human decision affect the animal kingdom?
Why were animals affected by the Fall?
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BeyondET
Well-Known Member
Scripture seems to hint that all things was effected and in the future will be restored. In the beginning animals were pretty much vegetarians. God had said if an animal kills a person it must be put to death so they got effected.
Exodus 21:28
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
Acts 3:21
Whom heaven must receive until the time of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Exodus 21:28
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
Acts 3:21
Whom heaven must receive until the time of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
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BeyondET
Well-Known Member
If animal killed a man it was not killed for sin but for destroying the image of God.
Genesis 9:5–6
5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.
6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
Genesis 9:5–6
5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.
6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
Davy
Well-Known Member
It did not happen because of Adam's fall. It happened because of Satan's fall.
Just 'when'... did Satan fall from heaven? Can't say it happened while he as "that old serpent" was in God's Garden tempting Eve, because just the fact that he was the tempter then showed he had already sinned and fell. That pushes Satan's original rebellion against God further back. How far?
I find many brethren don't really think about this, they instead just follow some doctrine from men like Adam did the first sin, when actually it was the devil himself that did the first sin (1 John 3:8; Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14). And it was Eve who was the first in the flesh that sinned, and Adam next (1 Timothy 2:14).
Robert Gwin
Well-Known Member
That is an extremely good question Friend, in fact it is my question as well. Sadly there is no answer at this time, that is one of the many things that will have to be answered in the coming Kingdom of God sir.
Even many of my faith believe that animals will die after the Kingdom comes, I do not however. The Bible clearly stated that death entered in through one man, and if any of us have any hope that has to be the truth. So while it is difficult to have to wait for the answer to that, there is one thing that comforts me, and likely will help you as well. To date this passage has not been fulfilled, so it is still yet future, but it is a promise from God Friend: (Psalm 145:16) . . .You are opening your hand And satisfying the desire of every living thing.
I don't believe Jehovah to be a liar, nor would I imagine that you do either Friend, therefore both of us are very much looking forward to the fulfillment of that promise. What goes forth from His mouth will not go unfulfilled Isa 55:11
Davy
Well-Known Member
Yeah, there IS... an answer provided by God in His Word about the destruction of animals in the old world (i.e., dinosaurs and the like which fossils prove they once existed). God destroyed the old world when Satan first rebelled against Him.
And then God brought this 2nd world earth age we are in today, and put the original creation into bondage to corruption, so that for this present world earth age, nothing is perfect, everything is broken, and death rules over it along with Satan.
But in the world to come, a 3rd world earth age which Peter called 'a new heavens and a new earth', there won't be anymore death. Animals then will not prey on earth other. As per Isaiah 11, the bear will eat straw like the ox, and the lion will lay down with the lamb in peace.
And then God brought this 2nd world earth age we are in today, and put the original creation into bondage to corruption, so that for this present world earth age, nothing is perfect, everything is broken, and death rules over it along with Satan.
But in the world to come, a 3rd world earth age which Peter called 'a new heavens and a new earth', there won't be anymore death. Animals then will not prey on earth other. As per Isaiah 11, the bear will eat straw like the ox, and the lion will lay down with the lamb in peace.
quietthinker
Well-Known Member
I've wondered about that question and the only reasonable answer I've arrived at so far is that Adam lost the dominion given him over all God created.
When Adam fell he gave his dominion to the prince of darkness and everything became subject to decay/death.....babies, plants, animals.
David calls this earth 'the valley of the shadow of death'
.......and in science fiction terms, it is us who are on the Death Star.
I don't think that can be answered using Scripture. But the answer is because sin entered into this world.
All animals were created vegetarians. We read in Gen. 1:30,
" And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
Some animals became flesh eaters as a result of the fall. The ground was cursed as a result of the fall.
Disease and death came to man, animals, trees, basically everything God created.
The fact that sin entered into this world effected everything in creation is a negative way.
The animals and vegetation are innocent, it is man that brought this upon every living thing in this world!
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How might these verses relate to your question?
"I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Ecc 3:18-21
“Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?” Job 18:3
"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jerem 10:23
Yes, I believe there were no animals hunting other animals in Eden before the fall.
Webers_Home
Well-Known Member
.
• Gen 2:15-17 . .The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden
of Eden, to till it and tend it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying:
Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of
knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for in the day you eat of
it, you shall die.
In order for his maker's warning to resonate in Adam's thinking; it had to be
related to death as he understood death in his own day rather than death as
modern Sunday school classes construe it in their day. In other words:
Adam's concept of death was primitive, i.e. normal and natural rather than
spiritual.
As far as can be known from scripture, Man is the only specie that God
created in His own image, viz: a creature blessed with perpetual youth. The
animal kingdom was given nothing like it.
That being the case, then I think it's safe to assume that death was common
all around Adam by means of vegetation, birds, bugs, and beasts so that it
wasn't a strange new word in his vocabulary; i.e. God didn't have to take a
moment and define death for Adam seeing as how it was doubtless a
common occurrence in his everyday life.
Adam saw grasses spout. He saw them grow to maturity, bloom with
flowers, and produce seeds. He watched as they withered, became dry and
brittle, and then dissolve into nothing. So I think we can be reasonably
confident that Adam was up to speed on at least the natural aspects of death
and fully understood that if he went ahead and tasted the forbidden fruit
that his body would lose its perpetual youth and end up no more permanent
than grass.
In other words; had Adam not eaten of the forbidden tree, he would've
remained in perfect health but the very day that he tasted its fruit, his body
became infected with mortality, i.e. he lost perpetual youth and began to
age; a condition easily remedied by the tree of life but alas, Adam was
denied access to it.
_
• Gen 2:15-17 . .The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden
of Eden, to till it and tend it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying:
Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of
knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for in the day you eat of
it, you shall die.
In order for his maker's warning to resonate in Adam's thinking; it had to be
related to death as he understood death in his own day rather than death as
modern Sunday school classes construe it in their day. In other words:
Adam's concept of death was primitive, i.e. normal and natural rather than
spiritual.
As far as can be known from scripture, Man is the only specie that God
created in His own image, viz: a creature blessed with perpetual youth. The
animal kingdom was given nothing like it.
That being the case, then I think it's safe to assume that death was common
all around Adam by means of vegetation, birds, bugs, and beasts so that it
wasn't a strange new word in his vocabulary; i.e. God didn't have to take a
moment and define death for Adam seeing as how it was doubtless a
common occurrence in his everyday life.
Adam saw grasses spout. He saw them grow to maturity, bloom with
flowers, and produce seeds. He watched as they withered, became dry and
brittle, and then dissolve into nothing. So I think we can be reasonably
confident that Adam was up to speed on at least the natural aspects of death
and fully understood that if he went ahead and tasted the forbidden fruit
that his body would lose its perpetual youth and end up no more permanent
than grass.
In other words; had Adam not eaten of the forbidden tree, he would've
remained in perfect health but the very day that he tasted its fruit, his body
became infected with mortality, i.e. he lost perpetual youth and began to
age; a condition easily remedied by the tree of life but alas, Adam was
denied access to it.
_
I have always presumed that everything was affected by the fall, it had consequences to all of creation. We are told that tilling the land would also be harder and we know that weeds ect also came as a result. So nature was also impacted.
Just one thought comes to mind though, it was the Lord that took the life of the first animal to die , and also allowed us to take animals for the provision of food. …..we lost the natural provision of our needs after the fall, once Adam and Eve were banished from Eden.
Look at how nature/ animal life is so cruel at times, believing that sin permeated that realm makes that more understandable , rather than believing God made it that way. ……..
Just one thought comes to mind though, it was the Lord that took the life of the first animal to die , and also allowed us to take animals for the provision of food. …..we lost the natural provision of our needs after the fall, once Adam and Eve were banished from Eden.
Look at how nature/ animal life is so cruel at times, believing that sin permeated that realm makes that more understandable , rather than believing God made it that way. ……..
BeyondET
Well-Known Member
God made a new covenant with the animals on the ark so that pretty much says the old animals was effected.
Gen 9
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you,
10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out
Gen 9
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you,
10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out
BeyondET
Well-Known Member
Bob Estey
Well-Known Member
amigo de christo
Well-Known Member
cause they were not made in the image of GOD , nor did they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil .
They just dumb beasts . Now lift those hands up and let the glorious LORD be praised .
amigo de christo
Well-Known Member
But we also know who the serpent was . That ol serpent , the dragon , the devil .
OH yes . He is a deciever big time and he knows how to allure mankind through the lusts of the flesh .
ONLY by our faith in CHRIST can we resist him .
amigo de christo
Well-Known Member
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