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You mentioned going through this in sem. Did you deal with the Hebrew of Gen. 1:24 and 20-21? Do you think (as I do) that the word nephesh in those vv. should be translated as "beings" or something similar? Interesting though, that the sea animals that move (swarm) and the land animals that move are referred to by a Hebrew term that we translate as "living soul" in v. 30.
IMHO, regardless of how one translates "nephesh", it seems to me that there is a marked distinction in God's creation between animals and mankind. Comparing Gen 1:24, 25 with 26 and 27, we see that the animals were created "after their own kind", but man was created "in the image of God" and was given dominion over the animals. In fact, I would posit that only mankind was given a "soul" when the Scripture says:

Genesis 2:7 (ASV) "And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.


We do not read that God breathed into any of the animals in this manner. And I believe that it is at this point that man, although a created, living being was here given the "soul". I see a corollary in redemption found in Ezekiel 37:1-14, and particularly in vv. 8-10.

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but perhaps there will be animals other than man subsequent to the resurrection.
Believing that Isaiah 11, at least in part, refers to the New Heaven and New Earth, it would seem to indicate that there will be animals living alongside of man. (cf. vv. 6-9) Reason would also seem to lend support to the idea as well, since: 1) in the original creation, prior to the Fall, there were animals in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. 2) Animals were included in the Ark with righteous Noah and family and preserved from the ensuing destruction of the earth.

In His Grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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