Audio commentary on this verse

Note 5 at Rom. 8:20: Many people have thought that the part of creation that is being spoken of here is human beings. However, the contrast made in verses 22-23 clearly exempts the saints from this group. In verse 21 it speaks of the creature being "delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." If "creature" were referring to unsaved people, then this would mean ultimate reconciliation of the human race to God, which is not the teaching of scripture. Therefore, it is most probable that the part of creation being spoken of here is all of creation, living and non-living, excluding humans. Paul is speaking of how all of creation did not choose to rebel at God. It was just mankind that sinned. Yet the Lord brought all the rest of creation against their choice into our cursed state with us so He could also redeem them with mankind.

Take, for example, the animal creation. Genesis 1:30 says that all the animals were given the green herbs of the field for their food. There were no carnivorous beasts. Yet after man's rebellion, parts of the animal creation began to devour one another as we see today. This was not God's original plan and it was not because of a specific sin on the animal's part that this happened. God subjected the animal creation to the same vanity (see note 6 at this verse, below) that man had come into in the hope of redeeming them also.

The animal creation as well as the inanimate creation will be delivered from the corruption that we now see to walk in the glorious liberty of the children of God. It is not clear that every animal that has ever lived will be resurrected, but it is clear that the animal creation will be represented.

The scriptures declare this freedom for the creation when it speaks of the child playing with the snake (Isa. 11:8); the wolf and the leopard dwelling peacefully with sheep; and the lion and lamb, cow and bear dwelling together and eating straw like the ox (Isa. 11:6-7; also Isa. 65:25). We know that in heaven there are animals since the saints ride white horses at the second return of Jesus (Rev. 19:14).

So, in summary, the animal creation was plunged into the same degenerate state as mankind so that they could also be redeemed with us into liberty. Therefore, it can be expected that on the new earth where the saints will live for eternity (Rev. 21:1-7), there will be animals living in harmony with each other and mankind as God originally designed in His first creation.

Note 6 at Rom. 8:20: The Greek word that was translated "vanity" here is the word "mataiotes" which means "emptiness as to results." In this verse it specifically means "failing of the results designed, owing to sin" (W.E. Vine). This is speaking of the non-human creation (see note 5 at this verse, above) being subjected to a corruption (v. 21) that was not God's original design.