Do Pets Go to Heaven when They Die?
One question that Christians have often asked over the years is whether or not there will be animals in heaven. Do pets or any animals go to heaven when they die? And if you have researched this topic, I’m sure you have seen and heard many different answers and opinions.
Most people have pets and they love them dearly like family. Couples who are childless even consider their pets as their own children. Our family has pets, cats and dogs, and we love them like family. Unfortunately, we have lost quite a number already. And I am left wondering if I will ever see my dearly departed pets again.
We know from the Bible that there are only two destinations for man when he dies, heaven or hell. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Clearly, man faces judgment immediately upon death. In other words, we will know right away where exactly we are headed the moment our physical life on earth ends.
A Very Sad Day
The day that I had to fly back to the Middle East where I am currently based, our one-month-old puppy Darna succumbed to her death due to dysentery. It was already too late when we realized what was going on with her. Had we known earlier that she was terribly ill; we would have done something to save her.
Everybody was sad, especially my mom, because she was the one who adopted Darna. Our neighbor’s dog gave birth to four lovely puppies and decided to give one to us. Mom named her Darna and we all thought it was perfect for her. We all loved and adored her even though she was a bit stubborn at times.
But after just a month or so, we had to say goodbye to her. It was a very sad day indeed, because not only did we lose the newest member of the family, but it was also the day that I had to go away again because my vacation days are over.
Maybe some of you are thinking, “C’mon, it’s just a dog.” You know what; the pain of losing anyone of our pets is real. If you are a pet owner, I’m sure you can totally relate. We are deeply affected by the loss of our pets because we love and treat them as family, especially when they have been with us for years.
What Does the Bible Say?
While many Christians believe that God will allow our pets to cross over into heaven after they die, there are also a significant number of Christians who believe otherwise. But what does the Bible say?
It is very difficult to give a precise answer to this question because the Scriptures do not conclusively tell us whether our pets will make it to heaven. God does not specifically say one way or the other whether or not any of our personal pets, or any animal for that matter will be crossing over to be with us in heaven.
Many of the noted Bible scholars and theologians also agree with this opinion as they could not find any passages or verses in the Bible that gives us a definitive answer to this question. Nevertheless, I believe that the Bible does provide us with some significant clues on the subject matter.
But before going any further, it is very important to state that if pets do go to heaven, their owners will also have to go to heaven to see them and be with them. The Bible makes it pretty clear that the vast majority of people won’t make it to heaven (See Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-25).
The road to heaven is extremely small and most people, even those who call themselves Christians, will not find it. In fact, even people who think they will go to heaven just because they call Jesus “Lord,” and have done many wonders in the name of Jesus may not make it (Matthew 7:21). That’s why it is critical that we get right with God, otherwise, our chances of seeing our dearly departed pets are zero.
What Does the Bible Say about Animals?
First of all, the Bible does not explicitly say that animals have souls. However, it states that both man and animals have the “breath of life;” (Genesis 2:7; Genesis 1:30; Genesis 7:15, 22) that is, both man and animals are living beings. While I agree that animals are not saved, applying general biblical principles, I believe we can conclude that animals do have souls. They have the capacity to think and feel.
The primary difference is that man is made in the image and likeness of God, while animals are not. And being made in the image and likeness of God, man, like God, is capable of spirituality, with a mind, emotion, and will and they have a part of their being that continues after death. Man has the capacity to choose or reject God’s gift of salvation while animals do not.
A. In the Garden of Eden
Before God even created man, there were already animals and various types of living creatures in the Garden of Eden. God had literally created the animals before creating Adam. Perhaps God did this so Adam would have everything he would need to be happy and fulfilled.
Although God saw that Adam needed a helper comparable to him (Genesis 2: 18) besides the animals, the fact that God had created animals and these living creatures in the first environment He had set up for us speaks volumes of their importance in living with us on this earth. If God did not think animals were important in the big picture, He would have never created them in the first place.
B. In Heaven
God did not only put all these animals on earth but there may also be animals living up in heaven right now.
Revelation 19:11-14 describes Jesus Christ riding on a white horse as He comes back to earth in His Second Coming. And not only He will be riding on a white horse, but so will all of His saints who will be coming back down with Him.
If Jesus and all of His saints are going to be coming down from heaven on these white horses, then there literally has to be white horses up in heaven right now. And there could easily be other types of animals and creatures living up there as well.
C. In the Coming Millennium
Scripture tells us that not only has God put animals upon this earth when He created it and has kept them here after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, but He will also still allow animals to exist in the coming millennial kingdom where the King, our Lord Jesus will be ruling the entire earth from the city of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 11:6-9 says that there are going to be wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, calves, lions, cows, bears, and cobra snakes in the coming millennium kingdom. And there are probably going to be a lot of the animals that God has created in the past as well.
And take note that these wild animals that existed during the millennium will not be wild and won’t be attacking anyone like many of them do today.
Will There be Animals in the New Heaven and the New Earth?
Will our pets be with us?
Revelation 21:1-2 describes a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away. God will also be bringing with Him the holy city of the New Jerusalem where both He and Jesus will rule forever and ever.
But is God still going to have animals, like our pets, existing and living among us in this New Heaven and New Earth?
The Bible does not give us a clear and definite answer to this question and tradition has often leaned more toward a “No.” However, I do think there are good grounds to hope that God will raise our deceased friends.
The Bible says we only “know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10) while we are living down here on this earth. So yeah, the question of whether pets go to heaven is probably one that we will have to wait until we get to heaven in order to see who has guessed it right.
In Romans 5:5, the apostle Paul says, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” I believe we can rest on the certain truths that whatever heaven is like and whatever God has decided on this or any issue for that matter, it will be good, perfect, and without error.
Three Reasons to Hope that We will See our Pets in Heaven
1. God Loves Animals too and has Ensured their Survival.
Going back to the creation narrative in Genesis, God releases His blessings for the first time to the animals He created (Genesis 1:21-22). God not only saw His work as “good,” but He blessed the creatures He has made.
Did you know that this is the first time the word “bless” is used in the Bible? God’s blessings enabled the animals and other creatures to reproduce abundantly and to enjoy all that He had made for them.
God’s blessing of progeny is later given to man in Genesis 1:28 with the added gift of “dominion” over all creation.
Later in Genesis 6:18-19 when God decides to destroy the earth with a flood because of its increasing wickedness, God makes a covenant with Noah reaffirming the blessing to be “fruitful and multiply,” at the same time ensuring the survival of every kind of animal.
2. Animals are an Integral Part of the Bible’s Story.
Can you honestly tell the story of the Bible or the story of the cross without animals? Animals are interwoven into Scripture narratives either as actual actors or important metaphors.
Here’s to name just a few:
a) Many of the plagues of Egypt include animals as servants of God’s will (frogs, lice or gnats, flies, livestock, locusts).
b) Jonah is swallowed up by a large sea creature (Jonah 1:17).
c) Balaam’s donkey displays the power of God by speaking (Numbers 22:27-30).
d) Jesus rides as King on a donkey in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:4-7).
e) The Devil takes the form of a serpent (an animal) in order to deceive Adam and Eve.
f) Jesus is described by John as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29) and the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5).
With all these references to animals, many of which are integral to the story of the Scriptures, it seems strange for God not to make a way for them to be with us in the afterlife. God obviously loves animals and He knows that we do too.
3. God is Good and He Loves Us.
God loves us and He wants us to be happy. God demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners, by giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross to pay for the penalty of our sins so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life (Romans 5:8; John 3:16).
To want to see our dearly departed pets and ask that they’ll be with us in the future is not to say that God is not enough to make us happy and content. Of course, in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:110) but God also promised that He will make everything new.
Will our pets be present in God’s new kingdom? We do not know for sure. But if animals populated the Garden of Eden, there is a precedent for believing that they will populate “restored” Eden as well.
Conclusion
In closing, I would just like to say that while we cannot say for certain if the pets we enjoy today and those we have lost will make it to heaven, some of the keenest thinkers like C.S. Lewis and Peter Kreeft are convinced that not only animals in general but pets in particular, will be restored in the resurrection.
Listen to what Dr. Michael Brown, a Jew who believes in Yeshua as the Messiah, has to say as regards the question of pets going to heaven.
If God will be giving us all a glorified body at the resurrection, who is to say that God cannot resurrect our pets so they will be able to live with us in heaven and then eventually in the New Heaven and New Earth for all eternity?
God resurrecting our pets would be in total keeping with His overwhelming grace, love, and goodness. Do I hope to see my pets in heaven? Absolutely! I could be wrong, but I personally trust God that at the end of the day, He knows what makes me happy and always has my best interest at heart. So no matter what, I know it will be what’s best.
Do you also hope to see your pets in heaven? Please do share with me your thoughts by leaving your comments below.
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Recommended Resource:
Signs From Pets In The Afterlife: Identifying Messages From Pets In Heaven by Lyn Ragan
Signs from beloved pets are seen by thousands every day.
Some communications are received in ways that do require an acute awareness as well as more interpretation. From the Heavens above, signs are shared by deceased pets to connect with the families they left behind.
Many times, these gifts are unseen or are difficult to identify. Learning to speak the Language of Spirit requires practice but once identified, the joy of hearing from your pet in spirit can bring great comfort.
This book is an ABC narrative for identifying signs, messages, and signals from the afterworld. It shares a simple way to look for, and read, communications from pets in the hereafter.
For anyone looking to continue their relationship with a beloved pet in the afterlife, this book can help you identify their gifts from heaven.
Love lives forever… and so do our souls…
25 Replies to “Do Pets Go to Heaven when They Die?”
I do not know whether animals will be in heaven or not, but I do absolutely know that God cares for them.
GOD RAISED MY BISHON FROM THE DEAD!. My wife and I were sitting in the living room when the table lamp went off. I thought it might be a tripped breaker, so I began to look for the cause. I noticed that something else was still on, on the table, so i began tracing the electric cord down.
There is when I found our puppy “Angel” (appropriately named) with the cord wedged firmly in her teeth, being constantly shocked. This had been going on for several minutes.
I unplugged the cord and pulled it out of her teeth. She was STONE COLD DEAD! No pulse and not breathing. My wife called our Minister son and his wife who were shopping in Lowes, and they began to pray.
My Daughter-in law said that you could hear him all over the store. My wife continued to pray, while I gave Angel mouth to nose cpr, and pumped her chest. After several minutes of this, I felt a small shudder and a faint pulse. She began to breathe.
This was after about ten to fifteen minutes of no breath or pulse. I picked up off the bed and went and sat down in my easy chair, holding her in my arms.
Suddenly she wiggled and jumped down to the floor and began to play. This is not a fairy tale. As I said, I don’t honestly know if she will go to Heaven, but I can positively say that God does Care about our pets.
God bless all pet lovers!
Rev. Robert Langston
Jersey City New Jersey
What an amazing story of how God raised your dog from the dead, thanks for sharing.
God does love and care for our pets too, no doubt about that.
Shalom!
I have several reasons to believe that there is a high probability that people who love their pets will have them in eternity. Here are a few from the Bible:
1. In Genesis, God’s original plan was for man and creatures to live in the Garden in harmony without death (death is a wage for sin and came about because of man’s fall). I have heard some say “Man was supposed to be eternal but not the animals.” But if that were the case then why does it say in Genesis 1:29-30 that God gave man AND every beast the herbs to eat (implying that all ate plants and didn’t kill or eat meat so most likely no death)?
So that implies to me the animals were going to live alongside man in harmony for eternity until the fall.
2. Noah and his family were brought onto the ark along with representatives of the animals which were saved for man’s sake.
3. Ecclesiastes 3:14 ” I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything was taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” “whatsoever” is like “whosoever” it’s all-inclusive God created it so it will be forever.
(That is probably why God has no choice but to separate those who reject Him in Hell instead of just annihilating them.) God didn’t just create the body but also the mind and the part of them that makes them individual. (I realize animals don’t have a soul but anyone who has a dog or cat knows there is individuality in them).
4. 2 Samuel 12:1-5 “For those who like to use them without natural affection route) describes in perfect detail a pet and talks about how the man loved the little ewe AS A DAUGHTER.
King David while guilty of heinous sins was still a man after God’s own heart and was angered at the story and in fact was going to give the same punishment to the man for killing the man’s pet as if he had killed one of the man’s children – death
5. While I don’t have to have my pets in eternity to be happy, God would be enough… I also wouldn’t have to have a mansion (the mansion is just icing on the cake) but God wants to lavish His bride so why would he withhold anything (while I would love to have the mansion I would rather have my pets, but I am overjoyed with going to get the Mansion).
A person can desire to have their pets with them without it belittling how much they love God. Just like a person can look forward to having the mansion but if the mansion becomes the priority that’s where a problem develops.
A lot of Christians who are not close to animals have a lack of empathy for people who are close to animals. It seems like some of the things they love to use (I don’t mean this derogatorily towards other Christians I just think it is done out of ignorance) are – “the person loves the animal more than God,” “the person is without natural affection,” “if the person loves their pet that much than they have put the pet on too high of a position and they must not be right with God,” “you shouldn’t need your pet in eternity to be happy” etc…
I think they are looking at the situation wrong. I know there are people that, yes, do love their pet in the wrong way maybe by loving it more than people, etc. But that isn’t what I am talking about nor do I believe most people fall into that category.
Anyway, I have other reasons but this is way too long as is so I will end it with that…
God loves us and why would he withhold something so simple from us?
So in conclusion, I have full faith that when God says that the earth will be remade perfect that that also includes the animals and He will have them there and we will enjoy them just as we will the mansion and streets of gold.
Thanks for the extensive explanation with biblical verses to support them.
What a comfort to know that we will again see our pets who have gone ahead in the new heaven and earth.
I have owned many pets and loved them all. The pets I have now had them blessed. I hope and pray they do go to heaven as they truly have unconditional love. They never get mad with us and always show us pure love. It maybe a small tiny way but it’s God’s small lesson to us.
The pure love God has for us … If we can love our pets we can now begin to understand unconditional love and say if I love my pet God loves me more. Gods love is overwhelming we need to learn this is how great the father loves us.
So, one will think twice about sinning because it was his will that he died for us and wants us in heaven with him. And just maybe when we learn this we can thank him for how wonderful he is.
How happy we are to have finally brought him in our life …. and walk with him and know what unconditional love really is.
Learn to put the Lord first over everything and know he wants us in heaven. I know it sounds crazy but our Lord shows and teaches us in many ways.
Thank you father!
You are absolutely right, Lesley.
Sometimes God uses even our pets to teach us about unconditional love.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, God bless you more!
I just came across this.
And though the bible doesn’t explicitly say that our pets will be with us in heaven, we know from scripture that the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
And we know that God did not create anything to die. “…the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption…”
Logic seems to imply that our pets will live again.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts; I appreciate you joining the discussion.
You are right; the Bible does not explicitly say that animals who die would be in heaven. But I am really hopeful because I am standing on the promises of God and in His love and compassion.
Needless to say, we will find out when the day comes. ☺
I had to laugh at, “dogs and cats don’t get along well,” But the sad truth is that God was alone and he made the fuzzy ones to comfort his need to not be alone and loved before us. And the other hard truth is, cats and dogs might have their differences, but in time the two under one roof will one day be caught snuggling.
Whilst at the same time, two people may have grown great hatred and even tend to kill each other before a dog will a cat or a cat to a dog. In most cases, cats and dogs in a family home either connect or tolerate each other’s presence eventually.
While people seem to get pretty cruel to each other, even to our spouses, between parent and child, and any way around. I can assure you the family will fall apart much quicker than the loving and/or simply-tolerable relationship between a family cat/dog ever will in the same home.
Don’t be foolish, he did make them first. Don’t allow the flesh to fool the eyes, because that’s exactly how the devil uses his disguise. Between you and I, and all the living, please take this next word really seriously, and BREATHING, flesh-bodied, blood-flowing, made with a heart and brain, a divine gift of free will and the ability to move freely, your body, in your own time; that is what God has given to us all.
Those animals, we were once as they were, speechless and without order, relentless only to repopulate and survive, and this same way from the very first beginning of all our divine, gift of existence; not so unlike the animals of this world.
Ever considered God made them without the ability to speak, as they know more than you could ever possibly hear to believe with your ears? God gave them the breath of life, the same as you and I, and he gave it to them before us so don’t mistake his absence of words for a reason to say that all breath-breathing, blood-flowing, heart-pumping, and brain-active creatures aren’t equal as you and I.
It’d be a mistake if the speechless love of your beloved pets weren’t God’s test of your love and belief in world-changing equality through accepting the differences in all forms of breath-gifted life. Ever wonder why their life is only 10% of the time till you die?
God wants to see, in certain people, if even through different flesh, we can still share a home, a bond, and see the soul’s presence deep within their eyes; to see if we love them so much to hold them tight, pray over them, holding onto them as God sure hold on us, as we begin to surely die.
The only ones that did not give God’s sacred breath like the creatures and you and I were the plants on land and in water, which constantly provide. The air that we breathe tries to keep us much longer alive when the truth is told.
God wants you to love him so dearly, that all his creatures, even you and I, are willing to give that breathe bag and say, “God, screw all of this world, I want to come home and be loved by your mere presence, and find my 10 cats, and 12 dogs, two birds and even that dang snake that escaped so long ago that I never could find.
Sitting with you, just waiting to see me choose to accept the truth that you’re perfect and will always provide, more than the world no life can truly ever survive. I promise you all of your breath-gifted pets are there waiting so patiently for you all to arrive.
It is ‘humans’ that truly are burdened with the ability to speak and say whether are not things are true. Think very wisely as if ever God really ever did speak, or just performed actions divine. Giving us his word, only to do exactly what Satan is here to provide.
A stack of words, built up over generations, to mislead you on whether to go left or go right and to even question if left and right are even still on the same side or have words manipulated that too. Can you really trust words not that you knew; that speech is not a blessing, it’s a snake just waiting to bite, and not your pet snake, the one the devil uses to hide?
Through thousands of years and generations, just think of the damage all the misleading information that speech has truly shown to provide. You are still even so sure, that the words in a book, haven’t been tampered with to make you believe lies. Do not trust the world, so much only trust God.
He did not say the Bible would never be manipulated or changed; only that if whoever, ever, even did it would surely be punished forever for that sort of manipulation it would cause to thrive in all of the worlds; exactly the same punishment that, to the devil, God is sure to provide.
It really is all promised but all is not as it was made. The world will never be perfect like God made it, and saw it on that last night of creation, as he rested, seeing its beauty, the good he did provide. But thousands of years, and the devil can carve out a lot of what still holds true to this world, and without using a knife.
Remember one thing, the tongue can cut deeper wounds than any sharp objects this world could possibly provide. Ask yourself, “is it God who is with you,” at your bed every night, or is your sacred breath wasted on words the devil provides?”
Be careful with this warning I bring into your lives. I’m not trying to sound rude I read every night, pray and speak to him with every minute that passes me by. I promise he’s been careful of ANYTHING this world could possibly provide.
These words are all just reason for the devil to sit back and see all of us, so distracted, as we do fight; for what we believe from words that our Lord did not truly speak clearly to you one night. If I was the devil, I’d think it’d be perfect to move around the world with such separate religion and beliefs to provide.
Then sit back and watch the world fall into war and into God’s judgment, and the hatred we have used books to provide. Imagine a world without a word, what argument to anything could possibly Arise if we’re unable to first argue about what he, she, we; that only you believe is right?
We got all twisted; it wasn’t simply because the world did divide; words are the one thing that caused this world to fall into ruin and cause those prophecies to arise. Now God has no choice but to cleanse the world of the sin, that we would never have known, if the words weren’t there, playing tricks on the mind, and causing us to pollute his creation with ideas that, sure may be helpful at times.
But please, my family, do not be so blind. Thousands of years have literally brought this world down on its knees, begging us to step back and not misbelief and think we have the right to create a new world, as if we have power, just as He, our God, our Yahweh, Lord of the heavens who gave us a perfect world to provide all that we need and air that once was so clean.
Look what we’ve tried to create, what we’ve done, now our elders can’t even hardly stand to breathe. Words made ideas, and ideas turned to the ability to hopelessly create, a world to each ‘our’ own image, and then our difference began to multiply at a pace so irate.
Now even your neighbor dislikes you for maybe just a word-made-up thought that could possibly not even be right; but that didn’t stop the other guy neighbor from killing his neighbors just down the street, on the other side of your city block, with a man-made, humanely created, simple-concrete rock that had already broke from the street that was made by people just only a few years ago.
Don’t you see, we’re so foolish to think we can trust any word not directly from God, that’s just the devil’s way to force God into watching society rot. But he is definitely coming to save us all from the world we’ve been sold by a misleading devil, older than times we could even know how truly old?
Cuz time is just what we’ve been told, it all is only what we’ve been told through others, also stuck in a world with the devil with stories to try to mislead your soul. Surely if you make it to heaven before God comes to give to Satan, His very last battle he will ever have caught. Surely you’ll see your dear pets just like you hope and pray for God, as if he would ever be able to forget the love he caves ALL his creatures, through the simple divine gift of his very sacred breath.
We are wasting with all the ignorant talk. We do it every day, while the devil giggles away, but surely God needs your pets as surely as you, that’s why they have breath just as you do. For how could he find a devilish snake, able to hide in this world without enough creature to sniff, to dig, to search deep grass, dense woods, and the deep water we surely can’t as great fully tread?
He’s taking them sooner than you, for the Simplist truth. He made you think and Gave you thought to out-think a demon with equal ability to you. He just had to let us have it, to give us a chance, for the war would have long been over if Satan was the only one with the ability of speech, leading the world to bow at his feet.
So all he could do is mislead the world just like God said he surely would do, twist every word through generations until we believe only what we now think to be true. We can no longer find the devil, wherever he’s hiding, but times are way overdue.
Surely in times too soon, all the creatures who pass so early, so much sooner to do; have a job that with the distraction of words and the difference that they made due, we simply just cannot due. Call them ‘hell-hounds’ as all would do.
But you called your dog a snake dog when he was hunting serpents for you. Now God needs his hell-hound to sniff out the devil and give him his eternal punishment, the one we all knew was way, so overdue. Think hell-hounds sent from the heavens are crazy, can’t imagine what the other creatures blessed without speech and the manipulation that secrets from it like fresh dew; when they come back with God’s army to hunt for the devil and make the world all new.
New as in, like it’s never-never been before. A world back and open, ready to explore. In all of our speech-to-thought-driven creations, we literally killed each other to make them true. It’s all going to be gone; just like me, and like you.
Nothing will matter except your choice at the moment. God shows you this truth and says not one word but looks down at you. I promise you’ll forget everything in life and bow, worshipping, begging for him to forgive you.
Choose God now before he confronts you and all the heavens see the devil had you, like all of the others that just listen and believe all that’s in a book, and others have mixed in their mind and then passed to you. Ask for forgiveness now. This world we have made is not God’s world, it’s a world we destroyed to create what we wanted to escape and feel comfortable with.
Twisted from speech that infected our minds, and made us feel needing to claim a piece of what is not yours, nor his mind. So, you could all sit comfy and believe whatever you damn liked, feeling so good in a world God made so perfect for you before words turned to thoughts that made us create something not really new.
Just a dirty, breathing dying world; thinking that God would bless you in all this we did together all do. We ruined God’s creation, and ate the animals he told us to protect, no wonder the birds are scared to even be close to almost any living person. We killed them, then we ate them, even though God provided plants, every protein, vitamin, and every fruit.
But we cut those trees down so you could sit your butt down right on their root, their baby-tree children now rotting slowly above you, but it’s nice to be a self-loving and comfortable you.
Please beg for forgiveness, God knows it’s too late for me or for you to change all that’s become, but you’re still alive, and God’s armies haven’t quite broken through. There is definitely still time, at least a moment to ask God to forgive you for not knowing, believing, and consuming a world that now is consuming you.
It needs to be cleansed as He surely will do. I only hope you find redemption through God before he must cleanse you along with this world that we surely morphed from God’s vision and into our own. We’re failing this test right as the devil wants us to do. Cling to our Father, not to a book, to a house, or a car that’s so shiny to you.
Not even to the words you think have any true control over anything you think and choose you should do. Surely let go of all we have changed and have foolishly thought we had the divine right to even consider creating. Cling to Him, who soon, surely comes to heaven before He has to cleanse you from the world too.
Love God and each other, even the dog too. That’s all God really ever asked us ever to do. Pray now or forever be lost in the deep darkness of the pit our Lord coming to push Satan and all his misleading followers right on into.
I ask for forgiveness for what I’ve written today. I know it’s hard to realize all this today. Maybe tomorrow, maybe another few days? You really want to play the dice game that Satan rolls around in your hands every day.
Choose now or forever, and I mean forever you stay.
You’re absolutely right; in the eternal state, all animals will get along with one another and with humans as well.
In regards to what you said that God purposely made the animals unable to speak, actually, they do speak. However, they speak their own language ☺.
And when you said that humans are cruel for eating animals; I believe you are forgetting that later on in the book of Genesis, God also gave man animals for food. But of course, not all of them.
Thanks for your very long comment. I just wished you made your point clear and direct.
My Shepard is passing of cancer soon and I strongly believe he’ll be with the Lord. For an animal to have so much love and devoted service God must have a special place for them. It is only God’s choice as to where they go.
I am hoping to meet up with him when my time is up.
God bless you for your entries; it is helping me deal with my loss.
Sorry to hear about your Shepard, Fabian. I know exactly how it is to lose a dearly loved pet because my family experienced this several times already.
Our pets are part of the family and so when they die, we mourn. But it would really be a great encouragement to know that we will see them again in the afterlife.
I hope you will feel much better soon.
This insight regarding God and animals is so encouraging. Our daughter had to put her precious Maltipoo to sleep three days ago and it has been devastating.
I’m so sorry about Maltipoo; your daughter must be very sad. It’s always devastating to lose a pet. Some people who do not necessarily like pets don’t get it but we certainly do.
Hopefully, we will all see our beloved pets in heaven when the time comes.
I know my dog is going to die in the next few days. I have asked my Dad, who is in spirit to meet him at Rainbow 🌈 Bridge.
For those who don’t know what Rainbow Bridge is, it’s the bridge that divides the world of the living and the dead. When a loved one dies they cross over this bridge where animal loved ones greet once human family members.
I know this exists I have seen it.
Take comfort people!
Hi Gary,
I have never heard of the Rainbow Bridge. Thus I cannot comment on it.
But it’s a comfort to have even the slightest hope that pet lovers would see their departed pets in the next life.
Thanks for uplifting our spirits. God bless …
All creation (except mankind) have been given a time to live and then die. Hopeful wishes of seeing pets or any other animal that has lived and died or that are living until Jesus calls us who are His children 1st Dead and 2nd Alive to be caught up in the clouds with Him into Heaven is just that: Hopeful wishes.
God certainly gave life to animals to live out their lives for this TIME and not carry over into Eternity. Only mankind has been promised an eternal spirit and soul, not animals. There will be animals on the New Earth but not the animals of this TIME we are traveling through.
The Bible says God gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Animals are incapable of believing in God. Animals have only instinct and as it was pointed out in an earlier comment and shown/proven from the Bible God gave man dominion over the animals.
I truly am sorry for all of your losses of each of your beloved animals/pets. I too have had many pets and have been dedicated to their welfare while they lived. As the Bible says. “… to the Hope (belief in Jesus) that is in us (mankind).” Animals are incapable of of this Hope in Jesus.
Now I am sure that many who read this will be mad at me and disregard this entry but even the one who originated this page has readily admitted there is no concrete Bible verse that promises eternal life to animals/pets. Only mankind has been given this opportunity of Salvation for Eternal Life through Jesus the Son of God.
Blessings to all!
Hey Doug,
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Losing a dearly beloved pet is not something that we can just shrug off and then we’ll say, “Okay, it’s time to get a new one!” We need time to mourn the same way we do for family or loved ones. In fact, the pain is more severe when we know that we won’t be able to see them and be with them again in the next life.
I do agree with everything you said and I believe most Christians hold the same view in regards to our pets going to heaven when they die. And yeah, wishing or hoping that we would be reunited with our pets is just wishful thinking.
However, I find it interesting that a lot of Christians, including respected theologians believe otherwise. I just went over to Amazon and saw quite a number of books saying there are biblical evidence that animals do go to heaven.
I would really love to see all my dearly departed pets in heaven but I won’t be disappointed if I don’t because I am sure that when we are in the presence of our Lord, there will be no room for sorrow.
God bless you more!
Doug, I understand where you are coming from but there are a few points I disagree with (not mad at all and don’t mean this disrespectful). I just think you may not be seeing it from a certain point of view. You stated (and I will paraphrase to cut down writing), “God gave life to animals to live for this TIME and not eternity…”
Death is a wage of sin before the fall; the original plan was no death (some I have heard say that was only for man but if that’s the case why in Genesis 1:29-30 does it says God gave man AND EVERY beast the herb of the field to eat that implies to me no animals killed and ate other animals so that implies no death to me.
So by that, I believe that the original plan was for man and beast to live in harmony forever. Another thing and I use to look at it the same way as most Christians do is “an animal can’t be saved” but that’s apples and oranges because animals don’t need to be saved. It’s because they are not responsible for their actions; they are “innocent” and they don’t know the difference (kind of like a baby doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong).
Also, another point is they are for this time but my question would be, what about Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
“Whatsoever” is like “whosoever” it’s all-inclusive. God created it so it will be forever (that is probably why God has no choice but to separate those who reject Him in Hell instead of just annihilating them.)
God didn’t just create the body but also the mind and the part of them that makes them individual. I realize animals don’t have a soul but anyone who has a dog or cat knows there is individuality in them.
I hope you don’t take this as an attack. I honestly don’t mean it that way; maybe you just haven’t thought about these things. The thing is, I for many years thought the EXACT same thing and most Christians do – “Animals CAN’T be saved.”
But I believe that is the wrong way to look at it because they are not fallen the way man is. Man is the one who fell in the Garden of Eden and by that the animals “rode his coattails” into the curse, the animals didn’t bring about the fall so they are not responsible for the fall the way man is but they share his punishment.
However, the way the animals “rode Noah’s coat tail on the ark” I believe they will be in eternity for man’s sake.
Sorry about it being so long and I honestly did not see this way until I started studying about it because a woman I worked with lost her dog and was very upset and asked me the question.
God bless.
First off I want to say I am so sorry you lost your dog Darna. I have had many pets in my life and losing them is very painful. I love your choice of scripture to this answer and I agree that most important is whether we are even in heaven to be reunited with our pets. I think we have to make sure we are focused on the right things because as the scripture says broad is the way that leads to destruction.
God Bless you and may the Lord increase our understanding.
Hello Melissa,
Thanks for stopping by. We really do get attached to our pets that’s why it’s rather hard losing any of them. We grieve when we lose a loved one and we also grieve when we lose a pet. However, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says we should not sorrow as other who have no hope because we will be reunited with out departed loved ones. It’s just my hope that we will also be reunited with our departed pets. God loves animals too so I don’t see any reason why He won’t let them into heaven.
You are absolutely right in saying that focusing on the right things, that is, godly things is very important if we want to find the narrow gate that leads to heaven. Although we are saved by grace alone and not our good works (Ephesians 2:8-9), our faith is proved genuine by the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifested in our lives.
May God bless you more!
It’s so sad to hear the passing of Darna.
I’ve had pets that passed when I wasn’t aware, and I’ve also had pets that waited until I was present and literally passed in my hands. It’s equally heartbreaking in both cases, and I hope you will be able to recover from this loss soon.
Despite not being a Christian, I do believe in the afterlife and I wish dearly for my pets to be reunited with me in the afterlife. We can perhaps reincarnate together, or I’ll stay a while longer, seeing them off to reincarnation while waiting for those who have yet to pass. Either way, I refuse to accept the fact that our pets will disappear just like that.
Dear Rachel,
It’s been almost 2 months since our dear Darna passed away. And although her life was cut short too soon and we didn’t get to see her grow up, I am hopeful that we will see her again, along with our pets who have also gone ahead.
I think most people even if they do not share the same worldview, believe in the afterlife. We believe that after our physical life here on earth awaits another one that is much better. But what about our pets? We cannot say for certain what becomes of them and if we will still see them. But like I said in my article, God knows what’s best for me.
I may not share your belief in reincarnation but I do respect that. I just hope you will consider looking into the strong evidence for Christianity and you will also come to believe in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus who took upon Himself the sins of the “world” just so we will not be eternally condemned in hell; but that will be in heaven in the presence of God, and maybe, just maybe, we will be reunited with our pets.
Thanks Rachel you for visiting.
We have two dogs that we love, will they go to heaven when they die is a good question, a better question is will me and my wife go to heaven?
As you pointed out, both parents and dogs have to be in the same place in order for any interaction to take place.
Sorry for the lost of your dog Darna.
I believe that dogs and other animals have souls, and that the spirit of the Lord is with us all. It is odd that there is no direct mention of whether or not dogs go to heaven in the scriptures.
Several points that you made like, Jesus riding on a white horse in the second coming, the flood, and the saving of all those animals, and the fact that animals where present before man, these to me help to indicate that dogs do go to heaven.
Hello Harold,
Wow, you have two dogs too, that’s wonderful! I wonder if you also like cats. It’s common knowledge that dogs and cats don’t get along well but I’m here to say that they can actually be the best of friends.
You’re right, the most important question here before we even think if our pets are going to heaven is: will we go to heaven when we die? The Bible is very clear, Jesus has already purchased our “ticket” to heaven, all we have to do is receive it by faith.
It really hurts whenever we lose a pet because to us they’re not just animals, they’re family and we love them dearly. And although we cannot be completely confident that we’re going to see our beloved pets again, we can always rest in the promise of God’s love and grace that He wants us to be perfectly happy.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, may the Lord richly bless you and your family. Shalom!