Will there be pets in heaven?
This topic has been debated time and time again. And the answer still seems to be a mystery. Some of us have pets that are considered family members and have brought love and attention to wagging tails of delight or purrs of approval. Pets today come in all forms, such as: dogs, cats, fish, turtles, snakes, guinea pigs and the list goes on. Our children have grown so attached to their pets, that they may even treat them like a brother or sister. Unfortunately there comes a time when we all must die. And when a pet dies, do they go to heaven or not?
The Bible does not give an explicit teaching on whether pets or animals have souls or if they will go to heaven. But the Bible does say that both man and animals have the breath of life. Genesis 2:7 says, “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” God shows us that man is a compound being, having a body and soul distinctly and separately created. And Genesis 1:30 says, “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all creatures that move on the ground- everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food. And it was so.”
The difference between humans and animals is that man was made in the image of God and animals were not. We are capable of spirituality with our mind, our emotions and our will or choices. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We have a part of our being that will continue even after death. Since animals were not created in the image of God and are not capable of spirituality, this difference could mean that pets do not continue in existence after death or go to heaven.
Because the Bible doesn’t really speak on this subject, we should consider that when God created animals in Genesis 1:25, he said “they were good.” When the new earth and heaven form, we could find animals there. Because of his good creation, he may not want them destroyed. During the millennial or thousand year kingdom, Isaiah 11:6-9 says, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down 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.” This scripture suggests that animal life will exist during this time.
We don’t know all of what God’s plan will be concerning our pets in heaven. We would love to know that our pets, that we loved so dearly here on earth, will dwell forever with us in heaven. But who knows? Because our God is a just God, whatever decision He makes on this issue, will be in complete agreement with His will in heaven.
Here’s what you should do now…
I hope you have learned a lot from this article – if so:
- click the retweet button, google plus or facebook share below to share with your friends and family.
- Share your comments with others.
- Sign up for my FREE Newsletter and Subscribe to my blog!
Wanda L. Ball~
