It can be a hard thing when one loses a pet. There are times when a pet becomes a better companion than most people. The problem is beloved pets are rather short-lived over humans. A dog’s average lifespan from what I heard is 13 years. Some dogs live longer than that. I really always asked what God’s will be about pets. Some Christians can have questions about their pets. Animals have no need for salvation. Losing unsaved loved ones can hurt more than losing a pet. It’s because at this very moment–every unsaved person is still stuck in their incorrigibility in Hell like the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Losing saved friends and relatives isn’t much of a sadness. Some saved people have died and I felt sadness but not for long, knowing that they’ve graduated into glory. Meanwhile, there’s the question if Christians can be reunited with their pets to whom they have been somewhat too attached. It can be a very tricky question to answer.
Years ago, I did notice that some people have lost their pets. I’ve lost some too. It can be a painful experience. I did consult Got Questions and I do feel this comfort that it’s God’s will be done:
My wife and I have a German Shepherd. This is the third German Shepherd we have owned. I truly enjoy the unique personality that the breed possesses. As much as he can sometimes be a pain, and even though the dog food expense is hurting our budget, I love my dog. I think it would be wonderful to be able to see my three German Shepherds, and any subsequent pets I own in the future, in heaven. However, my ability to look forward to and long for heaven is not dependent on whether my pets will be there waiting for me. Ultimately, heaven is about God, not us. If God decides to resurrect our pets and allow us to spend time with them in heaven, fantastic. If God does not decide to do this, it will not make heaven any less enjoyable. Heaven will be perfect, and we will be perfectly satisfied with it, whether or not our pets are there.
What does the Bible say about whether pets go to heaven? Genesis 1:25 indicates that animals are good. Revelation 21:1 indicates that heaven will be a re-creation, a New Earth. Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25 describe animals living in perfect harmony with humanity and one another, likely during the Millennial Kingdom, but some interpret the Isaiah passages as speaking of the New Earth. So, while the Bible does not explicitly state there will be animals on the New Earth, there is no reason given in the Bible for why there could not be animals on the New Earth. Whether some of these animals would be our pets brought back to life is another matter.
It is important to distinguish between humanity and the animal kingdom. While both humanity and the animals had life breathed into them (Genesis 1:30; 2:7; 6:17; 7:15), only humanity is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Many believe part of being created in the image of God is the existence of immaterial life, i.e., a soul/spirit. It is possible that since animals are not created in the image of God, that they do not have immaterial life, and therefore there is nothing that continues after physical death. However, again, as we see in Revelation 21, heaven will be, in part, a physical existence on a physical planet. So, there is nothing in the fact that only humanity is created in the image of God that would preclude God from bringing our pets back to life and placing them on the New Earth.
The key point in all of this is that whatever God’s decision is on this issue, we will be perfectly happy with it. The presence/absence of our pets in heaven will not matter to us once we arrive there. Again, I sincerely hope my German Shepherds will be there. It would be wonderful to never have to say “bad dog” and see those brown puppy dog eyes looking back at me with sadness. If they are not in heaven, though, I will still joyfully worship God for all of eternity!
Heaven is really ultimately about God. My own belief is that God will restore all creation, all animals, and it means from every animal eaten to every pet that died, to every pest terminated, and all creation will be restored in harmony. The Millennial Reign of Jesus will create a restoration of nature though animal sacrifices (of clean animals) will still be done as a lesson for those who will be born in that era. I do believe that every last animal sacrifice during the Millennium will also be resurrected for the New Heavens and the New Earth. The happiness of every believer depends on one factor–the presence of God. That means even if the pets won’t be there (which I think they will if God wills it)–the presence of God is much greater happiness than any temporal pet here on Earth.
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