Animals in Heaven?
When I was growing up, our family always had a dog for a pet. I do truly love dogs (in general); it is a great blessing to enjoy this special creation of God! Dogs usually offer their owners genuine affection, and companionship. They are yet another example of our Lord’s loving touch in our lives. Dogs are but one of many kinds of animals that God has made for our use.
So while we are here on earth, at many times people form great emotional attachments with various “companion” type animals. Some also become greatly grieved at the loss of a close pet; I will define a pet as any animal one may be emotionally attached to, not merely those which might share your home. That mourning can be quite distressing, and sometimes leads to questioning about what will happen to that pet after it dies. In other words, will that pet be in Heaven?
True followers of Christ should always turn first into the Word of God for answers. Perhaps many believers would get discouraged at this point—there isn’t a whole lot to find about the subject directly. Yet you will find it if you look! God’s people need to be people of truth; that means to serve the Lord at His Word, and not to make up stories built upon untrue speculations (II Corinthians 10:5).
God created all the birds, and all life that exists in the water on the fifth day. All of the land animals were created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:20-25), just ahead of man himself. Only mankind was created in God’s image, and to him was given dominion (authority, rule) over all other life. Animals have a role to play in God’s creation; a very special purpose, as is every work of God.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26-28
So mankind was given authority over all the earth and its creatures, in the beginning (Psalms 115:16). By the entrance of sin, this dominion was then forfeited to Satan (Luke 4:5,6; II Corinthians 4:4). Please note that this exchange of authority is given to another highly developed spiritual being (Ezekiel 28:12-17), not to any lesser animal.
The core difference between man and beast, is found in relation to being created in God’s image. Even as our creator is 3 personas in 1 divine being (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; I John 5:7), so is man (flesh, soul, spirit). In truth, man is a spiritual being, temporarily confined in the flesh.
God’s Word often uses the terms soul and spirit, in reference to our Lord Jesus’ creation (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16), interchangeably. But for our understanding, it is easy to say that while man is body, soul, and spirit, animals are merely body and soul. The body is, of course, simply the outer flesh appearance. The soul can be defined as personality—unique to each person or animal. Mankind has a spirit; which is the true essence of who we are, and this spirit is also immortal (undying).
The soul of a person is attached to their spirit; when the physical body dies, the soul is carried with their spirit eternally. An animal’s soul is attached to its physical body; when that body dies, the soul dies with it. Let’s read;
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Ecclesiastes 3:20,21
Many, many people attempt to equate Heaven or Hell with extremes that are found here on earth, right now. I do not think that we can even come close to comprehending those eternal estates while here in the flesh. What I do know, is that we must take God’s Word without adding to it or diminishing from it (Deuteronomy 4:2). Animals are a truly wonderful creation; living testimonies of God’s magnificent power, but also of His great love for mankind.
There was a man in England, with a small dairy farm; approximately two dozen cows. His neighbors found him to be quite eccentric; he had names for his cows, and typically would walk out in the pasture among them—speaking to them, patting them affectionately (Most people do not regard cows to be pets, and treated this way!).
One day, a bull from the neighboring pasture got loose, and knocked this man down in the field. As the bull prepared to charge again, the cows formed a protective ring around this “eccentric” man! They (the cows) succeeded in saving their owner until the bull was again put away—but 3 cows had to be destroyed, due to the injuries sustained from the bull. Isn’t God’s creation precious? I dare say that in Numbers 22, we can find a similar example of this.
It is a good thing to care for the animals which God has given us. They are part of His provision for man. A person’s relationship with Christ will be reflected in the treatment of animals. As we find in Proverbs 12:10, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast…”
Yet there are many people, even professing Christians, who regard animals far above men, which are made in God’s image. If you are one of these, or know of someone like this, I would try to speak to such a one with compassion…
People are complex, and often difficult. Animals have more of an innocence about them, and are simple to understand in comparison to humans. And the emotional hurt inflicted by a person can be far worse than an occasional, unfriendly bite from an animal. Jesus said that in these last days, “…because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”—Matthew 24:12. And He also says that men’s hearts shall fail them for fear (Luke 21:26). This really could be a fear of anything; heartbreak, disease, financial hardships—all of these could well happen, due to our human relationships.
Still, the interests of animals should never be placed above human need. It may be understandable how a person came to favor animals over people, but it must not be allowed to remain like that. Continually seek the Lord in prayer, gaining discernment through the Word (II Timothy 3:16,17), with Holy Spirit leading (I John 2:27). Let God do the transforming work that is needed (Romans 12:1,2)!
Jesus tells us that in following Him, we must first deny ourselves; then take up the cross—daily (see Luke 9:23,24)! After these unpleasantries, we will only then be ready to follow Him. Our savior was our great example in this; denying His own will, even by great agonizing, to purchase our redemption. Surely we can submit to His lordship such things as this!
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:42-44
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Hebrews 12:2-4
We will now take the time to look more into scripture, providing additional confirmation for the correct viewpoint. I once knew a professing believer who treated all life as if it were sacred; to the extent of not even killing a fly, or spider in her house! This smacks of new age teachings, and has no Biblical support. God’s created animals are very special—but are made for a purpose, and that is to serve mankind.
Early in the Bible, we find God using animals for sin sacrifices—I think most of us realize that. Yet not only was this type of sacrifice only temporary; the Bible itself shows us that the shed blood of these animals could not take away sin!
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:16,17
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Hebrews 10:4
We can look at the animal sacrifice of the Old Testament as being somewhat equivalent to the baptism in the New Testament. These are each meant to be an outer sign, of an inner change. Yet God accepted multitudes of animals in sacrifice! Again, animals are special as a part of what God has made—but they have a function. They were made to serve mankind; which was created in God’s image. Just look at some of the numbers involved with animal sacrifice;
And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. II Chronicles 1:6
And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. II Chronicles 7:5
As we go forward into the New Testament we find that the animal sacrifices were to end because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of Himself, once for all (Hebrews 7:27, 9:24-28). Yet the diminished regard for animals remains the same, even without the sacrifices. Let’s look at just a few verses which further bring forth this theme;
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
These verses clearly show the value of men (mankind) over sparrows. The sparrows were apparently fairly cheap! The phrase concerning sparrows, “one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father”, is only an affirmation of how intimately God is involved with His creation. The next verse continues that emphasis with, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Our God is omniscient (all-knowing), so nothing escapes His notice! Luke 12:6 & 7 corresponds to these verses in Matthew.
Mark 5:13. In this passage (Mark 5:1-20), Jesus is casting out the Legion of devils from the man in Gadarenes. The devils ask to be sent into a herd of swine, and the Lord permits this. The swine then ran violently into the sea and are drowned—about 2,000 of them!
As God, Jesus absolutely knew what was going to happen to those swine—but He didn’t give it a second thought. In fact, the devils are spiritual beings, as well—fallen angels. So these devils would also be of more value than the swine! Jesus Himself is the creator—so the authority, and priority, are His.
For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. I Corinthians 9:9,10
This passage in I Corinthians 9 is strongly conveying the message of paying church leadership. During this teaching, it refers back to Deuteronomy 25:4, with mention of the ox.
Yes, God cares for oxen—but He has given that responsibility to man. What these verses are saying, is that God has used the oxen illustration to convey a truth for His people’s behavior; somewhat like a parable. But again, these verses show a certain disregard for animals, when taken in proportion to the value of man.
An undue esteem of the importance of animals has been brought forth by a number of false teachings, and to an extent the organized church has been affected by it.
Pantheism is the belief that “all is God”; that which is referred to as new age teachings, is really just pantheism being re-labeled. In this thinking, even animals are part of God!
Reincarnation is a “cycle of life” principle which really proceeds for pantheism, though not openly espoused by all “new-agers.” Reincarnation believes that when a living being seems to die, it is really just a time of transformation into another life. Those who have done poorly in a spiritual sense, will be “reincarnated” as some type of lower animal. Those who have done well, will receive more honor and riches in human form. This belief leads to not killing animals, from the belief that these animals are truly former humans; placing no difference between us and them.
Evolution is a theory that generally denies God’s existence. All living things are supposedly the result of a “random” generating of life from non-life (scientifically impossible). In this framework, then, we are all merely animals of equal value. Sad as it is to say, even this theory has found a home in the hearts of many professing Christians. It is the devil’s delight to deceive even the elect, into believing such heresies. We are no match for our enemy’s cunning, without the Lord; yet with Him (Christ) we are more than conquerors, all praise to God! See Romans 8:37-39.
Still another form of undue esteem for animals is sometimes found in the practice of vegetarian eating. There are many who use this dietary practice purely for health reasons; I see nothing wrong with this type of choice, with this type of consideration.
Yet there are those who are vegetarians so as not to promote killing animals of any kind. This kind of reasoning does not come from God! It would not be proper to assert that the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) is meant for animals. All of God’s teachings in the Word, especially in regard to sacrifices, show that this commandment is meant for humans only.
Some may also improperly assert that mankind is supposed to be vegetarian. It is true that we were originally created to be so, but that isn’t the case anymore. Genesis 1:29,30, give us the basis of an original “vegetarianism.” This changed, however, after the flood. This we find in Genesis 9:1-3. We find the doctrine of meat-eating in many, many scriptures. The passage in I Timothy 4:1-5 shows that the instruction to abstain from meat is a lie; a “doctrine of devils.” Pretty strong, isn’t it? You may choose to be a vegetarian, for certain reasons. I can’t see the Bible saying otherwise. But it is important to know what God actually says on the topic, and not to “teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” See Matthew 15:7-9, Mark 7:13.
It is also possible that some have mistaken other prophecies about animals to mean that they will be in heaven. In passages like Isaiah 11:6-9, or 65:25, indicate a time of peace amongst animals, and between mankind and the animals. Yet a closer examination will show such passages as pertaining to the millennium; the reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years, which follows the battle of Armageddon.
In fact, this “covenant” of peace with the beasts may apply only to God’s people during this time—it certainly appears that way. Revelation 21 and 22 give us a description of the “new heaven” and “new earth”, with the “new Jerusalem” that is to come. Nothing in these chapter would indicate the presence of animals, either. For those who truly love their pets, and want them to be in Heaven, they are really only equating current happiness with what will be eternally. But we all will have changed; our existence, our value system, will all be different! God gave us animals to truly enrich our lives here on earth, but that is a temporary standing. It is well to love animals, and praise God for them; but we must not allow them to have a place of disproportionate affection in our lives. People have been made in God’s image; as followers of Christ, it is only right to focus importance on more ministry toward them (II Corinthians 5:18).
One last area I’d like to address is this; how to help your children to cope with the death of a beloved pet.
Our children move us deeply, and we long to provide for them not only materially, but emotionally. We want to keep them from being hurt at all, or to remove hurt from them as quickly as possible, when the hurt is unavoidable. Please know that the Lord wants you to come to Him directly for wisdom (James 1:5), and that is my first advice, as well. God knows the situation in detail, in ways that I never could. Trust your Heavenly Father to give you the right direction (Proverbs 3:5,6).
The replacement of a pet, if possible, is a great way for people of all ages to get past the hurt. It is especially true with children; the love and attention needed by the new pet will take their thoughts away from the former pet. This is an easy suggestion to make, and most people are aware of it.
It may be more difficult for you to consider, when I admonish you not to lie to your child by telling them that their pet is in Heaven. God does not want us to lie to one another, and this readily includes your own family members (Ephesians 4:25). Lying is rampant in our world today, and is even substantial among believers, I am sorry to report. Yes, I fight the temptation, too! It is a part of our carnal natures (Romans 7:18), and society also promotes it greatly. We need to “separate” from such uncleanness.
If your child is asking about Heaven for their lost pet, try to turn it toward a positive consideration. Tell them how blessed you have been to have this pet in your life; how God created them just for you. The Lord meant for them to love you, and bring you joy, especially just to show how much He cares for you. Encourage them to pour out their hearts to God in prayer, and to remember to thank the Lord for the blessing of such a great pet. Children need to hear the truth from their parents. It is another way to give them sincere love. In all things great and small, let us walk in the light as God’s children (I John 1:5-7).
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11
WARNING: To avoid Satan’s snares and deceptions, return to the pure Word of God; which is the King James Bible. Revised translations are not small word alterations meant to bring clarity! Major doctrinal changes have occurred, which will tend to bring doubt and destroy your faith. To follow these new “versions” of the truth, is to build your spiritual house upon sand, and become as the ones reflected in Matthew 7:21-23. Please use this entire passage, Matthew 7:21-27.
Satan means to deceive you into sincerely following his alternate “truth.” You are really being set up to fall, and serve the antichrist.
Pray and seek God diligently in this matter; for time is short. See also our Word of God section and the section on A Sure Salvation vs. Eternal Security.