Liam Kennedy asks: Will there be animals in heaven? Just recently, my dog passed away, and it got me thinking about this question. Will we see our pets again? Thank you!

Hi Liam. While the Bible does not address whether or not we will see our pets again, there is warrant to believe that there will be animals in heaven.

Firstly, the Garden of Eden was inhabited by animals as part of God’s "very good" creation. The Bible also holds this to be true in Paradise or "the new heavens and new earth" (Eden restored), as we read in Isaiah 11:6 "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."

Secondly, while we certainly do not know if our pets will be restored in the restoration of all things, we do not discount the possibility. Reason being, the Bible communicates that animals have souls. This is communicated by Moses in Genesis 1:20 as well as John in Revelation 8:9, by their use of the term's nephesh and psyche (these words respectively refer to the essence of life or soul). So, while we don't think they are partakers of the resurrection (which is only for mankind), they might be part of the restoration of all things.

Thirdly, this understanding of animals having souls, and the possibility of them being restored, was never really rejected until the enlightenment and the philosophers Thomas Hobbes, and Rene Descartes.

Again, we are not saying that this is a guarantee. Instead, we are just pointing out the possibility. Since the Bible doesn't address this, we can only go by what we read in places like Ecclesiastes 12:7, where we are told that the "dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

Lastly, we should also keep in mind that even the author of Ecclesiastes, claims to not know "whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth", as he asks, "who knows?", Which the logical answer is that only God knows.

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 - "I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?"

Hope this answer helps, and God bless you.

Comments:

Liam Kennedy: That's an awesome answer. Never really thought about it that way. Thanks for always giving such great answers with so much insight. God bless you guys.

BRC Hosts Joey and Chris: God bless you as well. Great question by the way.

Chaney Clark: Wow. I love that answer. I agree. I don't think animals will resurrect with humans, but they will definitely be part of Eden Restored.

BRC Hosts Joey and Chris: Thanks Chaney. God Bless.

Isaiah 11:6

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."