Do Dogs Go to Heaven?
Chloe, at one of our favorite places. I sure do miss
her!
“Do dogs go to heaven?” I was asked this recently by someone grieving the loss of her dearly loved pet.
The Bible does not give us a specific answer, and I would not build doctrine around what follows. These are simply some thoughts I shared with her and am now sharing with you. However, I think they offer a few comforting ideas to consider.
First, did you know that the gospel, which means “good news,” did not begin as a New Testament idea? The prophet Isaiah speaks of “good news,” which pertains to God's reign and rule over His kingdom. From the Garden of Eden until now, the Lord has been working to restore His creation and reverse the curse of sin and death.
When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
But what does that have to do with our pets?
Think about this: according to Isaiah 11:6, animals will live in the new heaven
and new earth. Could it be that God would restore the animals that have died as a result of the curse rather than create entirely new ones?
Second, we have this comforting verse from King David: “Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the deep ocean. You save people and animals, O LORD” (Psalm 36:6, GNT).
Finally, when I was seven years old, my dog, Yobi, was hit and killed by a car. It was devastating. To console me, my parents read Matthew 10:29: “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it” (NLT). I found great solace in that verse. I reasoned that if God knew about my loss, and because I believed He loved me, He must care about my sorrow too.
Will our treasured pets go to heaven? Only God knows. However, we can say with confidence that God loves us and cares about the details of our lives. After all, He even knows how many hairs are on our heads! (Matthew 10:30)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me cast all my cares on You, believing that You care for me in every situation and every grief I experience. Amen.
Do you know if you're going to heaven? You can know today! Learn
more!
Copyright 2021 Sarah Keith
*Isaiah chapters 40-66.
Reader's comments:
"I have to reply to this with something I heard Pastor Wayne Knisley say a couple years ago. He had commented something so wonderfully stated! If you think through the wisdom of this, this is his perfect explanation:
A little girl was grieving over the loss of her cat. She asked, "Will my cat be in Heaven?" He responded with, "If you need your cat to be there, it will be there."
Because all our needs are fulfilled in Heaven! Isn't that just the most perfect answer? Way to go Pastor Wayne! He has since passed on and now knows the answer to that question perfectly!
Just thought you might enjoy that explanation!" ~ Kathy Cook.
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