All Dogs Go to Heaven... Right?

[Andy T.]

The truth is, the Bible doesn't really say whether or not our dogs will be in Heaven. I tend to think that they will, but in light of the lack of Biblical support for that belief, I'm willing to admit that it may just be sentimentality on my part.

On the other hand, it doesn't say they won't, either.

Some people will say, "Well, if you have to have your dog there for it to be Heaven for you, then God will arrange for your dog to be there".

I hear that one a lot, but I really can't imagine where it comes from. Heaven isn't about us. It's about God and His glory. It's true that Heaven will be a place of happiness and bliss, but that's because we'll be in God's presence and this blanket of sin will finally be lifted off of us, not because we'll have a cosmic genie to cater to our every need.

Nothing would make me happier than to see all the dogs I've loved in Heaven, but I think it's best to just leave that one up to God.

That's the position I take on the issue, as well.

 

[webdog]

No brother, in maintains scriptural integrity of those things spoken of. No slap at all. I agree there will be animals in the new earth but they will not be resurrected pets as only those saved by grace will be resurrected to 'live again'. However I do agree there most likely will be dogs and cats and cows and all manner of other life.

Where does Scripture say only humans will be resurrected? The earth as a whole will be resurrected.

Exactly how does the resurrection of our dead pets to 'live again' fall into God's perfect character?

I doubt that you are implying that God's perfect character is defined or given form by the fulfilling our fleshly selfish desires in this corrupted body. There will be no sorrow for us in that place, our desires will be to give glory and honor to God and not, how big is my house, or where is my pets.

What I mean is if does not violate God's nature..why not? He knows we love our animals, and He designed us that way. There is nothing in Scripture that states one way or the other whether we will see our pets again...but if we did, wouldn't that only reflect God's love for us?

 

[Amy.G]

The only dog that I can say with certainty that is going to heaven is.............webdog. :wavey:

 

[FR7 Baptist]

I agree that it is within God's power to resurrect animals; I don't see in Scripture that He will. In Scripture, I see that animals are only material in nature, while man is both material and immaterial in nature.

 

[Johnv]

I agree that it is within God's power to resurrect animals; I don't see in Scripture that He will. In Scripture, I see that animals are only material in nature, while man is both material and immaterial in nature.

Yep, that's my point exactly. Scripture implies that the spiritual nature is endowed upon humans only.

 

[Allan]

You and I take opposite approaches to bible study. You take two words that are different (creature/creation) and insist they are the same[\quote]
They are not different it is the same word in the Greek.

and then you take two words that are the same (breath of life/breath of life), and insist they are different.:tongue3:

You need to understand context. Context determines what a word or phrase means and relates to. The distinction I gave is both the churches current and historical orthodox position on the issue.

Either way, have a blessed day :wavey:

 

[Aaron]

Amen :thumbs: The over spiritualization (Randy Alcorn terms this Christoplatonism) of Heaven is a slap in God's face. Creation will be the way God intended it to be...extinct animals due to death and sin will roam again, and to say flat out that "no", our pets will not be in Heaven undermines God's sovereignty. It would fall into God's perfect character to do just that, and if it does not go against His nature...why not?

What a small, small view of Redemption!

We're told that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 

[righteousdude2]

If You Knew My Dog, You'd....

I always understood that verse is referring to humans. Myself I don't believe that animals etc have a soul or a spirit. My thought would be they live their existence and that's it. Also that do not have to fear the wrath of God as humans do as they were not made in His image. My thoughts on that anyway.

change your opinion of that view. I tell people all the time that if you want to believe your pet isn't going to heaven, than I'll claim it's loyalty and love when I get there and am joined back up with my little furry friends. God has a place in heaven for our pets, of that I'm sure.

 

[righteousdude2]

You have a point...

The only dog that I can say with certainty that is going to heaven is.............webdog. :wavey:

I certainly hope the "dog" gets there, because I want to meet him face-to-face...:laugh:

 

[exscentric]

If dogs, then cats. If cats, then horses, then cows, then monkeys, well then zebras and camels and T-Rexs and all others in God's creation, why would it only be pets? :laugh:

And if animals, the creatures of the sea and of the air including misquotes etc. Why not yall come.:wavey: Rats, mice, coons and ants. Why not!

 

[Marcia]

If dogs, then cats. If cats, then horses, then cows, then monkeys, well then zebras and camels and T-Rexs and all others in God's creation, why would it only be pets? :laugh:

And if animals, the creatures of the sea and of the air including misquotes etc. Why not yall come.:wavey: Rats, mice, coons and ants. Why not!

I do think there will be a variety of animals in the new heaven-new earth. But since it will be perfect, there will be nothing annoying there, like mosquitos or rats. Or if they are there, they will be different. Iow, we won't be bothered by the creatures that bother us now.

I also think maybe pets are in a special category since they have a special relationship to humans.

 

[Hawkins]

I do think there will be a variety of animals in the new heaven-new earth. But since it will be perfect, there will be nothing annoying there, like mosquitos or rats. Or if they are there, they will be different. Iow, we won't be bothered by the creatures that bother us now.

I also think maybe pets are in a special category since they have a special relationship to humans.

Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent's food.

I think that animals may not have souls to exist after death. Yet it may be possible that they can be re-made.

I also think that perhaps whatever inside Noah's Ark may exist in New Heaven and New Earth. But their digestion system may have been changed. They eat straw instead of meat. We can't be sure about heavenly things at this moment thou.

 

[Martin]

Scripture does speak to animals having a spirit but I have never read in any place of scripture that animals have souls. Perhaps you could point me to the verse?

==I'm not a "Hebrew" scholar, however I believe verses like Genesis 1:20, 24, 30, etc, hints at that.

The 'possibility' isn't based upon scripture though but supposition of what a passage 'might' imply in addition to it's main point.

==I think if you take that time to examine the argument(s) put forward by someone like Wesley you would find that it is not a "supposition" at all. It is based on a "literal" understanding of Romans 8:20-22.

Your are taking quite a bit of literary license here. While I agree scripture speaks to the renewing of creation, this in no manner alludes to resurrecting old dead animals like God does with man.

==I don't believe that God will resurrect "old dead animals like...man". I don't believe in a "resurrection of the dead" for animals. I am refering to a regeneration of all things.

To make new or renew does not mean to raise all the dead of creation back to life, but like us who are renewed it speaks of that which is already existing being cleansed and made like we were just created but without the corruption.

==So you are saying that the current creation, which now groans in anticipation of its freedom, will never see that freedom? Paul speaks of the creation longing to be freed from corruption. Animals with spirits will, I believe, be part of that restoration. I could be wrong, but I don't think so...

Can you please show scripture that states or illistrates a reason for your position that God doesn't create conscious life only for it to exist no longer.

==I see no example in Scripture of annihilation of conscious life. That is why I hold that position. In Scripture death is separation (from the body, from God, etc). It is not the end of existence. And, btw, the Bible never says that only humans have spirits that live on after death. I've seen/heard some Christians argue that it does. But it does not. That is just one of those things that gets read "into" Scripture.

It doesn't quite seem to mesh with the reformed beliefs, to me. The reformed position states God creates some men specifically for the purpose of eternal punishment/condemnation and others for blessing, but it appears the life of all animals is more important than many of those of mankind.

==I don't understand what you are trying to say there. However I would only add that this is not a Reformed v. non-Reformed issue. This in no way impacts anything. This is simply a statement on the condition of current animals in the future new heavens/earth.

While I agree that there will be animals, I must ask where is this scripture that 'indirectly' answers the question of the resurrection of our pets.

==As I have said, I don't believe in a "resurrection of our pets". That is going too far. I'm simply talking about animals being part of the regeneration of all things. Also, I never said there was a single Scripture that "'indirectly' answers the question". I said that "Scripture does not directly answer this question. So there is a sense in which we will just have to wait and see". There is no statement of Scripture on this issue. So all any of us can do, in reality, is draw the best conclusions we can or remain silent.

There are scriptures that state the spirit of the animal does cease to exist as it goes into the ground and the spirit of man goes back to God who 'gave it'. ext..

==To be honest, I could point to Scriptures that say the exact same thing about man (ex: Ps 146:4). The spirit is taken and they go to the dust. The text I suspect you are referring to (Ecc. 3:19-21) does not say that animals do not exist beyond death (life after death). The text says that both animals and man die (vs 19) and both return to the earth (vs 20). Verse 21 is a question, not an answer. The text is talking about death from a human point of view. It does not answer the question of life after death.

Back to verse 11, where it says that "He (God) has also set eternity in their heart". Only man thinks about eternity. Animals do not think about life after death. Dogs don't dwell on yesterday or tomorrow. They live in the present. God has not placed eternity in their hearts. However that does not mean that they do not have life beyond death in some form.

 

[Martin]

So your premise is that all life that has ever been will be brought back to life

==I am talking about conscious life. Not plants and trees (etc).

that the same attachments we had in this life will crossover into the next so that we will desire to be in the same relationship with that which we once loved and held dear?

==I don't know about that. I would like to think that my dogs would know me, but they may not. It could be (speculation alert) that in the new earth they would be and do what they were originally suppose to be and do. Again, since Scripture does not give a clear answer on this topic all we can do is speculate or stay silent.

there will not be one square inch of the earth that is not covered, shoulder to shoulder, with life. IOW - you wont be able to even turn around.

==Well you could say that about earth if Adam had not sinned and after the resurrection of the dead. I'm sure God is more than able to deal with any "space" problems that might arise (regardless of animals).

Does this continuing of attachment include my wife? Do you believe my affections for her to be with me and be mine, will continue like my affections will for my pets?

==Since there is no marriage in heaven (Matt 22:30) clearly husband/wifes will not have the same relationship.

but you still have not given any tangable proof, even implied, that this renewing refers to God bringing back all life/resurrection of those animals He previouly created to be alive again.

==Again, Scripture does not provide such tangable proof. I wish it did tell us their fate, one way or the other, but it does not. All we can do, you and I, is come to our own conclusions. Only eternity will tell who is right and who is wrong. Either way though, I suspect we will be more than happy with the outcome.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Anyplace without animals would not be heaven.

 

[webdog]

What a small, small view of Redemption!

We're told that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Where did I ever say or allude to the fact this was the ONLY redemption?

 

[webdog]

If dogs, then cats. If cats, then horses, then cows, then monkeys, well then zebras and camels and T-Rexs and all others in God's creation, why would it only be pets? :laugh:

And if animals, the creatures of the sea and of the air including misquotes etc. Why not yall come.:wavey: Rats, mice, coons and ants. Why not!

Were they all part of God's perfect creation or not? Was extinction part of God's plan...or was that brought on by sin? I believe there will be dinosaurs on the New Earth...and every form of life that died off due to sin. Right now the earth is mainly water, but I believe in God's original creation that was not the case (the current earth is post flood)...and there will be mostly land, able to hold many more animals and humans.

 

[Johnv]

Whether animals will be a part of a new earth isn't what's in question. The question is whether the souls of our animals go to heaven when they die. There's no scriptural support for that (in fact, scripture endows only humans with a living soul), so one must conclude that the answer is "no".

 

[David Michael Harris]

Whether animals will be a part of a new earth isn't what's in question. The question is whether the souls of our animals go to heaven when they die. There's no scriptural support for that (in fact, scripture endows only humans with a living soul), so one must conclude that the answer is "no".

Amen.

Also all things will be new. Let's not get too hung up on this.

I also believe that Isaiah says ( 65:17 ) the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

 

[Johnv]

Let's not get too hung up on this.

Those are probably the wisest words spoken in this thread.