welcome to Bible stories today we're diving into a topic that touches the hearts of many what happens when our beloved pets pass away for many of us pets are more than just animals they are cherished members of our families offering companionship love and joy but when they leave us it can raise profound questions do dogs cats and other pets go to heaven what does the Bible say about animals in the afterlife in this video we'll explore these questions through the lens of scripture we'll look at what the Bible tells us about creation God's love for
all living things and the possibility of reuniting with our pets in heaven whether you're a pet owner an animal lover or simply curious about what the Bible says on this topic this discussion is sure to bring comfort and insight before we get started I invite you to subscribe to Bible stories if you haven't already by subscribing you'll be the first to know when new videos are posted also don't forget to leave a like and share your thoughts in the comments below your engagement helps us reach more people and if this video resonates with you please
share it with your church group family and friends so they too can find peace and understanding through God's word when you think of Heaven what comes to mind perhaps you imagine streets paved with gold the joy of seeing Jesus face to face or the prospect of reuniting with loved ones who have gone before us you might also recall the comforting promise in Revelation 214 that assures us there will be no more death mourning crying or pain whatever your vision of Heaven it is inevitably limited because we are trying to grasp something that is entirely about
God something far beyond our Earthly understanding even our most joyful imaginings of Heaven pale in comparison to the reality of what it will truly be like God created all living things with a purpose including animals in the account of creation found in the Book of Genesis God created sea creatures and birds on the fifth day and all land animals on the sixth day alongside humans each of these creations was declared good by God the fact that animals and humans were created on the same day may suggest a special connection between us and the creatures that
share our world though we can't be certain it seems likely that God intended for humans to care for and coexist peacefully with animals they are a gift to us a responsibility even though they are not considered equal to humans in the eyes of God a comforting thought comes from Reverend Billy Graham who once reflected on whether pets would be in heaven he believed that God in his perfect love and wisdom would provide everything necessary for our happiness in heaven if having a beloved pet there would bring us joy then Graham felt sure that God would
ow it while the Bible does not specifically mention pets like dogs or cats it does speak of animals in the context of the new Heaven and new earth in Isaiah 11:6 we read of a time when the wolf will live with the lamb the leopard will lie down with the goat and various other animals will coexist in peace these verses along with others like Isaiah 65:25 depict a harmonious relationship among all creatures suggesting that animals May indeed be part of our eternal life in heaven as we explore what the Bible says about heaven it becomes
clear that it will be more wonderful than we can possibly imagine animals with all the joy and love they bring into our lives might very well be part of this heavenly experience however whether or not our pets will join us in heaven is something we cannot know for certain until we get there what we do know is that in heaven we will not feel sadness or longing God's presence will fill us with complete happiness the love we have for our pets dogs cats birds and more often leads us to see them as part of our
family this sentiment gained widespread attention when Pope Francis was incorrectly quoted as saying the Paradise is open to all of God's creatures however it was actually Pope Paul v 6 who made a similar statement many years earlier this brings us back to the central question do our pets go to heaven when they die first we must remember that God created everything for his glory and pleasure including animals people in particular were made in the image of God to bring glory to him the Bible teaches that even the sun moon and stars praise God though not
in the same way humans do these celestial bodies honor him simply by fulfilling the purpose for which they were created by shining brightly all of creation glorifies God when it functions according to his design while all of God's creation is intended for his glory only humans were created in His image both animals and humans were formed Med from the dust and share the same breath of life however god Set humans apart by creating Us in his own image giving us the unique responsibility to care for protect and enjoy the rest of his creation humans endowed
with reason are capable of making moral decisions something animals cannot do according to this understanding God did not create animals with the ability to choose between right and wrong or to accept salvation this capacity is unique to humans throughout the world there are many beautiful cities but none compare to the city we long to return to at the welcome to Bible stories in the where we delve deep into the rich teachings of the2 the word City appears 11 times referring to the place where God and his people will dwell to together this is not a
metaphorical City but a real physical Place one that we will inhabit in our resurrected bodies the Heavenly Jerusalem is described as a city which should not surprise us as the desire for such a place has existed since the time of Abraham in Hebrews 11 we read that Abraham looked forward to a city whose Builder and maker is God the Hebrew Christians were also told in Hebrews 12 12 that they were to come to Mount Zion the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem Paul mentions this city in his letter to the Galatians calling it
The Jerusalem above in Revelation 3:12 it is referred to as the city of my God the New Jerusalem this holy city is a real place in heaven Revelation 212 describes it as a city coming down Out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband the fact that the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven suggests that it has already been prepared by God John the author of Revelation does not say that he saw the New Jerusalem being created rather he saw it descending from Heaven given that God dwells in the third heaven
we can conclude that he is preparing this city to aveng eventually become the capital city of Heaven and the final home for his children Revelation 3:12 offers another glimpse of this city the one who conquers I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God never shall he go out of it and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God the New Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven and my own new name imagine for a moment the city that
God is building in the third heaven one day it will descend to Earth during the Millennium it will hover over the Earth and in the Eternal state it will rest on the ground becoming the most magnificent City ever imagined this is the city Jesus spoke of when he said to his disciples I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you you I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also Jesus is currently at work preparing this place sometimes
referred to as a mansion whatever you choose to call it this future home is part of God's plan currently under construction when it is complete and the time is right we will walk through its pearly gates and be reminded that we are there only because of the sacrifice of Jesus who paid the price for our Redemption the Bible tells us that the foundations of this city are made of precious stones for those who long to be reunited with their animal friends there is hope in these words and I heard every creature in heaven and on
Earth and under the Earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and Glory and might forever and ever Revelation 5:13 several passages in the Bible suggest that animals have souls Ecclesiastes 31821 says 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 Romans 8:1 19-21 further emphasizes that all of creation is eagerly waiting for the children of God to be revealed for the creation Waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God for the creation was subjected to futility not
willingly but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God these passages point to the Deep connection between humanity and the rest of creation suggesting that animals too are part of God's Redemptive plan in conclusion while we may not have all the answers about the fate of our pets we can rest in the assurance that heaven will be more glorious than we can imagine filled with joy peace and the presence of God
whether or not our beloved pets will join us there we can trust that we will be completely fulfilled in God's presence in Romans 8:1 19-21 the Bible speaks of creation eagerly waiting to be freed from its current state of decay which it was subjected to not by its own fault but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope this passage expresses the anticipation that creation itself will one day be liberated from its bondage and share in the Glorious freedom of the children of God similar Psalm 366 reminds us that God's righteousness is
as Majestic as the mountains and his judgments as deep as the great oceans it also reveals that the Lord preserves both humanity and animals showing his care for all living things the Bible frequently emphasizes that God's covenant extends to all of his creation Psalm 50101 tells us that every beast of the forest belongs to God along with the cattle on a thousand hills every bird of the mountains and all creatures that move in the fields God claims ownership over all living beings affirming his sovereignty over the natural world hoseah 2:18 prophecies a time when God
will make a covenant of peace with the animals of the earth birds of the sky and creatures that crawl on the ground abolishing instruments of war and bringing safety to all throughout the scriptures we are reminded that every creature on earth praises the Lord Psalm 156 calls on everything that has breath to praise the Lord and Psalm 6934 Echoes this urging Heaven and Earth along with the Seas and everything in them to give praise the Bible also encourages us to learn from the animals in Job 12:7 to10 we are invited to ask the animals the
birds the earth and the fish of the sea to teach us recognizing that the hand of the Lord has created and sustains all life Isaiah 4210 calls for a new song of praise to the Lord from the ends of the Earth including those who venture to the Sea and its inhabitants as well as those on the islands and coastlands this widespread call to praise reflects the universal nature of God's creation and his desire for all to recognize his greatness Christian leaders throughout history have also pondered the fate of animals John Wesley the founder of methodism
taught that humans are stewards of God's creation responsible for caring for it Wesley believed that the fall of humanity brought suffering to the entire creation including animals and he looked forward to a future where God would restore all things including the original beauty of Animals Martin Luther the founder of the Lutheran Church shared a similar view he believed that the perfect harmony between humans and animals which existed in Paradise would one day be restored when all of creation is renewed with Christ in his book Heaven Randy corn suggests that animals including horses cats dogs deer
dolphins and even squirrels will benefit from Christ's death and Resurrection elorn believes that because God created these animals and loves them they will likely be part of the new Earth where they will once again be part of God's perfect Kingdom the Bible affirms that God made animals and declared them good and it is possible that they will be part of the new Earth while some might imagine their pets being in heaven but not the animals they eat the truth is that it is not for us to decide God in his wisdom makes these choices and
we can trust his judgment the Bible doesn't explicitly State whether pets or animals have souls or if they will be in heaven however we can draw some insights from scripture both people and animals are described as having the Breath of Life Genesis 2:7 Genesis 130 617 71522 indicating that they are living beings the key difference is that humans are made in the image of God Genesis 12627 which means they possess a spiritual nature the capacity for thoughts feelings and choices and a soul that lives on after death if animals have a soul or Spirit it
would likely be different and lesser than that of humans which might mean that their souls do not continue after death another point to consider is that animals are part of God's creation in Genesis God made the animals and declared them good Genesis 1:25 this suggests that animals could be present on the new Earth described in Revelation 21.1 additionally passages like Isaiah 116 and 6525 indicate that animals will exist during the millennial Kingdom while we can't be certain if these animals will be the same ones we knew on Earth we can trust that God is just
and when we reach heaven we will agree with his decisions whatever they may be in today's world pets are common companions in many households ranging from dogs and cats to more unusual pets like albino pythons or hissing cockroaches although the Bible doesn't specifically address the concept of having pets we can glean insights from other biblical teachings for example Nathan's story of the poor man who cherished his one little UL lamb raising it as part of his family 2 Samuel 123 illustrates the deep bond that can form between human and animals God's Care for Animals as
shown in the Bible helps us understand why we are drawn to having pets since people are made in God's image Genesis 1:27 we share his nature including a desire to care for animals from the beginning God blessed humanity and instructed them to fill the Earth subdue it and rule over the fish birds and all living creatures gen Genesis 1:28 when a child takes care of a pet they reflect God's nurturing nature creating a safe and loving environment for the animal just as God cares for all of creation having a pet is a serious responsibility that
reflects the Creator's love many parents introduce pets into their homes to teach their children responsibility and values a lesson supported by biblical principles pets also bring friendship fun and unconditional love which is why they are often used in hospitals and nursing homes to spread joy to those in need any animal that helps us express love and kindness is truly a blessing as for the imagery of Heaven the Bible offers a breathtaking description in Revelation 2118 and 21 the walls of the New Jerusalem are made of Jasper and the city itself is pure gold clear as
glass the 12 gates are made of pearls each gate from a single Pearl and the streets are also made of pure gold transparent as glass this city reflects the light of the Lamb who is the light of the world Isaiah 6019 prophecies that the sun and moon will no longer be needed as the Lord himself will be the Everlasting Light in verse Corinthians 2:9 Paul reminds us that no eye has seen no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him the glory and beauty of the New Jerusalem
will far exceed anything we can imagine and in that perfect place we will experience the fullness of God's presence love and light as we've explored today the Bible offers profound insights into the fate of our pets and animals in general while we may not have all the answers what we do know is that heaven is a place of unimaginable joy peace and fulfillment in the presence of God whether our pets will be there with us is something we will only truly know when we reach that Heavenly home however we can trust in God God's perfect
wisdom and love knowing that he will provide everything we need to be completely happy in his presence thank you for joining us today on Bible stories as we tackled this heartwarming and thoughtful topic if you found this video helpful or comforting please take a moment to give it a thumbs up and leave a comment below we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences don't forget to subscribe be to our channel so you can stay updated with more videos that explore the richness of God's word friendly if this message touched your heart please share this video
with your church group family and friends together let's spread the hope and truth of the Bible to everyone we know until next time may God bless you and keep you in his perfect peace when our beloved pets pass away it's natural to feel a deep sadness almost as if we've lost a member of our family in times like these many of us find ourselves wondering where our pets are now and if we might ever see them again do dogs and other pets go to heaven
