Introduction
How many of us have lost a companion animal? We grieve for them as they were human and we even write poetry about them as a continual remembrance of their companionship. Marilyn and I have lost several companion animals over the years. If you are an animal lover, you will understand and appreciate this article. It answers the question that torments most of us that can only watch as our companion animals die.
Do They Go To Heaven?
There is a big controversy over whether or not our beloved companion animals go to heaven when they pass away. It is a tough thing to go through when your best friend dies…The one who has been there for you every day for years, waiting for you to come home, wanting to play and watching over you with a protective growl when strangers approach. Researchers say that the grieving process for a companion animal is equal to and sometimes even greater that the loss of a human family member.
We must go to the only absolute source to find the answer to the question, “Do animals Go To Heaven When They Die” Marilyn and I believe in the absolute and infallible authority of the Bible. It is here that we found peace and comfort when our first beloved companion animal died. The Holy Scriptures can also be a source of comfort to you in your sorrow.
The animals were created by God, (Gen 1:24), and they were placed under the dominion of Adam. (Gen 1:26) That means we are responsible for their well being. How is it then that 70%-80% of all animals that enter animal shelters in the US are destroyed? Here’s what the Bible says about animals and Heaven:
- The apostle Paul writes: The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God – Romans 8:1921 NIV.
Animals, according to this scripture passage, are now subject to the vanity and Sin of man, but when the human drama is over and the children of God are revealed, all the animals that were in bondage will become partakers of that freedom.
- And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” – Revelation 5:13 NKJ.
Our companion animals will join us in praise and worship of the Lord for His glorious salvation. How great is that?
- 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 – Isaiah 11:6 NIV.
If the “wild” animals are going to be in heaven, then certainly our beloved pets will be there too.
You can rest assured that your beloved companion animals will go to heaven when they dies, but what about you? Where will you spend eternity?
The animals are subject to the vanity of man and are under that bondage until the children of God are revealed at the end of the human drama. We, on the other hand, are in bondage to Sin and subject to our own choices in life. Here’s what the Bible says about that:
- “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3-10-12)
- “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
- “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
- “Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12-14)
These simple Scripture passages tell us that we have fallen short of God’s Glory. Man’s fall from Glory came as a result of disobedience, which is considered Sin. The penalty for sin is death, which passed upon all men, because all have sinned.
No one can say they are righteous. We do not seek God. Instead, He seeks us and we respond to His love from a repentant heart. Jesus said, “No man can come to me except my Father draw him first” (John 6:44) He also said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)
We have the privilege to believe in Jesus as God’s only Son, who was given as a sacrifice for sin, our sins, so we could escape the sentence of death and live forever with God, as it was originally planned.
The word “Salvation” means to be delivered. To be saved is to be delivered from the fear of death. It becomes a reality when we personally accept Jesus as our Savior, agreeing with God, that all, including us, have fallen short and are in need of His redemption.
Our companion animals will see God and dwell with Him throughout all eternity. A simple prayer of repentance and a cry to God for salvation can secure our destiny and assure us that we will see our “Best Friends” again.
Until next time
Rev. John Marinelli