Do Dogs Go To Heaven? (According To The Bible)

The question “Do dogs go to heaven?” isn’t just about pets, but about love, loss, and what we hope eternity holds. Fortunately, Scripture offers some valuable insights.

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While attending seminary years ago, my theology professor shared the most common theological questions he would receive from members of the congregation he pastored.  To my surprise, he said the most asked question, by far, was, “Do dogs go to heaven when they die?”

This question resonates so deeply with many of us who have reached the difficult intersection of understanding the intrinsic value of dogs and realizing that their time with us on earth is limited.

While Scripture doesn’t explicitly answer this question for us, several biblical clues shed light on this subject.

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Dogs as Living Lessons in Unconditional Love

Living with a dog for any amount of time means understanding that there is more to them than meets the eye.  They possess an incredible capacity to love – a skill that many humans struggle with, and is so desperately needed in our world today.

When our daughter was a newborn, she endured several months of colic.  The sleepless nights seemed to drone on through the winter months.  Since she would only sleep in her swing, I found myself sleeping on our couch in the living room every night.  As I lay there feeling anxious and sleep-deprived, our 75lb dog, Rebar, would jump up on the couch each evening and lie behind my back.

Every night, I remember feeling like his warm presence was the much-needed hug from God that I desperately needed to get me through a very hard season. 

Dogs hold a special place in our hearts, and losing one hurts as much as losing a family member.  It’s clear that they are more than just pets, so it’s no wonder that we question where they spend eternity.

Having said goodbye to three dogs myself, I know how much it hurts. But God’s Word has given me hope that I want to share with you.

Will My Dog Be In Heaven?

Several Bible verses mention the presence of animals in heaven:

“In that day, the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.” – Isaiah 11:6-9 NIV

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.” – Revelation 19:11 NIV

Jesus comes down from heaven, and who is He with? An animal.

We see in the new heaven and new earth a redemption of creation.  Before the fall of man, the earth was in its perfect state and was full of animals.

Sin didn’t enter the world until the fall of man.  Therefore, our pets die as a product of sin in the Garden of Eden with the fall of man.  The impact of the fall impacted not only humans but all of creation, which includes animals.

In the new heavens and new earth, Jesus will remediate the damage of the fall.  When God created the heavens and earth, including all sorts of animals, He said they were “good.”  (So, if you think your dog is a good boy, so does God!)

Therefore, God’s new heaven and new earth can very well include animals.

What Do We Mean By The New Heaven AND The New Earth?

Generally, when people think about heaven, they are imagining  what theologians like to call “the intermediary state.”  When a believer in Christ dies, their soul leaves earth, and they go into the presence of Jesus.

In heaven, we are free of pain, sin, evil, and all effects of the fall of man.  “We shall see the face of Jesus and experience unfettered communion with him. We will be perfectly, euphorically, and eternally happy, says Cameron Cole, the author of Heavenward: How Eternity Can Change Your Life on Earth

This intermediate state is temporary, but later, after the second coming of Christ, we will be with Jesus on the earth, where heaven will literally become a place on earth.  This is the point where the resurrection of the dead will occur and we will gain our glorified bodies in the new heavens and new earth, also known as the eternal state.   

(There are different interpretations on what occurs between the intermediary state and the eternal state, but we can say with confidence that there will be a new heavens and new earth based on Revelation 21. A great resource is Revealing Revelation by Amir Tsarfati)

While there are several mentions of animals in the new heavens and earth, there is no mention of animals in the intermediary state.  It doesn’t mean that they aren’t there, but they are not mentioned.

Will The Animals in Heaven Be The Same Animals That Roamed The Earth?

The next stopping point of this argument is whether the animals mentioned in the new heavens and earth are the same animals that walked on the earth.

In other words, are the animals mentioned the actual individual animals that have died on earth or are they newly created or even generic animals?

Revelation 5:13-14 sheds some light on this as we see all of creation worshiping in the throne room of God:

“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.

And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.“

The word for “every created thing” in Hebrew is only used one other time in Scripture, and that is in the New Testament:

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving.” 1 Timothy 4:4

I think it’s a strong possibility that the animals cited as worshiping on the New Earth are the very ones that walked on earth.

So it is possible that God could reunite us with our pets that were once on earth.

“If Dogs Go To Heaven, Wouldn’t We Have to Assume That Tiny parasites, Bugs and Less-Desirable Creatures Are Also In Heaven?”

I think if we assume the possibility of dogs being in heaven with have to be willing to extrapolate the argument to include ALL animals, even those that are a nuisance.  For the sake of argument, let’s take roaches, for example.  Is God going to make over every roach in existence on earth and allow it to be in heaven?

I don’t know.  But I think God is clearly capable of doing so.  He is not limited by the number of animals He can create (Gen. 1), and He isn’t limited to space and time (John 14:2).

Could all the fallen animals in our world be made back into their original versions before the fall?  We don’t have the luxury of knowing what animals were like before the fall, but we can be sure that it will be magnificent. 

Perhaps, some of the less desirable animals on earth become some of the most beautiful in heaven. We will just have to wait and see.

“Aren’t We Going to Be Too Busy Worshipping In Heaven To Notice Our Dogs?”

In other words, “If heaven is all about worship, why would we need dogs?”

There is no doubt heaven will be full of worship.  But many activities can glorify God.  The book Heaven by Randy Alcorn explains that we will have jobs in heaven, which will no doubt be glorifying to Him.

Wayne Grudem once said, “God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify Him and bring Him joy.”

God created the world for us as an act of overflowing love. As with all of God’s creation, animals have a way of glorifying their Creator.

Our Father is the great giver of gifts, and I have seen him use our family dogs to bring us comfort and friendship. God has shared the beautiful gifts of His animals with us and as Revelation 5 showed us, they are just as capable of worshiping Him alongside us.

Also, if the animals of our fallen world bring Him glory, it’s safe to say that animals in the new creation will as well.

Final Thoughts – Do Dogs Go To Heaven? (According to the Bible)

Scripture shows us several references to animals in the new heavens and earth, and they could very well be the same animals that once walked on earth.  We don’t know if we will see them in the intermediary heaven, right after death.  They would be there, but the Bible just doesn’t mention them so we don’t know.

Do I hope that I will see my past dogs, Kallie, Rebar and Jake, along with my current dogs, Toby and Ellie, all running to me in a little pack in heaven one day? Absolutely, I do.

Scripture shows us that it is possible that dogs will be in heaven with us one day. 

But can we be absolutely certain that dogs go to heaven?  We don’t know for sure. But we can rest in confidence knowing that God is a giver of good gifts, and we have reason to believe that His amazing gifts of creation will show up again in the new creation.

 “Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.” Psalm 36:6

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR HUMANS TO GO TO HEAVEN?

But what about you? Will you be in heaven to see your dog?

God loves you just the way you are and wants you to experience peace and eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.“

Because God is just and holy, we can’t have a relationship with God until something is done about our sin.  All of us have sinned, and our sin separates us from God.

Fortunately, God has already dealt with our sin problem when He allowed His one and only Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for the world’s sin.  He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people because He first loved us.

Christ rose again from the grave, defeating death and sin so we could have eternal life with Him.

Following God means admitting our need, asking forgiveness from sin, and accepted His gift of salvation.  Because of our right relationship with God, we can live with Him in heaven for eternity and enjoy an abundant life here on earth. 

If you want more information about having a relationship with Christ, here is a helpful link or don’t hesitate to contact me with ANY questions at Karin@renovatedfaith.com.

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