So if all animals praise the Lord—and thus believe in Him—and if “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life,” it stands to reason that one beloved verse, John 3:16, tells us that animals will also be with their Creator in heaven.
The pets that we had to say goodbye to are alive in heaven right now in their spiritual bodies and we will see them again if we accept Jesus as our Savior. Your Pet Is Not Gone Forever.
Bible make it clear not only that cruelty to animals is forbidden but also that compassion and mercy to them are demanded of man by God. … In later rabbinic lit- erature … great prominence is also given to demonstrating God's mercy to animals, and to the importance of not causing them pain.”
Psalms 36:6 | Facebook.
While religious views around the world vary, Christianity has traditionally held that animals have no hope of an afterlife. But Pope John Paul II said in 1990 that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are”.
The consensus among the Christian denominations seems to be that, as Pope John Paul II said in 1990, animals do have souls. But they don't all agree on whether or not they're welcomed into heaven along with people.
Revelation 22:15: “For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Philippians 3:2: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”
We enter heaven immediately upon our death, or our souls sleep until the second coming of Christ and the accompanying resurrection.
After all, they disobeyed God's command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. God is the One who decides who does or does not enter heaven. There's no place in the Bible that says they were saved. But there is no place in the Bible that indicates the couple was lost, either.
Although my dog may stare at me like I'm a deity, there's no evidence to suggest that non-human animals have religion. They don't worship, pray or believe in gods of any kind, but they do perform ritualistic behaviours, prompting some to speculate that animals could have a spiritual side.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21). A loss does not have to be as great as Job's for it to cut to the heart. Yes, God cares when your dog (or cat, or horse, or other dear pet) reaches life's end. And he cares for you as you grieve.
It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
In Dog Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant, we are told that "When dogs go to heaven, they don't need wings because God knows that dogs love running best. He gives them fields. Fields and fields and fields. When a dog first arrives in heaven, he just runs." When he is done running, the dog is petted and reminded how good he is.
Theology and Organized Religions Weigh In on Dogs' Souls
In Judaism and some Christian faiths, humans are believed to be the only living beings to have souls. However, the majority of other religions – most notably Hinduism and Jainism – acknowledge that all living beings have souls – including dogs.
HAVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SPOUSES, LOVED ONES IN HEAVEN
A. Yes to both. The reunion will take place, but not as husband and wife. We learn this in Jesus' explanation to the Sadducees: "When people rise from death, there will be no marriage.
One of the wildest innovations is “living funerals.” You can attend a dry run of your own funeral, complete with casket, mourners, funeral procession, etc. You can witness the lavish proceedings without having an “out-of-body” experience, just an “out-of-disposable-income” experience.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven. So there's no need to worry, if God can create life from dust, surely he can restore life from ashes.
Let's look at this verse in a slightly larger context: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:6).
In God's sovereignty, He Saw Fit for Us to Have Pets
He doesn't leave us without comfort, even when grieving for our pets. Our hearts may ache, but God is gracious. “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Why dogs are a gift from God? God looked down on his creation and said, “I need someone who will bring comfort to every human being, someone who will emanate joy at all times. I need someone to befriend the humans.” So God gave us dogs.
Give them all the things they enjoy most – their favourite toys, their favourite food. You know what will make your pet feel most at ease in the time that remains. If you become tearful, ask a family member, friend or other trusted person to take care of your pet so you can leave the room and have a cry.
“One reason why losing a pet is such a deep loss is because animals' love is so unconditional and accepting,” she said. But it's also because so many aspects of people's lives are impacted. “Every single facet of life is part of the loss,” she explained.
Christians don't believe that "going to heaven" happens automatically; it's the result of conscious decisions made during one's life. While the Bible is very specific about the requirements for human salvation, it says nothing about salvation for animals.