[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World whiteboard.]

Will Pets Go to Heaven?

Your pet loves you even when you don’t deserve it. He’s quicker to forgive than any human. And you can always count on him to be there for you.

And if you’ve ever experienced the loss of that special soul, you know no one and nothing can replace him.

The natural question is: Will I see Bella or Max again? Are they in heaven? Will they be resurrected? Will I see Lucy, Charlie, or Daisy again?

Most who’ve lost a pet have asked this question.

Now, there’s a lot of weird opinions out there, but we’ll explore what God says about this topic in the Bible and use the one key passage that adds the most clarity, yet so many overlook.

Bible Verses About Animals: How God Cares for Them

First, what’s clear is that God loves the animals He created. This is how Jesus described His care for even the little birds:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29).

And Psalm 104 paints a vivid picture of how He takes care of the wild animals.

• He says He sends the water to provide drink for them and quench their thirst (Psalm 104:10-13).
• He provides the trees for the birds to make their homes (Psalm 104:17).
• He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, ensures even the predators of the land as well as sea creatures have the food they need (Psalm 104:14-25).

It says:

You open Your hand, they are filled with good (Psalm 104:28).

And in the gospel of Matthew it says:

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them (Matthew 6:26).

We also see what God thinks of those who don’t properly care for, or pity their animals. He says:

A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel (Proverbs 12:10).

Going back to the verse where Jesus explained that God knows when even a little sparrow falls to the ground, He also said:

You are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31).

Genesis 1 helps us understand why this is the case.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-28).

And the Bible describes in multiple places that human beings, made in the image of God, will be resurrected at the return of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Matthew 24:30-31).

Here’s what it says in 1 Corinthians 15.

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed… and the dead will be raised incorruptible… For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Scripture also shows the plan He designed for us, whom He made in His own image (1 John 3:2 says).

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

And these promises of resurrection back to life after death are made throughout the Bible for human beings.

Ecclesiastes 3:21 Explains What Happens to Animals When They Die

Now, let’s read the one key passage that actually explains what happens when animals die that most seem to overlook. We can read it in Ecclesiastes 3:19-20.

For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

Now let’s just stop here before we read the next verse.

From this passage we see we’re all made of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7, 19), and obviously, we all die—both man and animal. And when we die, we decay and turn back to dirt—both man and animal.

And if we ignored the next verse (and the rest of Scripture), we’d conclude that there’s no difference between man and animal after death and that we both simply turn back to dust and that’s it.

But let’s pick back up where we left off in Ecclesiastes 3, where we see here (and in the rest of Scripture) the difference in the destiny of human beings and animals.

The spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:21).

Ultimately, while the Bible shows human beings will be resurrected, the only indication we have of what will happen to our pets is that they will remain in the ground.

Now, depending on what you had in mind when you started this video, this may certainly be very sad news to hear.

And even those of us who have worked on this video have been saddened by the death of our pets.

But we can be comforted by His allowing that special creature, with its own unique characteristics and quirks, to be a part of our life.

• You can cherish the way she greeted you at the door when you got home, every time, no matter what.
• You can cherish the way she curled up in your lap and nuzzled, but only on her terms.
• You can cherish that he was there for you to lift you up in his own way no matter the troubles you were going through.
• You can thank your Creator for blessing you with the perfect animal that was the perfect fit for you and your family at the perfect time.
• And you can thank God for the one that’s with you right now.

Romans 8:28 says:

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The true value of something so incredibly special and rare—and that, sadly, doesn’t last forever—is priceless.

If you would like to know more about God’s plan for His creation, watch this next video, What Is the Meaning of Life?