In case you didn't notice, the title of this blog article was inspired by the 1989 animated musical, All Dogs Go to Heaven. But do they?
The passing of our pet beagle, Buster, brought to mind a similar question that was posed to theologian R. C. Sproul. I came across this question and Dr. Sproul's answer twenty years ago in his book, Now, That's a Good Question!, and I never forgot it. That's why it came to mind so readily when our family faced the heartache of losing our beloved pet. Here is the precise wording of the question, followed by Dr. Sproul's answer:
What happens to animals when they die? I know that some people get very attached to them.
The passing of our pet beagle, Buster, brought to mind a similar question that was posed to theologian R. C. Sproul. I came across this question and Dr. Sproul's answer twenty years ago in his book, Now, That's a Good Question!, and I never forgot it. That's why it came to mind so readily when our family faced the heartache of losing our beloved pet. Here is the precise wording of the question, followed by Dr. Sproul's answer:
What happens to animals when they die? I know that some people get very attached to them.
I can't answer that question for sure, but I don't want you to think for a minute that it's a frivolous question. People do get very attached to their pets, particularly if the pet has been with them for a long time....
Within the Christian church there are different schools of thought on the issue. Some people believe that animals simply disintegrate; they pass into nothingness and are annihilated, which is based on the premise that animals don't have souls that can survive the grave. However, nowhere does Scripture explicitly state that animals do not have souls.
The Bible tells us that we have the image of God in a way that animals do not. Now is the "image of God" what differentiates between a soul and a nonsoul? Those who take a Greek view of the soul--that it is this substance that continues indestructibly forever--may want to restrict that to human beings. But again, there's nothing in Scripture I know of that would preclude the possibility of animals' continued existence.
The Bible does give us some reason to hope that departed animals will be restored. We read in the Bible that redemption is a cosmic matter. The whole creation is destined to be redeemed through the work of Christ (Rom. 8:21), and we see the images of what heaven will be like; beautiful passages of Scripture tell us about the lion and the lamb and other animals being at peace with one another. Whenever heaven is described, though it may be in highly imaginative language, it is a place where animals seem to be present. Whether there are animals newly created for the new heavens and the new earth, or they are the redeemed souls of our pets that have perished, we can't know for sure.
All of this is sheer speculation, but I would like to think that we will see our beloved pets again someday as they participate in the benefits of the redemption that Christ has achieved for the human race.I would like to think the same thing too, Dr. Sproul.
And he who was seated on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
Also he said, “Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true.”
- Revelation 21:5 -