Delighted, but Not surprised

 When my daughter, Hannah, was nine, we adopted two small Beagle-Dachshund mixes from a local animal shelter. She had discovered them online. She had recently lost a little dog named “Gunther” and I told her that she could help us find another dog. We ended up with two, a brother and sister whom we named “Chai” and “Nutmeg.”

Hannah had a chronic illness. I cannot overstate how much comfort and joy these two dogs brought to Hannah in her lifetime. When she passed in 2020, they continued to provide comfort and joy to the rest of the household. Hannah loved these dogs with a pure love. Chai had a particular emotional connection with Hannah. He could sense when she was hurting and would comfort her. He seemed to know intuitively just when Hannah needed space and when she needed a hug. They were buddies. 

Losing Hannah was difficult beyond description, although I have tried to put it into words elsewhere. A few weeks ago, we lost Nutmeg. Nutmeg was 13. We loved her. We miss her quirky personality, bouncy ears, and trusting eyes. She was more than a companion. She was part of the family. This kind of loss is not the same as losing a child, but it hurts deeply. For us, it hurt deeply on two levels, the first being the fact that we loved Nutmeg for her own sake. The second one related to Nutmeg’s connection with Hannah. 

The prospect of our beloved pets joining us in Heaven is a topic of great passion and curiosity. Some folks will readily say “yes, I know that our animals will be there.” Others feel that our pets will not make it and to think otherwise is akin to a childish understanding of heaven. Before I delve into this topic, I want to begin with this: If you have discovered this article because you have lost one of your furry friends of late, I am sorry for your pain. I know how much it hurts. 

We can have both deep affection for our pets as well as agape love—the kind of love that is willing to sacrifice our own comfort for another. Recently, Chai has been sick. One night he was having a difficult time getting comfortable. Once he finally did, he was lying crossways in a bed and took up my wife’s pillow and side of the bed. Kellie chose to sleep with less comfort that night and was even awake a big part of the night to be there to attend to his needs. She deeply cares for Chai. We know that he will not live forever. We do not want to see him suffer. We love him – not as much as we love our children. It’s not even close. But that doesn’t mean that our love is not real. When we awoke the next morning and saw his tail wag, our hearts felt joyful.

The finality of parting ways on this earth with these innocent companions is a lot to bear. The pain leads many of us to hoping and even believing that these dogs will be waiting for us on the other side, ready to pounce in our arms with tails wagging.

Is this just childish, wishful thinking? Is this just a way to ease our current pain? Is there biblical support that would give us real hope?

While the Bible does not give us a “chapter and verse” answer to this topic, I do believe that there is a lot of evidence that would support an answer to our longing -- that God will indeed raise some animals, including at least some of our pets, in the future. Here are a few principles:

1. Love endures. Agape endures according to Paul, even more than faith and hope. It will endure beyond the need for prophecies and special gifts of knowledge (1 Cor. 13). One day, our faith will find fulfillment in sight. One day every prophecy will be fulfilled in the Lord and we will see Him face to face—the living Word. Yet, love endures. It endures beyond this lifetime. 

I think the heart of this point may be informed by considering the heart of a parent for a child. Notice Jesus’ teaching on this topic:

Matthew 7:9-11 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (ESV, See also Luke 11:13).[1] 

Wouldn’t it be just like God to give us this delightful gift? The gospels point to God giving us good gifts in response to our prayer. He is a loving Heavenly Father who wants to grace us with blessings. God cannot always give us what we want in this lifetime, in part because it is may not be in our best interest. Sometimes it is not in the best interest of God’s kingdom. However, the pure love that many of us have for these animals (and that they seem to have in return for us) may lead us to a pure prayer of asking God to let us see them again. Why wouldn’t God answer this prayer? 

Knowing that God loves us and that He promises to answer our prayers when prayed in faith, with a pure motive, and in accordance with His will, the burden of proof might just be in the direction of those who would argue that God will not raise these pets and let them join us in Heaven (or the new earth).

2. God intends to maintain biodiversity. God made an unconditional covenant with living creatures, to never utterly destroy them or their kind in a flood (Gen. 9:8-17). In fact, a careful reading of the Noahic covenant shows just as much emphasis on God’s promise to animals as he does humans. The rainbow itself is a sign that reflects God’s concern for all creatures: “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth” (9:16). Although we can deduce that there was a great loss of wildlife in the flood, God ensured that representatives of each kind would be preserved for the future.

3. God cares about individual animals. God gave Adam the task of naming the animals because it mattered that they had names (Gen. 2:19). He wanted to allow the working animals to have rest and be well fed (Ex. 23:12; Deut. 25:4). There are many other passages that support the theme that God cares for the animals of His creation. They have purpose even beyond human consumption. Feel free to search this topic for support (Deut. 25:4; Job 12:7-10; Ps. 36:6; 50:10, 11; Prov. 12:10; 27:23; Luke 12:10).

4. Animals have intrinsic value. The sacrificial system of ancient Israel may seem brutal beyond reason, but if we only focus on that point, we may miss another one—that it was because animals had value, more than just monetary value, that this system made sense to the ancient people. The death of innocent animals could atone for sin, at least temporarily. This was the case until the Lamb of God, the Messiah, God’s Son, would once-for-all atone for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). The Bible makes it clear that the righteous care for the needs of their animals (Prov. 12:10; 27:23; Deut. 25:4).

5. Animals will exist on the new earth. This present age is a broken, temporary time that includes much suffering. The next age will be an age of peace. Animals will be an important part of that peace. Isaiah 11:6, 7 states,

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
 and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
 and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
 their young shall lie down together;
 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

While some may reduce these words to poetic metaphor, I do not. The kingdom age, the age in which the earth is restored to perfection, is a major theme of both testaments. While hyperbole is sometimes used to emphasize the grandeur and beauty of this future age, the reality is that this age will be more substantial, not less; it will be more complete and in line with God’s original creation, not less. Eden was filled with animals. The new Eden will not have less. We cannot argue in support of a literal, physical resurrection of human beings and reduce the references to animals on the new earth to symbolic language. Real animals on the new earth fits with the metanarrative of the entire biblical view of redemption, which is our next point.

6. Animals, as part of the rest of creation, will be redeemed. Theologically, the crux of the matter is found in the heart of the book of Romans, the eighth chapter:  

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Breaking down this rich section of Scripture deserves an entire essay. N.T. Wright devoted an entire book to this chapter.[2]Yet, there is space for a few points in support of our thesis. We are waiting, along with the rest of creation, for the revelation of God’s children. It will happen when God’s children are redeemed fully — when they inherit their new bodies for the new earth. The entire creation is suffering now because of sin. God subjected it to this state for the purpose of redeeming it. The creation was subjected in hope so that it too, may obtain glory following its subjected state.

This is the kind of glory that can only be found through redemption, through pain and suffering and ultimate victory wrought by Christ Himself. It is a victory that includes all of creation and the result, at least for humans, is the “redemption of our bodies.” This points to physical resurrection. These bodies will need a place in which to live and breathe. We will need food to eat and water to drink. The prophets of both testaments tell us of water and fruit trees and much more. Writers and thinkers like C. S. Lewis have speculated how far humans and animals fell following the events of Eden. Certainly, the quality of the nature of both humans and animals would have exceeded the quality of the current state. Our redeemed bodies will live on a redeemed earth with plants and animals in a state equal to or greater than that of Eden. 

The redemption of all creation need not be a literal redemption of every animal or plant that has ever lived. It would be absurd to even think of such a thing, at least if it were limited to a new earth on the scale of our present earth. “Creation” refers to the entire physical universe, not just its life forms. Rocks are made; erosion eventually breaks down the rock to add to the soil. A volcano thrusts new rock material from within the earth to its crust. Plants and animals are born and grow and die. Creation operates on a cycle. Not every frog and mosquito and viral cell will be raised. However, we have a model with the story of the flood. Here we see God preserving kinds of animals by preserving representatives of each kind. As for individual pets, of course this would be up to God’s discretion, but again, why not?

The Lord originally created humans to have a relationship with animals, having dominion over them and caring for them. It is sewn into the cloth of our DNA as sub-creators and sub-caretakers of this earth. The dawn of a new earth will finally allow us to reach our full potential as humans made in God’s image. God is redeeming us as individuals. Perhaps those of us who have been redeemed will once again enjoy many individual animals that were entrusted to our care in this lifetime.

Conclusion

Thinking through the above points, we can make a logical deduction. Rather than viewing this as a strict logical syllogism, see it as individual arguments to support our thesis -- points that are stronger together than separate. These summary statements may help us pull some of these ideas together:

a. God wants to give us good gifts. Many of us consider our pets as priceless gifts. How special it would be, perhaps in response to our prayers to see them again, if God were to allow these gifts to continue beyond this broken world.

b. If love endures, why wouldn’t the love we have for our pets and the longing to be reunited with them find fulfillment on the other side of this life?[3] 

c. God created animals and He is concerned for their well-being, not just for each kind of animal, but at least some specific animals as well. 

d. God’s nature is the ultimate source of value. There is an intrinsic value attributed to anything God loves; God doesn’t love something because it is good. God is love. Love flows from His essential nature. We bear God’s image and have intrinsic value (as opposed to value based on our actions). As God’s image-bearers, we are capable of true love, even godly love, especially those of us who have the Holy Spirit bearing His fruit through us. We attribute value to the people and animals we love (with agape love).

e. The suffering of this present age will one day end, resulting in a redemption of all creation.

f. If God has demonstrated concern for animals, and humans also love animals, especially certain ones in particular, why wouldn’t the Giver of all good things raise our beloved pets to join us. If animals will be redeemed, why not the specific ones we loved?  

I repeat. The burden of evidence lies on those who would argue that God will not raise at least some specific animals. Since love endures, I would not be surprised to see our most beloved pets on the new earth. I’d be delighted but not surprised.[4]

All of creation is groaning. Our hearts groan when we lose our pets. Along with the rest of creation, we are awaiting redemption. One glorious day, when the Son of God returns for His own, when my faith becomes sight, and when all creation is renewed, I believe I will be able to give Nutmeg and Chai a giant heavenly hug. I do not believe that this is childish thinking any more than my love for these animals is in any way childish. Yet, if one of you wants to flatter me with accusations of childish faith, I will not be insulted.

[1] The Luke passage replaces “good gifts” with the Holy Spirit. Both passages are making the point that God wants to bless us with good things. The contrast with decent human fathers wanting to bless their children with good gifts makes the point even clearer—God does not want us to hurt or be harmed. 

[2] N.T. Wright, Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul's Greatest Letter, Zondervan Academic, 2023.

[3] One may argue that this logic could lead to a view of universal salvation of every human being, since every human (or nearly every human) has been the object of love by a parent or other human. However, there is a categorical difference between animals that are innocent and humans that have a free will. If an argument is to be made for universalism, this is not the best point from which to argue. Furthermore, if God loves every human being, but some finally reject Him, will He force them to love Him back? That is neither loving nor rational. Yet, pets do love us innocently and without discrimination.

A study from Emory University concluded that dogs really do love us. Parts of their brains light up to praise in a similar way that they do to food, pointing to a desire to please their humans regardless of reward. I don’t think it is imperative that the love a dog has for its human family be as strong as that of a human’s love or of the same quality for it to be considered real. Dogs have affection for humans and form strong emotional bonds with them.

[4] This article does not address the current state of deceased animals or whether animals have a soul. It only proposes that our beloved pets may very well be part of the new earth. This article also raises more questions that it can answer about the fall, human resurrection, lost souls, scope of salvation, and more.