{"id":155442,"date":"2025-07-15T15:32:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T15:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=155442"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T15:32:27","slug":"for-animal-lovers-by-charles-schokman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/for-animal-lovers-by-charles-schokman\/","title":{"rendered":"FOR ANIMAL LOVERS – By Charles Schokman"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR ANIMAL LOVERS – By Charles Schokman<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"dog<\/p>\n

Milly my furry daughter Kira my furry G\u2019 daughter<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Will My Dog Be in Heaven?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Many Christians, especially those who have loved and lost a pet might wonder: will our animals be in Heaven? While Scripture doesn’t offer a direct answer, it does provide clues that help us consider this heartfelt question.<\/span><\/p>\n

God’s Care for Creation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Bible makes it clear that God loves and cares for all His creation, including animals:<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Garden of Eden, God created a perfect environment where humans and animals coexisted in harmony (Genesis 1\u20132). Animals were part of the “very good” creation in God\u2019s world (Genesis 1:31).<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 10:29 reminds us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without God’s knowledge. And Psalm 36:6 declares, “You save humans and animals alike, O Lord.”<\/span><\/p>\n

This care suggests that animals are valuable to God, for they were created by Him as a grand display of his creativity. Eden is a picture of God\u2019s perfect plan for His creation. If animals were part of God\u2019s original perfect creation, it\u2019s likely they are also a part of His renewed creation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The presence of animals in Eden reminds us that their existence was intentional and meaningful, not random or disposable. God\u2019s love and care for all creatures are evident throughout other Scriptures mentioned below:<\/span><\/p>\n

– In Jonah 4:11, God expresses concern not only for the people of Nineveh but also for its animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

– Proverbs 12:10 says, \u201cThe righteous care for the needs of their animals,\u201d reflecting God\u2019s heart for the creatures He made.<\/span><\/p>\n

We can see from these few scriptures that a part of God\u2019s character is that He does not disregard the animals we love and He created, and His plan for eternity will reflect His goodness and compassion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do Animals Have Souls?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Humans are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) and have eternal souls. Animals, while not made in God’s image, are described in Scripture as having the “breath of life” (Genesis 7:15). This term \u201cbreath of life\u201d is not used exclusively of humans – Job 10:12, Psalm 31:5 talks about humans having a \u201cruach\u201d a Spirit. In Ecclesiates 3:20-21 also speaks of an animal having a spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

20\u00a0All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21\u00a0Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?\u201d<\/em> (NIV) And in Genesis 7:21-22,<\/span><\/p>\n

21\u00a0And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22\u00a0Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life<\/strong> died.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

There is also Genesis 1:21,<\/span><\/p>\n

21\u00a0So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature<\/strong> that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. <\/em>The term there \u201cliving creature\u201d is an \u201calive soul\u201d. Plants are alive but aren\u2019t talked about in the bible in the similar way that human and animals do as having the \u201cbreath of life\u201d. Now this doesn\u2019t mean that humans and animals are the same in any way, Genesis 1:26 makes it very clear. God said, \u201cLet us make man in our image<\/strong>, after our likeness<\/strong>. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.\u201d Humans are exclusively God\u2019s image bearers on the earth – not animals and yet we have that same life force that comes from God inside of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nature of Heaven and Disappointment<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Heaven is a place of ultimate joy and fulfillment in the presence of God. If the presence of your beloved dog would bring you joy, it’s possible that God, in His goodness, could include them in Heaven. After all, God is the source of every good gift (James 1:17). We might be concerned that we will be disappointed that our beloved pet may not be with us in Heaven but being in the presence of God isn\u2019t like anything we have experienced here on earth. Some of the hurts and issues we have faced in this lifetime will fade into insignificance in the presence of the almighty.<\/span><\/p>\n

For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!<\/span><\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 4:17-18<\/strong> Amplified Bible (AMP). And the Apostle here is talking about the suffering and persecution that he and other believers are going through – not losing a pet – so how much more so will this temporary pain be overwhelmed in the presence and love of the Father.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Matter of Trust<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, whether your dog will be in Heaven is something we must entrust to God’s wisdom and goodness. Scripture doesn’t give us all the answers, but it does assure us that Heaven will be a place of perfect peace, joy, and love in God’s presence. Revelation 21:1 speaks of a “new heaven and a new earth,” a restored creation free from sin and death. While Scripture doesn\u2019t explicitly mention individual animals being resurrected, the presence of animals in the new heaven and earth wouldn\u2019t be far-fetched. If the new earth is a perfected version of this one, animals\u2014who are an integral part of creation\u2014 will most very well be present. —Courtesy of Paul Romano<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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May your and my beloved pets-Kira & Mliiy find a placed in heaven for—–All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pray the video clips below give you a better understanding of God\u2019s creation and will be a blessing to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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