Saying goodbye to an animal who made an impact on our lives is emotionally devastating, and we can find comfort in sayings like “all dogs go to Heaven” and the image of the Rainbow Bridge. But are these more than just sweet sentiments to help us through the pain? Scripture has a lot to say about this!
Throughout the Bible, many of God’s prophecies speak of animals in the future age when sin and death will be overcome. In Isaiah 11:6-9, God speaks about the coming age of eternal peace, where all individuals will live together in harmony. In the book of Revelation, God tells us that both humans and animals will joyfully worship Him, using images of majestic animals to help us understand the glory of Heaven.
In the creation narrative of Genesis, we see God intricately create all living beings with dignity and purpose. God created a beautiful, diverse array of animals to fill the earth, and saw the animal kingdom bringing life to His world as “good” (Genesis 1:20-25). God created humans shortly afterward with the purpose of stewarding and caring for His beloved animals, and He designed all individuals to be nourished by vegan food (Genesis 1:29). In God’s original creation, there was no death. Just perfect union with one another and our creator.
Since humans disobeyed God and brought sin and death into the world, our loving Father has been restoring His creation to this perfect life in Genesis. He has made covenants with all of His created individuals to protect them from harm (Genesis 9:8-17). In Hosea 2:18, He makes a covenant with animals to one day end all human-made destruction under which they suffer tremendously. He promises them eternal safety because He deeply cares for them as He does for us, and His protection for His beloved animals extends to the next life.
Many passages refer to the souls of animals and their salvation. Luke 3:6 says, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Romans 8:19-21 tells us that all creation is awaiting the return of Christ, and Psalm 36:6 is clear that God saves both humans and animals.
Our loving Father cares for and protects each one of us, human and animal alike. And, according to scripture, we can be assured that He will welcome all of His beloved children into His eternal kingdom. If you are grieving the loss of an animal companion, take heart that your friend is with the Lord and waiting for you in eternity.
For scripturally-based grief support, download our free Companion Animal Grief Program today.
