The Bible offers glimpses into the mysteries of heaven, including the presence of animals in the afterlife. These scriptures provide comfort and insight into God’s creation and His plan for all living beings. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into 33 Bible verses about animals in heaven, exploring their significance and the promise of eternal life for all creatures.
What does the Bible say about animals in heaven?
The literature that is perhaps most relevant in this regard is the one that gives some account of what happens in the afterlife, the Bible. Despite the lack of apparent specificity, however, a number of the passages surveyed here offer indirect evidence that animals are part of the divine blueprint and seem to hint that some also occupy a place in the afterlife.
Scriptural Indications of Animals in Heaven
1. Harmony in the New Creation
- Isaiah 11:6-9 depicts a future where “the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat,” illustrating a time of peace and harmony among all creatures. This vision suggests creation where animals live peacefully, hinting at their presence in heaven.
2. Universal Worship
- Revelation 5:13 states, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'” This verse implies that animals join in the worship of God, indicating their participation in the heavenly realm.
3. Renewal of All Creation
- Romans 8:19-22 speaks of creation eagerly awaiting the revelation of God’s children and being liberated from its “bondage to decay.” This passage suggests that all life, including animals, will be renewed, possibly indicating their inclusion in the afterlife.
Symbolic Representations of Animals in Heaven
1. Visionary Creatures
- Revelation 4:6-8 describes four living creatures around God’s throne, each with different animal-like features: a lion, an ox, a human face, and an eagle. These creatures symbolize various aspects of creation and reflect the presence of animals in the heavenly vision.
2. Horses in Revelation
- Revelation 19:11-14 describes Jesus returning on a white horse, accompanied by the armies of heaven also riding white horses. This imagery of heavenly horses suggests the presence of animals in the divine realm.
God’s Care for Animals
1. God’s Provision
- Matthew 6:26 and Matthew 10:29 highlight God’s care for even the smallest creatures, suggesting that His compassion and provision extend to all His creation, including animals.
2. Covenant with Creation
- Hosea 2:18 speaks of a covenant that God will make “with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky, and the creatures that move along the ground.” This covenant of peace implies a significant place for animals in God’s future plans.
Table of Top Verses about Animals in Heaven:
Reference | Verse about Animals in Heaven |
---|---|
Isaiah 11:6 | “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat…” |
Revelation 5:13 | “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” |
Isaiah 65:25 | “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox…” |
Genesis 1:30 | “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky…” |
List of 33 Bible Verses about Animals in Heaven:
1. Isaiah 11:6 – Peace Among Animals in Heaven
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
2. Revelation 5:13 – Every Creature Praising God
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
3. Isaiah 65:25 – Harmony in the New Creation
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
4. Genesis 1:30 – Provision for All Creatures
And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food. And it was so.
5. Ecclesiastes 3:21 – The Spirit of Animals
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?
6. Psalm 145:9 – God’s Compassion on All He Made
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
7. Job 12:10 – The Life of Every Creature
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
8. Romans 8:21-22 – Creation’s Redemption
That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
9. Psalm 36:6 – Preservation of Man and Beast
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
10. Hosea 2:18 – Covenant with the Animals
In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
11. Genesis 9:9-10 – God’s Covenant with All Creatures
I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.
12. Matthew 10:29 – God’s Care for All Creatures
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
13. Proverbs 12:10 – Righteous Care for Animals
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
14. Psalm 104:24-25 – The Vastness of God’s Creation
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small.
15. Isaiah 43:20 – Praise from the Animals
The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
16. Genesis 1:24 – Creation of Animals
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
17. Psalm 148:10 – Animals Praise the Lord
Wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
18. Psalm 50:10-11 – God’s Ownership of All Creatures
For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.
19. Revelation 19:11 – The White Horse in Heaven
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.
20. Ezekiel 1:10 – The Four Living Creatures
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
21. Isaiah 11:9 – No Harm in God’s Holy Mountain
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
22. Revelation 4:6-7 – The Four Living Creatures
Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
23. Genesis 6:19 – Preservation of Animal Life
You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
24. Job 38:41 – God’s Provision for the Animals
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?
25. Psalm 145:16 – Satisfying the Desire of Every Living Thing
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
26. Daniel 7:3 – Four Great Beasts
Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
27. Zephaniah 1:3 – God’s Judgment on Animals
I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea, and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble. When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth, declares the Lord.
28. Psalm 8:6-8 – Dominion Over the Animals
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
29. Romans 1:20 – Understanding Through Creation
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
30. Isaiah 34:14 – Desert Creatures
Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also lie down and find for themselves places of rest.
31. Job 40:15 – The Behemoth
Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
32. Psalm 74:19 – The Life of Your Doves
Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
33. Genesis 9:2 – Fear of Animals
The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.
Conclusion:
The Bible provides numerous verses that suggest a harmonious existence of animals in heaven, reflecting the peace and perfection of God’s creation. These scriptures offer hope and comfort, showing God’s care and plan for all living beings. As we reflect on these verses, may we be inspired to appreciate and care for God’s creatures, knowing that they too are part of His divine plan.
Do Animals go to Heaven?
Another debated topic that has caused much discourse among Philosophers, theologians, and people with passion for animals is where animals go after death. The Bible is rather vague on the topic of animals in heaven, but there are texts and message ideas that lean to positively interesting ethos about animals.
Biblical Insights and Interpretations
1. Concern and Complements to Animals in God’s Creation
Genesis 1: It is worth stressing that verses 20–25 speak about the creation of animals by God and say, ‘And God saw that it was good.’ This suggests that animals were created, and are still being created, by God as a work of pleasure.
Matthew 10:Here in verse 29, God addresses man’s concern for providing food for the flock when he says man is not even able to provide food for a sparrow; much less God who plucked other creatures right from the heart of the flock, will He not take care of us?
2. There are several differences between the harmonious society of the New Creation and the current society of the world.
Isaiah 11:6–9 imagines a state of affairs where predators and their prey do not kill one another anymore: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the goat.” This vision of things to come signals the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, since animals shall be allowed in God’s eternal kingdom.
Isaiah 65:25 is similar in sentiment, giving more detail of a lifestyle devoid of strife and partaking in the new creation with the animals.
3. Universal Worship
Revelation 5:13 states, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” For them to sing such a song distinctly, they needed to be in heaven with other creatures, suggesting their presence in heaven.
4. Renewal of All Creation
Romans 8:19–22 refers to creation waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God, and the liberation from the corruption made explicit in this passage is clear with regard to animals, although the subject of creation waiting will also imply the regeneration of animals in the afterlife.
FAQs About Animals in Heaven
1. Does the Bible explicitly state that animals go to heaven?
- The Bible does not explicitly state that animals go to heaven. However, various scriptures imply that animals are part of God’s eternal plan, such as Isaiah 11:6-9 and Revelation 5:13, which suggest that animals will be present in the new creation and join in worshiping God.
2. Will our pets be with us in heaven?
- While the Bible does not provide a clear answer about individual pets, it emphasizes God’s love and care for all His creatures. Passages like Romans 8:19-22 suggest that all creation will be renewed, offering hope that pets could be part of this renewal.