'Will there be animals in heaven?' - Dr Billy Graham answers some of
the worldwide questions he is asked:
"I know this may seem silly to you, but recently my dog had to be put
to sleep and it has made me grieve deeply. Do you think I will see my
pet in heaven?" - Mrs M.S.T.
"I do not believe Scripture gives us any direct answer about this,
although many Bible scholars believe the evidence suggests there will be
animals in heaven. The difference will be that they will no longer fight
and kill, because in the heavenly kingdom all will be peace. 'The
wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat .
. . They will neither hurt nor destroy on all my holy mountain'
(Isaiah 11 vs. 6, 9).
There is one thing you can be certain of, however. God loves us, and
he knows what our needs are. He also wants us to be completely happy in
heaven - and we will be. Therefore, if God knows we will be happier
because there will be animals with us in heaven, then you can be assured
He will do what is best for us. Remember that our happiness and joy in
heaven will be based especially on the fact that we will be with Christ,
and we will worship Him and serve Him there. 'No longer will there be
any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and
his servants will serve Him' (Revelation 22v.3).
I realise that you may be very sad over the loss of this pet, but I
want to challenge you to use this time to think more carefully about
what you can do in the future to serve God more fully. For example, all
around you are people who have never thought much about heaven or about
their relationship to Christ. There are also people around you who are
facing many problems and heartaches. Are you praying for them, and are
you seeking to share Christ's love for them as God gives you
opportunity? And are you growing spiritually yourself, learning to trust
God more and more each day and learning about Him through His Word, the
Bible? The most important thing in life should be your relationship to
Christ, and my prayer is that He will have first place in your life."
From the Christian Herald dated November 12, 1983:
Reproduced with thanks
NB The final paragraph of Dr Graham's thesis may appear
presumptuous and patronising to Christians who care about other beings
but we reproduce the text in full for informational purposes.
