Do Animals Go to Heaven?

Hey, hey, Carpool Crew. It's Pastor Justin, and this is Questions from the Backseat where we try and answer your questions in about a minute. Today I want to talk about a question a lot of kids wonder about. Do animals go to heaven? If you have a pet, you probably love that animal a lot. Your dog, your cat, they play with you, they cuddle with you, and they feel like part of the family. So it makes sense to ask that question. Here's the honest answer. The Bible doesn't clearly tell us. There are a lot of things the Bible answers directly, but this is one of those questions where the Bible doesn't give a clear yes or no. What the Bible does tell us is that people are created in a special way. In the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 27, it says that human beings were made in the image of God. That means people were created to know God, to have a relationship with him. The Bible tells us that God made animals too, and that his creation was good. In the book of Genesis chapter 1, verse 25, it says God created the animals and saw that it was good. And Jesus tells us something amazing about heaven. In the book of John chapter 14, verse 2, Jesus says he is preparing a place for the people who belong to him. So when we put all that together, we can make some thoughtful guesses, but the most honest answer is still: we don't fully know. And guess what? That's okay. There are some things we'll understand better one day when we're with God. In the meantime, it's a wonderful thing to love the animals God has given to us and thank him for them every day. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you.