Will There Be Animals in Heaven?

Animal lovers often wonder whether there will be animals in heaven. But a better question is, “Will there be animals on the new earth?” I don’t mean to be a stickler, but the eternal home of those reconciled to God isn’t heaven—as is widely thought—but the new earth. ⁽¹⁾

Returning to our question, the short answer is that, frankly, we don’t know. But there may be clues. Some claim that chapters eleven and sixty-five in Isaiah provide evidence for the presence of animals. Those passages describe the peaceful coexistence of predator and prey, such as wolf and lamb or leopard and goat. However, using these texts as proof has problems. Chapter eleven refers to the time when Christ will rule on this earth and restore our present planet to what it should have been. The second passage is also problematic because opinions differ on whether it refers to Christ’s earthly reign or to the new heaven and earth.

Revelation nineteen is sometimes cited as strong evidence that animals will be present in eternity. Jesus rides out of heaven on a white horse. The problem is that this image could be symbolic, so we cannot be dogmatic either way.

In conclusion, although we don’t know for sure, it’s not unreasonable to think that since there will be a new earth, there will also be animals. I believe the Isaiah sixty-five passage could point to that. But God is very tight-lipped about this new world. He probably wants to surprise us. Frankly, even if he tried to tell us, we would probably lack the vocabulary to understand.

I like the way Dr. Billy Graham once answered this question. When asked about dogs in heaven, he said, “God will provide us with everything we need to be happy in Heaven, and if animals are necessary to make us completely happy there, you can be confident he will arrange for them to be with us.” ⁽²⁾

If there are animals—as I’m inclined to believe—this raises another question: where will they come from? The Bible is silent on this issue, so any answer is pure speculation. There are only two possibilities: either God creates new animals, or he somehow brings those from this planet to the new earth. Every pet owner hopes the second option is true. I certainly do. I would love to play fetch again with my childhood dog, Lady.

⁽¹⁾ Revelation 21:1-3, 2 Peter 3:13

⁽²⁾ Billy Graham, syndicated column, September 21, 2003, response to a reader asking whether people will be reunited with their pets in heaven.