Will the soul of a pet survive the gates of death? God created animals in the Garden of Eden for Adam’s pleasure and could resurrect them if He so desired to do so. God makes the rules. It’s impossible to know if your pets will be in heaven, but we can be certain of this: Nothing is impossible with God. If His plan for our happiness includes the survival of our pets, then they will be there.

Rebecca Springer had an “out of the body” experience with death. In heaven she saw children playing in a meadow, rolling and tumbling over a big dog. As she approached, the dog ran to meet her, crouching and pawing at her feet in welcome. It was her dear dog, Sport, their family dog. She hugged his neck, her head on his silken fur. In heaven the dog understood every word she spoke and his hair! He bathed in the river of God every day and it left a living mark on his coat. One of the joyous proofs of God’s loving care for us is that we will find in heaven the small things that gave us great happiness.

I overheard some children discussing heaven one day. “Do you believe in heaven and hell?” asked one. They had a surprisingly deep discussion. One little girl said, “If you believe you are going to heaven, why do you cuss and use bad language?” Another little boy replied, “I know where I’m going – hell.”

Heaven is a wonderful place. It’s not always easy to believe in something you cannot see. But not seeing does not mean nonexistence. Scientists constantly search the unexplored. Every human being has an inner yearning for the eternal. How can we know that heaven is a wonderful place and all believers in Jesus Christ are headed there? We learn about heaven mostly from scripture. The Revelation given to John gives fascinating insight into the beautiful City of God and the many events and activities that will take place there. (See Revelation 19-22.) Many other scriptures point to our ultimate destination and the beautiful dwelling place of God. Jesus told about the mansions he is preparing and the way to get to heaven. (See John 14.) King David prophesied, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).

We can also learn somewhat of heaven from believers who have had near-death experiences and recovered with vivid recollections of what they saw there – although we have to use great caution and discernment about what we hear, always checking it against scriptures as our final authority.

I have been inspired by personally meeting and hearing the testimony of two individuals who actually died and saw heaven but were sent back to earth to tell of its reality and glory. Dr Richard Eby recorded his heavenly experience in his book Caught Up Into Paradise and Betty Maltz describes heaven in her book My Glimpse of Eternity.

Our final destination can only be apprehended by faith. By faith Abraham looked for a city that was out of this world. (See Hebrews 11.) In the oldest book in the Bible, Job is an example of suffering and heartache and even though he had neither Bible or Christian books, he declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives. . . and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26 NIV).

Refuse to let things you do not understand rob you of what you believe. Hold on to the hope of heaven and know its indescribable glories that await us.

“What’s up dog?” a young person recently asked me. What’s up dog? Heaven is what’s up. Jesus said that He is “coming for those who are looking for Him”. Do all good dogs go to heaven? The Bible says, “There is none good, no not one”. All of us “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

You can have the assurance of heaven when you die.
A - Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

B - Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

C - Confess and leave your sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)