All Dogs (and Cats) go to Heaven

As it was in the beginning, God created ALL LIVING things, saw that it was good. And He blessed them!

Genesis 1:20-26 Are we not all creations of God? God created all the living things, He saw they were good, and He Blessed them. He Blessed them.. Think about that. This whole topic came up because of the love bond that exists between a dog and his Master, as long as it stays Dog and Master. While Moses went up on the mountain to get the Commandments from God, the disobedient Israelites were fragmenting and creating false gods in the likeness of animals. To love them to that extent can only lead us down the wrong path. We are to have no other gods before the One True God. God loved animals, too. To counter sin, God allowed animal offerings as a substitute on the alter. So God must have placed a value to be accepted

Genesis 1:20–26 NKJV

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Leviticus 9-11

Do animals have spirits? I believe they do. First, I want to remind you of a saying, “A dog knows when he has been kicked, or just stumbled over.” Over my lifetime, I’ve known that to be true. While I never kicked any of my dogs, when I was growing up, a slapped one of our dogs across the snout. He had me backpedaling until I was up against the wall in my closet. When I opened my eyes, I met his. He was an abnormally large Great Dane. New Neighbors moved in, and thought to themselves, “oh, look! Our back yard neighbors have a small pony!” Zak was taller than me when he was on his hind legs. When I opened my eyes, Zak’s black mask and eyes, are what I saw. We stared at each other and no words had to be said. I understood that I was never, ever.. to do that again. You see, I had to clean my room and make my bed before I could go out to play. What stood between me and playdom was a Big Great Dane named Zak. Just his name spread terror in the neighborhood. Kids riding their bikes got off of them and climbed trees when Zak and I were out for a walk. My friend, Jerry, was chased around, and around our dining room table screaming my name. apologetically.. I couldn’t stop laughing. But Zak turned around and caught Jerry going the other way, clomped him right on the arm. It was the dead of winter, and Jerry was bundled up. He hadnt shed his winter coats and sweatshirts. Zak was supposed to have been locked in the back room. My younger brother did not close the door properly. Zak peered around the corner, and Jerry’s eyes met Zaks, too. You could hear this big dog winding up on the wood floor. You could hear Jerry’s feet also winding up on the linoleum floor, and then they both ended up in our dining room around the table.

Jerry never came back to my house until after the passing of Zak. Yes, it was the same dog I was having trouble with this day. He was sleeping on my bed. Just like Bugs Bunny wrestling the Crusher, I couldn’t move him. I made all the same sound effects but he was an immovable object. I pulled, I pushed, I even tried a Milk Bone biscuit. He was just content with his front paws clenched around my blanket and chewing a hole the size of a man-hole cover in it. Out of frustration I gave him a crack across the snout. Instantly I found myself in fear of my life backpedaling until I tripped on something and landed flat against the wall and on my behind. Zak’s spirit, at that moment, was bent on retribution. However, I’m sure he found it funny to see me, eyes wide open in fear, praying I would survive. He went back to the bed. I waited until he decided he was hungry, about 3:30 that afternoon.

Zak was my mothers dog. My Mom worked over night as a computer operator for a large company. Every weekday morning, the same thing would happen. Zak would be sitting in a chair (Yes, just like a human) looking for my Mom’s car on a service road outside of our neighborhood. When he saw her car, he would get up and go to the other chair in front of this big bench seated window, and watch for her car to turn up our street. Did I mention Zaks tail? Lethal. If it hit skin while he was excited and happy? Welt. If it hit an object like a lamp? Destruction. We let Zak have the whole living room to himself when Mom would be coming home. Zak didn’t know where to go! He would start running in circles, he was just so excited to see Mom. When she came in the door he would stop running and just adore my Mom. Tail whipping like he was the masked guard on a Roman Galley ship. He had taken out Lamps and other decorative pieces, Christmas ornaments right off the tree. When Mom came in the house they both hugged and Zak, well you could tell he was so Happy to see her. He was happy to see us, too. Not near the celebration he gave Mom. With us, it was a little different. As a kid, school could and would take a lot out of you. Some days could be very bad. Feeling out of sorts, I could walk in the door and just want to go to my room. Zak was always excited and happy I was home. It was like he never had bad days, unless, of course someone would smack him across the snout, then the whole room would darken and flashes.. well, he was always in a good mood, always happy. I have a dog now, and he is one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever known, and he seems to be happy when he is doing all he can to please me. I can see his mood change. For example, if I have to go somewhere and he can’t go with. Otherwise I can tell see his emotions, and mostly all of them are happy, and I see him entertain himself when I am busy. There is no doubt in my mind dogs, cats, too, have spirits as individual as they are. Some dogs seem as dumb as a rock, but they all know how to have fun, even if they are chewing up your $900 couch. So much so, I always believed that all dogs go to heaven.

Are animals capable of having spirits? Absolutely! Mark 5:12 If evil spirits and demons can possess a person, they are oppressing that persons own spirit. In Mark, we find our Lord dealing with two demon possessed men. As Jesus approached they began screaming “What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God..” and they began begging Jesus to cast them off in the herd of swine in a field not too far off. Luke 8:32 So Jesus allowed them to do so, and they immediately left the two men and entered the herd of swine. In Luke 8:33 and Mk 5:13 we see that they immediately entered the swine and all the animals perished. If animals didn’t have their own unique spirits, how could they become possessed? The two mens spirits were freed.

Mark 5:13 NKJV

And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

In Numbers 22:27-30 we see that God sent the Angel of the Lord to block Balaam from going anywhere because God’s anger was aroused. Balaam’s donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, sword drawn, blocking his way even though, apparently Balaam couldn’t. In verse 23, the donkey turns into a field away from the Angel of the Lord and Balaam starts striking the donkey to turn back and proceed. The Angel of the Lord continued to block the way, and the donkey continued stay clear. Balaam became angry and continued to strike the poor animal and finally the Lord “opened” the mouth of donkey. The donkey spoke to Balaam (Numbers 22:28-30) “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?” The Bible says in verse 29 that Balaam answered right back, “..You abused me, I wish there were a sword in my hand for now I would kill you!”

Numbers 22:28–30 NKJV

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

Seriously? You’re trying to coax an animal that until that moment only made sounds a donkey could make, and then the Donkey starts a discussion with you? Maybe as a prophet, you can get used to something supernatural like that, it would have alarmed me. So, the female donkey says in Human speak, “Hey dude, whats with the hitting me with a stick? You and I have been together through thick and thin, we logged a lot of miles together. You’ve never known me to pull this number on you, have you? So there must be a reason, right?” Balaam says “Well, yeah.. I reckon.” Just then, the Lord opened his eyes, too. (Numbers 22:31) Then the Lord asked Balaam also, why did he hit the donkey? You should have known there was a reason your donkey didn’t want to proceed. If she had, you’d be a dead prophet right now, and I would have let her go enjoy her life. (Numbers 22:32-33)

It doesn’t say that the Lord was talking through the donkey. It says in Numbers 22 that the Lord “Opened” the mouth of the Donkey, and she (the donkey) said.. That’s the donkey talking. It wasn’t the Lord he hit three times, it was the Donkey. Even when the Lord opens Balaams’ eye’s, the Lord says “Why did you strike your donkey these three times..” The Lord observed Balaam do this behavior. If the Donkey can feel the abuse, so that given the chance, can actually say to her abuser, “What gives?” Id say that shows the donkey has feelings, is full of spirit, right?

I was raised Lutheran, and my first issue with my Pastor was him telling us that our pets are dumb animals and we wont see these guys again after they have passed. His reasons were they don’t have the capability of having spirits. Well, that is not what my Bible says. I just proved that, and there are many examples. I’m not sure if animals can claim Jesus is Lord, but then I don’t think they have to. The donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and knew what to do. I’m not sure they are capable of sin unless the Lord allows them to possess swine again. But I do know the Bible says the Lion will lay with the Lamb when the Lord returns. I can’t find any scripture that says the pets I’ve had over my lifetime won’t be there with me.

Some like to point to the scripture like Luke 20:35 as to somehow mean that relationships will be different. I expect that will be true, since we’ll have a whole new relationship with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Now we see dimly, but then we will be face to face. It doesn’t really say anything about having our family and companions with us. We’ll all be in fellowship with one another, and I believe Dogs and cats, too. Even Horses, swine and Donkeys. I think I recall a verse that the snakes will still be eating dust.

I could be wrong, and if I am, the Bible says the Lord will wipe away those tears. I do pray for my four footed friends. I pray I am right, too. Only the Lord knows for certain.