Will there be animals in the new heaven and new earth?
Question 10104
Many believers who have loved and lost pets, or who simply marvel at God’s creation, wonder whether animals will exist in eternity. It’s a question that touches the heart as much as the head. Scripture does not give us an exhaustive answer, but it provides enough to form a reasonable expectation.
Animals in the Original Creation
When God created the world, He filled it with animal life before He made humanity. Genesis 1:20-25 describes the abundance of creatures—fish, birds, livestock, and wild animals—and declares them “good.” Animals were not an afterthought; they were part of God’s deliberate design for a world that would reflect His glory. Adam was given the task of naming the animals (Genesis 2:19-20), indicating a relationship between humanity and the animal kingdom that was part of God’s original “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31).
The Fall brought death and decay to all creation, not just humanity. Romans 8:20-22 tells us that “the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Paul pictures the whole creation groaning, waiting for redemption. This suggests that God’s restorative purposes extend beyond humanity to the created order itself.
Animals in the Millennial Kingdom
Before we get to the eternal state, we should note what Scripture says about the Millennium—the thousand-year reign of Jesus on earth described in Revelation 20:1-6. Isaiah 11:6-9 paints a remarkable picture: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” This passage describes animals living in harmony, with predation removed and peace restored. Isaiah 65:25 echoes this: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”
These passages describe the Millennial Kingdom rather than the eternal state, but they demonstrate that God’s redemptive purposes include the animal kingdom. The curse will be progressively lifted, and creation will be restored to something closer to its original design.
Animals in the New Heaven and New Earth
What about the eternal state itself—the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation 21-22? Scripture is less explicit here, but several considerations point toward the presence of animals.
First, the new creation is not a departure from God’s original design but its fulfilment. Revelation 21:1 speaks of “a new heaven and a new earth,” using the Greek word καινός (kainos), meaning new in quality rather than νέος (neos), which would mean new in time or origin. This suggests renewal and restoration rather than replacement with something entirely different. If God’s original creation included animals as an expression of His creativity and glory, why would the perfected creation lack them?
Second, Isaiah 65:17-25, while primarily describing Millennial conditions, is introduced with the words “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (v.17). Some interpreters see this passage as blending Millennial and eternal state imagery, suggesting continuity between the two. The animals mentioned would then have a place in the eternal order as well.
Third, Jesus returns on a white horse (Revelation 19:11), and the armies of heaven follow Him on white horses (v.14). While these may be symbolic, they at least indicate that animals are not foreign to heavenly imagery. Heaven is not an abstract, disembodied existence but a physical reality where bodily existence—including, perhaps, animal life—is celebrated.
Will Our Pets Be There?
This is where we must be careful not to say more than Scripture says. The Bible does not teach that animals have immortal souls in the way humans do. Ecclesiastes 3:21 asks, “Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?” The question is left somewhat open, but the consistent teaching of Scripture is that humans alone are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and it is to humans that eternal life or eternal judgment is offered.
That said, God is able to do whatever He pleases. If it would bring joy to His redeemed people and glory to Himself to restore beloved pets or create new animals for the new earth, He is certainly capable of doing so. We should hold this possibility with open hands rather than dogmatic certainty. What we can say with confidence is that the new creation will lack nothing good. If animals are part of what makes creation “very good,” we have reason to hope they will be present.
Conclusion
Scripture strongly suggests that animals will exist in both the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal state. The new heaven and new earth represent the restoration and perfection of God’s original creation, not its abandonment. While we cannot be certain about specific pets being resurrected, we can trust that God’s eternal purposes include a creation teeming with life, beauty, and diversity—all to His everlasting glory. The God who made the animals and called them good is not likely to create an eternity without them.
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6