When Your Kids Ask, “Is Heaven Real?”

When Your Kids Ask, “Is Heaven Real

Books and movies such as Miracles from Heaven and Heaven is for Real have opened the floor to conversations about heaven with children in recent years. Children are naturally curious about what happens when someone dies, whether heaven is real, and what it’s like. As a parent, it can be difficult to answer these questions. Here are some ways you can respond to common curiosities:

Do Animals Go to Heaven?

If your children have seen All Dogs Go to Heaven, or if a beloved family pet passes away, they will likely ask if animals go to heaven. While there is no precise mention of animals going to heaven in the Bible, Romans 8:18-21 says the “whole creation” will experience redemption with the resurrection of God’s children. This passage does not limit redemption to only people, but all beings on the Earth.

Will I Recognize My Friends and Family?
A big fear for many children is that when they go to heaven, they are no longer themselves, but angels or ghosts. They are afraid they won’t recognize their friends and family members. Hebrews 2:5-9 differentiates between humans and angels, and many passages refer to the resurrected Jesus as Jesus – not someone else or a ghost. John in John 21:7 recognizes the resurrected Jesus, just as we will recognize our own kin in heaven.

Is Heaven Real?

You can answer the big question, “Is heaven real?” with many references in the Bible. The Bible makes it clear that heaven is a real place we will go if we believe Jesus died to save us from our sins. Isaiah 25:8-12, Matthew 5:17-20, 7:13-15, 19:17-19, John 14:2-4, and Revelation 21:4-8 are just a few of the verses in the Bible that mention or allude to heaven.