Question: What is the biblical answer to the question of children at the
time of the rapture? Will children, of a believer, who are under the age of
accountability be raptured? Will all children? Does ICor. 7:12-14 addresss
this?
Answer: Thank you for this EXCELLENT question. Yes, 1Cor. 7:12-14 does
address this in part. 1 Corinthians 7:14 says, "For the unbelieving husband is
sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband:
else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."
Your children are your inheritance. (Psalm 127:3) The Bible is not specific in
saying that children will be raptured; however, one can come to a conclusion
based upon how God dealt with the preservation of His people from impending
judgement in the Old Testament. We read in the Bible that God is the same
yesterday, today and forever, and He changes not. (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6)
Children Over The Age of Accountability
For the children of believers over the age of accountability, we have a few
examples. If we take a look at Lot, God spared him and his daughters and would
have spared his wife, had she not turned around to look upon that city one more
time. Lot's wife had a free will and chose her destiny by disobeying God's word.
Lot's daughters could have refused and ran away from their father back into the
city. They had a free will and chose to believe God.
When looking at Noah, we read that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The
Bible does not mention his sons found grace but yet they were spared along with
their wives and Noah's wife as well because these adults chose to believe God.
At any time while they were building the ark, the sons could have said, "Dad, we
just don't believe there is a flood coming...and we will not enter the ark with
you." But they had a free will and chose to go inside the ark, believing the word
that God had said to Noah. So children over the age of accountability have to
be believers in Christ Jesus in order to be raptured.
For the believer's children under the age of
accountability:
We, at this ministry, believe the children of all saints, who are under the age of
accountability, will be raptured. Some websites online would disagree with us but
our question to them is, who would raise their children when they are raptured?
One who would raise their child to believe in another god? One who would
encourage their child to take the mark of the beast and worship the beast? The
little children of the saints would have to suffer all the judgements and plagues
while their parents are up in heaven? We do not believe that God would allow the
children (inheritance) of the saints to be given to and raised by the ungodly. Our
children are our inheritance, not the world's.
We know as Christians that God's character is just and fair at all times. His word
says in Proverbs 20:7, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are
blessed after him." One who receives Jesus Christ as Savior has been justified in
the eyes of God because of our Lord's death and resurrection. We stand before
God just as if we have never sinned at all and it's all because of Jesus. His blood
washed our sins away.
The children (under the age of accountability) of believers are under the
authority of their parents, who are under the authority of the Lord. God would
not take you away from your innocent child only to give your child to the
unbeliever. We believe this goes against everything that is taught in the Bible.
Passover night, in Exodus 12, is a perfect picture of the Rapture. All the first
born inside the house, where the blood was applied on the doorposts, were
spared. If they were to have chosen to go outside and not believe God's word,
they too would have perished. So they were saved by believing. But the children,
under the age of accountability, were spared because their parents applied the
blood upon the doorposts of the house (because the parents believed God's word).
Unbeliever's Children
Regarding the unbeliever's children, Bible teachers are very divided on this
subject because the Bible is not specific in this regard. There are some who
believe that the children of unbelievers will be raptured. Their position is
defended by the fact that if the children were to be left behind, they would
receive the mark of the beast at their parents' urging, thereby sealing their doom.
But we believe that just as your children are your inheritance, the children of
unbelievers are their inheritance. The unbelievers are responsible for their own
children.
If we look at Lot again, he and his daughers were spared but the children of the
ungodly perished and were not spared. Noah and his family were spared but
there were none other survivors. All people- young and old perished.
Concerning Jericho, the Lord says in Joshua 6:21, "And they utterly destroyed
all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and
sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." Pharaoh's first born and every
first born of Egypt died on the night of Passover-- young and old. So to assume
that God would take the child of an unbeliever in the Rapture is not consistent
with the rest of Scripture. Children are a gift from the Lord to the parents. The
parents' responsibility is to raise the child up in the fear of the Lord. The
unbeliever will give an account to God for the way in which they raised their
children.
Believer's Children
Another example of why a believer's children, under the age of accountability,
will be raptured is found in Exodus 9. God even made a distinction between
possessions of the Israelites and the Egyptians. Exodus 9:4 says, "And the LORD
shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall
nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel." If God cared about Israel's cattle,
how much more our children?
When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt to go to the Promised Land, they
did not leave their young children behind to be raised by the ungodly Egyptians.
This would have sore displeased God. Thus, we believe that when we are
raptured, the little ones of all believers will be too.
Prov 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children:
and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. [By looking at this verse,
we find that it is not the sinner who inherits the godly man's
possessions...therefore the ungodly will not be raising the offspring of the Saints.
All believers and their children, under the age of accountability, will be raptured.]
These are just a few examples of why we are a firm believers in the fact that the
children, under the age of accountability, of the believer will also be raptured.
Many evangelicals believe that all who die under the age of accountability are
taken to a separate place and allowed to grow up and witness the love of God and
also witness the ugliness of sin and thereby given the free will to choose the Lord
Jesus or reject Him. We know that ALL who will stand in heaven someday will
have all gotten there the same way--through the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Old Testament and New Testament saints alike-- all by the Blood of the
Lamb.
Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
We hope this answer helps. Because the bible is silent about the specifics of
children in the rapture, we can only base our conclusion from what we have seen
in the Old Testament. Children over the age of accountability must put their trust
solely in Jesus in order to be raptured. Children of the Saints, under the age of
accountability, will be raptured. This we know 100%. God will not leave the
little ones behind to face this evil world alone.
We believe that the children of the unbelievers will not be raptured but it is
impossible to know this 100%. We are basing our viewpoint from the past. In the
OT, we see that judgement always included the children of the ungodly. Those
children belong to the parents. No matter what will happen, we know that God is
merciful and Sovereign at the same time. He loves this world. He loves the
children. His will be done. He knows what is best so we leave it in his hands.
We know that many will come out of the Great Tribulation and will believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Rev 7:9,13-15, After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands; ... And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
time of the rapture? Will children, of a believer, who are under the age of
accountability be raptured? Will all children? Does ICor. 7:12-14 addresss
this?
Answer: Thank you for this EXCELLENT question. Yes, 1Cor. 7:12-14 does
address this in part. 1 Corinthians 7:14 says, "For the unbelieving husband is
sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband:
else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."
Your children are your inheritance. (Psalm 127:3) The Bible is not specific in
saying that children will be raptured; however, one can come to a conclusion
based upon how God dealt with the preservation of His people from impending
judgement in the Old Testament. We read in the Bible that God is the same
yesterday, today and forever, and He changes not. (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6)
Children Over The Age of Accountability
For the children of believers over the age of accountability, we have a few
examples. If we take a look at Lot, God spared him and his daughters and would
have spared his wife, had she not turned around to look upon that city one more
time. Lot's wife had a free will and chose her destiny by disobeying God's word.
Lot's daughters could have refused and ran away from their father back into the
city. They had a free will and chose to believe God.
When looking at Noah, we read that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The
Bible does not mention his sons found grace but yet they were spared along with
their wives and Noah's wife as well because these adults chose to believe God.
At any time while they were building the ark, the sons could have said, "Dad, we
just don't believe there is a flood coming...and we will not enter the ark with
you." But they had a free will and chose to go inside the ark, believing the word
that God had said to Noah. So children over the age of accountability have to
be believers in Christ Jesus in order to be raptured.
For the believer's children under the age of
accountability:
We, at this ministry, believe the children of all saints, who are under the age of
accountability, will be raptured. Some websites online would disagree with us but
our question to them is, who would raise their children when they are raptured?
One who would raise their child to believe in another god? One who would
encourage their child to take the mark of the beast and worship the beast? The
little children of the saints would have to suffer all the judgements and plagues
while their parents are up in heaven? We do not believe that God would allow the
children (inheritance) of the saints to be given to and raised by the ungodly. Our
children are our inheritance, not the world's.
We know as Christians that God's character is just and fair at all times. His word
says in Proverbs 20:7, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are
blessed after him." One who receives Jesus Christ as Savior has been justified in
the eyes of God because of our Lord's death and resurrection. We stand before
God just as if we have never sinned at all and it's all because of Jesus. His blood
washed our sins away.
The children (under the age of accountability) of believers are under the
authority of their parents, who are under the authority of the Lord. God would
not take you away from your innocent child only to give your child to the
unbeliever. We believe this goes against everything that is taught in the Bible.
Passover night, in Exodus 12, is a perfect picture of the Rapture. All the first
born inside the house, where the blood was applied on the doorposts, were
spared. If they were to have chosen to go outside and not believe God's word,
they too would have perished. So they were saved by believing. But the children,
under the age of accountability, were spared because their parents applied the
blood upon the doorposts of the house (because the parents believed God's word).
Unbeliever's Children
Regarding the unbeliever's children, Bible teachers are very divided on this
subject because the Bible is not specific in this regard. There are some who
believe that the children of unbelievers will be raptured. Their position is
defended by the fact that if the children were to be left behind, they would
receive the mark of the beast at their parents' urging, thereby sealing their doom.
But we believe that just as your children are your inheritance, the children of
unbelievers are their inheritance. The unbelievers are responsible for their own
children.
If we look at Lot again, he and his daughers were spared but the children of the
ungodly perished and were not spared. Noah and his family were spared but
there were none other survivors. All people- young and old perished.
Concerning Jericho, the Lord says in Joshua 6:21, "And they utterly destroyed
all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and
sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." Pharaoh's first born and every
first born of Egypt died on the night of Passover-- young and old. So to assume
that God would take the child of an unbeliever in the Rapture is not consistent
with the rest of Scripture. Children are a gift from the Lord to the parents. The
parents' responsibility is to raise the child up in the fear of the Lord. The
unbeliever will give an account to God for the way in which they raised their
children.
Believer's Children
Another example of why a believer's children, under the age of accountability,
will be raptured is found in Exodus 9. God even made a distinction between
possessions of the Israelites and the Egyptians. Exodus 9:4 says, "And the LORD
shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall
nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel." If God cared about Israel's cattle,
how much more our children?
When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt to go to the Promised Land, they
did not leave their young children behind to be raised by the ungodly Egyptians.
This would have sore displeased God. Thus, we believe that when we are
raptured, the little ones of all believers will be too.
Prov 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children:
and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. [By looking at this verse,
we find that it is not the sinner who inherits the godly man's
possessions...therefore the ungodly will not be raising the offspring of the Saints.
All believers and their children, under the age of accountability, will be raptured.]
These are just a few examples of why we are a firm believers in the fact that the
children, under the age of accountability, of the believer will also be raptured.
Many evangelicals believe that all who die under the age of accountability are
taken to a separate place and allowed to grow up and witness the love of God and
also witness the ugliness of sin and thereby given the free will to choose the Lord
Jesus or reject Him. We know that ALL who will stand in heaven someday will
have all gotten there the same way--through the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Old Testament and New Testament saints alike-- all by the Blood of the
Lamb.
Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
We hope this answer helps. Because the bible is silent about the specifics of
children in the rapture, we can only base our conclusion from what we have seen
in the Old Testament. Children over the age of accountability must put their trust
solely in Jesus in order to be raptured. Children of the Saints, under the age of
accountability, will be raptured. This we know 100%. God will not leave the
little ones behind to face this evil world alone.
We believe that the children of the unbelievers will not be raptured but it is
impossible to know this 100%. We are basing our viewpoint from the past. In the
OT, we see that judgement always included the children of the ungodly. Those
children belong to the parents. No matter what will happen, we know that God is
merciful and Sovereign at the same time. He loves this world. He loves the
children. His will be done. He knows what is best so we leave it in his hands.
We know that many will come out of the Great Tribulation and will believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Rev 7:9,13-15, After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands; ... And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
