ARE ALL THE CHILDREN GOING TO BE SAVED?

 

The question of whether children will be taken in the rapture is not explicitly addressed in Scripture, but it is a topic of debate. The Bible does not explicitly state what will happen to babies and young children at the rapture, but passages like II Samuel 12:23 suggest, but does not explicitly say that God will take them to be with Him. Key rapture passages like: John 14:1-3; I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18, do not address this question.

This is one topic that we seldom talk about or search the Scriptures to find out what they have to say on this very important subject. Most people take it for granted that all the children will be automatically saved, regardless if their parents are saved or not. They assume this because they know that God is Love, and that children are innocent. Many times we as humans get caught up in our feelings and emotions. We tend to think that God thinks and feels like us. But we have to remember that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). He does not let human feelings or emotions guide his decisions.

GOD DOES NOT CHANGE:

To understand how God deals with young children, we must look in the Bible. The Old Testament paints all pictures revealing to us how God worked and dealt with people. In the Old Testament, when God saved a righteous man, He saved him and his family.

In order to find out what the Bible teaches on this matter we have to search the Scriptures to see how God has dealt with this matter in the past, and then we can know what he will do in the present and in the future. Remember He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Malachi 3; Hebrews 13:8).     

What is going to happen to the children when Jesus comes? Well, they all be automatically saved? Many people think so. The reason that they think this is because they read such verses as Matthew 18:3 and 19:14. But do these verses really teach this? This seams to be the allegation of those who hold this view; but it is significant here that Christ did not say that little children were “in the kingdom,” but that “to such belongs the kingdom”! There is a world of difference. The emphasis is upon child-like behavior and character.

What does the Bible teach? As hard as it may be to believe for some, the Bible does not teach that all the children are going to be automatically saved. There is not one verse or portion in the Bible that even gives a hope that all the children are going to be saved. 

FAMILY COVENANTS:

Throughout time God has always dealt with man on a “Family Covenant Bases.” God’s blessings care and salvation is like an umbrella, it not only covers the person who holds the umbrella, but it also covers everyone under it.

Examples:

1. God made a covenant with Abraham and his children before he had any children.

2. God saved Noah and his family: Gen 6:18: “But with you I will establish my covenant; and you shall come into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” (Gen 7:1) When God destroyed the earth with the flood, young children perished.

3. God saved Lot and his family: Gen 19:15-16: “And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife, and your two daughters, which are here; lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth and set him without the city.” When God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, young children were killed.

4. God killed all Egyptians firstborns not sparing young children in the exodus night (Ex 12:29).

5. During Moses leadership, Israel killed young children (Deut 2:33-34).

6. We read in Joshua 7:24-26, that because of the sin of Acan all his family was killed.

7. He also made a covenant with David and his family.

When God kills and destroys, young children are also killed. God only saves His people, the church and the children of Israel. Although God created every human being not all are His people.

GOD’S COVENANT WITH HIS CHURCH:

On the Day of Pentecost God made a new covenant with his church (Acts 2:38-39), “For the promise is unto you, and to your children (salvation).” Hebrews 8 tells us that Jesus made a “better covenant” with His church.

Every time that God made a covenant, He made it with a man and his family! God’s umbrella of protection extended out to his imitate family (children) until they became of age where they could make their own decision to serve or reject God.

To be saved a person must repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins and be filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). The only exception would be “unto your children”, the covenant that God made with his church.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back for a church that is clean (Efe.5:27). The Apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians that the young children who are righteous and holy in the eyes of the Lord will be saved: “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.”  If one parent is righteous and holy in the eyes of the Lord, the children are clean thus holy. If no parent is righteous and holy in the eyes of the Lord, the children are unclean thus unrighteous and unholy.

According to the law a man who married a woman of the gentiles (and was consequently profane and unclean) defiled himself and was compelled to send her away; and their children had no right to Jewish privileges; they were rejected as unclean (Ezra 10:3). But under the new covenant it is contrary. The converted husband sanctifies the wife, and viceversa, and their children are reckoned clean before God; they have part in the rights of the parent.

The term “unclean” is the ceremonial term of the Jewish Law which meant to offer a sacrifice which had a spot on it. The priest rejected it; God would not accept it. If a person is not saved, then their children are unclean (unacceptable). God will reject them. 

God only saves the holy and righteous, what does this mean? In the rapture, God will only save (rapture) the holy and righteous children. These are the young children whose one or both of the parent are righteous and holy. Remember, Lot wife was rebellious but Lot was righteous (II peter 2:7-8) thus the children were righteous in the eyes of the Lord because Lot was righteous and they were saved. This is the principle which applies if your children will go to heaven or hell. 

THE FINAL PROOF:

The Bible says in Matthew 24:37: “as it was in the days of Noah.” You will remember that when the flood came there were no children on the ark. The only ones saved from the flood were Noah, his wife and his sons and their wives. All the children died in the flood. The Story of Noah is a type of the Rapture of the Church.

Matthew chapter 24 talks about the last days before the Rapture of the Church! We read in verse 19: “And woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!” If all the children are saved at the Rapture, then who are all the children that Jesus is talking about here?

As a parent, you determine whether your children are righteous or not; whether they will be saved or perish, whether they will go to heaven or hell.

This only applies to children who have not reached the age of conscience, knowing good and bad. Children who have reached the age of conscience, they have the freedom to choose God or not; choose heaven or hell.