Children in the Rapture

Will Babies and Children Go Up in the Rapture of the Church the Body of Christ?

I used to think that if children had not believed the gospel, then they would remain on the earth during the tribulation period. After all, during the flood of Noah's time, children were also drowned. We know from scripture that there is essentially an age of accountability in which a person comes to know and understand sin and that they willingly choose to sin. For some it is the teenage years, and for a few it might be even younger. Children can come to eventually understand that they willingly sin, though if left to understand it without it being explained to them, it may not be understood until they are much older, usually in their teenage years. So, when children die, they go to heaven even if they have never believed the Gospel. As believers we should want to give our children the gospel all throughout their childhood so that they will hopefully choose to believe it.

Romans 1:18 says,
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Babies and children do not hold the truth in unrighteousness. Yes, they sin because they are born with a sin nature. However, they have not fully understood that they sin and they are not holding the truth in unrighteousness. Therefore children who die, whether they have believed the gospel or not, will go to heaven. Children will also go up in the rapture as well because God's coming wrath upon the earth is a similar thing in that it is specifically going to be against all those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. These children will then be considered as part of the body of Christ, though they will not have much spiritual understanding in heaven. One thing that we will do as saints is teach these children (though they may appear to be adults in heaven) God's word even in heaven!

2 Thessalonians 2 also talks about how the wrath of God on a predominantly unbelieving world is directed towards those who consciously choose to reject God's grace and it will also be a time of testing for Israel.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

It is important to understand, however, that during the tribulation period there will be children being born at that time (after the church is raptured out already). They may or may not survive what occurs, but those babies and children still alive will not be punished by the Lord when he returns. If they die during the tribulation period before the Lord returns, they will be with the Lord in soul and spirit until they are resurrected at some point in the prophetic program. I believe that those children who are alive at Christ's 2nd coming will be given a chance to grow up during the millennial reign of Christ, a much more peaceful time on earth, and they can then choose to follow and believe God as an adult or not to.

So,I believe that for parents and grandparents we can rest in knowing that our babies and young children and young grandchildren will be in the rapture if it occurs before they are old enough to understand their sin nature.

2Co 1:3 KJV -

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;