The children…left behind?

QUESTION: Paul, in 1Thes.4:17, speaks of the faithful who “will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air”. What about the children of these believers? Will they stay behind to experience “the coming wrath” (1Thes.1:10)? ANSWER: To my knowledge there is no scripture that directly answers this question. Yet there is, I think, something to say about this from Scripture. The principle that we always encounter is that God saves not only individuals but also their ‘houses’. When the great flood came, Noah and his house escaped (Heb.11:7). When all the first born in Egypt were slain, the houses of the Israelites were kept perfectly safe (Ex.12:3ff). When the walls of Jericho fell, God saved Rahab with all those who had found shelter in her house (Joshua 2:18). Also think of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Before the fire and sulfur rained from heaven, Lot was led out safely, along with the members of his house. Indeed, his wife eventually perished, but that was expressly because of unbelief. Everywhere we see the same principle. To the prison officer, who was about to dispatch himself, Paul said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31; See also: 1Cor.7:14). What else can we expect for our young children when the Son of God will come from heaven to evacuate us out of the coming wrath? Although they may not or barely be aware of the Word, the Lord will bring them to safety, as He always did in the past. ——————————— translation: Peter Feddema

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