The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-1, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

Knowing that all children belong to God--during the Rapture, what's going to happen to all the children?

Answer

What happens to children in the Rapture? The Bible doesn't say anything, but whatever happens to them, God will be absolutely loving, and absolutely fair, and absolutely just, and right, and gracious, and merciful, and all that. I personally believe that every person has the opportunity to come to know Christ. I believe God gives each person that privilege, and God does not condemn people to Hell for an ignorance. He didn't create people to populate Hell. People go there, to "a place prepared for the devil and his angels,' not even prepared for people, but for the devil and his angels, because they choose not to believe at one point or another. So, even if it is at an early point, they are not led to the fullness of the truth.

But in the case of children, the Lord may take the children of believers, [or] the Lord may leave them and allow them to come to the age when they can make the right commitment. And if you worry about that, remember that the greatest period of evangelization that the world has ever seen, will be in the time right after the Rapture. Even though it will be the hardest time, the lines will be drawn so clearly that there will be so many people saved, it says in Revelation seven, they won't even be able to be numbered--and if heaven loses count--that is a lot of folks. So, we only have to trust that to the Lord.