death of children, age of accountability, Sodom & Gomorrah

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What about the children who died when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah?

A Visitor's Question
Dan O. writes - I've been struggling recently with the idea of the age of accountability.

A friend of mine gave me a link to your web page.
Web Page Reference
Click HERE to read the web page referred to in Dan's question.

Use your Browser's back button to return here when you're finished.

Your whole argument seems to stem from the verse at Numbers 14:29.
The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Num 14.29

The question I have for you is: how do you account for the flood or Sodom and Gomorrah?

Were there no children living at the time of the flood? Weren't they destroyed?
Children living in Sodom? Destroyed?

Thanks in advance for your reply.
God destroyed [by a flood] all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. Gen 7.23

The LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Gen 19.24-25

Biblebell's Reply
Dear Dan,
As we stated in our in-depth study of The Age of Accountability, children can die physically but NOT spiritually.

There are two categories of "death" in the Bible...

Spiritual death
and Physical death.

Both types of death involve SEPARATION of a person's spirit....

Spiritual death is separation of a person's spirit from God, because of unatoned, unrepented sin. Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you Isa 59.2a

God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ Eph 2.4-5a

Physical death is separation of a person's spirit from his or her body. They ridiculed Jesus, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. Lk 8.53-55a

The body without the spirit is dead... Jam 2.26a

God is the Author of *life* -- NOT death... In Him [the Word -- Jesus] was life John 1.4a

[Jesus said...] I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10.10b

Death is the consequence of sin.
Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned Rom 5.12

God abhors death. It is His *enemy.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
1 Cor 15.26

In fact, Jesus -- God incarnate -- wept because of the despair that death inflicts upon the world.
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping [because her brother had died], and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled... Jesus wept. John 11.33, 11.35

God fully recognizes that while we remain in this world, we live in a cesspool of hatred, violence, sin, and demonic activity. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2.15-16

Accordingly, in a way that is VERY difficult for us to accept, God views the physical death of His saints as *precious!*

God detests the existence of death in His creation.
Yet God is pleased when death releases one of His loved ones from the pervasive presence of sin in the world.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. Ps 116.15

In fact, God sometimes even views death as a *gift!*

The Bible passage quoted alongside records some events that took place c. 639 BC, during the time when Josiah was king of the Judean Kingdom.
This was several years before God's judgment came upon the Judean Kingdom because of their pervasive sin and persistent refusal to repent.
King Josiah inquired of God on behalf of the Judean kingdom.
In response to Josiah's prayer, God released Josiah from having to experience the coming wrath. Namely, God gave Josiah *the gift of death.*
[God sent the following message to King Josiah...] "Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD.

"Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place." 2 Kings 22.19-20

Yes, many children died at the time of Noah's flood, and at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their deaths saved them from being raised in environments where sexual perversion, child prostitution, homosexual prostitution, disease, sin, and violence reigned supreme. [Before the flood...] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Gen 6.11-12

[Before the destruction of Sodom...] The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. Gen 13.13

Based upon careful analysis of God's Holy Word, Biblebell is fully persuaded that ALL children who die will instantly stand in the presence of God. And they shall spend all eternity with their Father in heaven, in everlasting peace and joy. For I am hard pressed between the two [living versus dying], having a desire to depart [die] and be with Christ, which is far better. Philip 1.23

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor 5.8

[Jesus said...] Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Mt 18.10

Conclusions
The *age of accountability* has everything to do with a child's obtaining eternal life with God in heaven, and just exactly NOTHING to do with God guaranteeing a child (or anyone else) a sustained PHYSICAL life.

The children who died in The Flood, and in Sodom and Gomorrah, lost their physical lives. They did NOT lose their spiritual lives [that is eternal life with God].

Those children were blessed by God, because they did not have to grow up in the midst of rampant perversion, where their little minds and bodies would have been daily abused and twisted by vile adults and the evil spawn of hell incarnate. Amen. "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters," says the LORD Almighty.
2 Cor 6.18

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21.4

Click HERE
to read a related study entitled: "Is God a baby killer?"

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What about the children who died when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah?
A Visitor's Question Dan O. writes - I've been struggling recently with the idea of the age of accountability. A friend of mine gave me a link to your web page.		Web Page Reference Click HERE to read the web page referred to in Dan's question. Use your Browser's back button to return here when you're finished.
Your whole argument seems to stem from the verse at Numbers 14:29.		The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Num 14.29
The question I have for you is: how do you account for the flood or Sodom and Gomorrah? Were there no children living at the time of the flood? Weren't they destroyed? Children living in Sodom? Destroyed? Thanks in advance for your reply.		God destroyed [by a flood] all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. Gen 7.23 The LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Gen 19.24-25
Biblebell's Reply Dear Dan, As we stated in our in-depth study of The Age of Accountability, children can die physically but NOT spiritually. There are two categories of "death" in the Bible... Spiritual death and Physical death. Both types of death involve SEPARATION of a person's spirit....
Spiritual death is separation of a person's spirit from God, because of unatoned, unrepented sin.		Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you Isa 59.2a God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ Eph 2.4-5a
Physical death is separation of a person's spirit from his or her body.		They ridiculed Jesus, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. Lk 8.53-55a The body without the spirit is dead... Jam 2.26a
*God is the Author of life* -- NOT death...**		In Him [the Word -- Jesus] was life John 1.4a [Jesus said...] I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10.10b
Death is the consequence of sin.		Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned Rom 5.12
*God abhors death. It is His enemy.**		The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 1 Cor 15.26
In fact, Jesus -- God incarnate -- wept because of the despair that death inflicts upon the world.		Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping [because her brother had died], and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled... Jesus wept. John 11.33, 11.35
God fully recognizes that while we remain in this world, we live in a cesspool of hatred, violence, sin, and demonic activity.		Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2.15-16
Accordingly, in a way that is VERY difficult for us to accept, God views the physical death of His saints as precious! God detests the existence of death in His creation. Yet God is pleased when death releases one of His loved ones from the pervasive presence of sin in the world.		Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. Ps 116.15
In fact, God sometimes even views death as a gift! The Bible passage quoted alongside records some events that took place c. 639 BC, during the time when Josiah was king of the Judean Kingdom. This was several years before God's judgment came upon the Judean Kingdom because of their pervasive sin and persistent refusal to repent. King Josiah inquired of God on behalf of the Judean kingdom. In response to Josiah's prayer, God released Josiah from having to experience the coming wrath. Namely, God gave Josiah the gift of death.		[God sent the following message to King Josiah...] "Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD. "Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place." 2 Kings 22.19-20
Yes, many children died at the time of Noah's flood, and at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their deaths saved them from being raised in environments where sexual perversion, child prostitution, homosexual prostitution, disease, sin, and violence reigned supreme.		[Before the flood...] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Gen 6.11-12 [Before the destruction of Sodom...] The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. Gen 13.13
Based upon careful analysis of God's Holy Word, Biblebell is fully persuaded that ALL children who die will instantly stand in the presence of God. And they shall spend all eternity with their Father in heaven, in everlasting peace and joy.		For I am hard pressed between the two [living versus dying], having a desire to depart [die] and be with Christ, which is far better. Philip 1.23 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor 5.8 [Jesus said...] Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Mt 18.10
Conclusions The age of accountability has everything to do with a child's obtaining eternal life with God in heaven, and just exactly NOTHING to do with God guaranteeing a child (or anyone else) a sustained PHYSICAL life. The children who died in The Flood, and in Sodom and Gomorrah, lost their physical lives. They did NOT lose their spiritual lives [that is eternal life with God]. Those children were blessed by God, because they did not have to grow up in the midst of rampant perversion, where their little minds and bodies would have been daily abused and twisted by vile adults and the evil spawn of hell incarnate. Amen.		"I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters," says the LORD Almighty. 2 Cor 6.18 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21.4
Click HERE to read a related study entitled: "Is God a baby killer?"