Age of accountability & Tribulation saints

Is there an age of accountability?

This is a teaching that says there is an age at which God holds children accountable for their sin and when a person comes to this point , they will inevitably face the judgment of God if they fail to repent and believe on Christ.

This is a hard question to answer definitively because we can’t answer from the clear teaching of scripture, therefore it is an argument from logic and interpretation.

Here is what we know to be true from the clear teaching of scripture:

Scripture declares that all people are sinners, even children.

Psalm 58:3 NKJV

The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

Psalm 51:5 NKJV

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Jesus also made it very clear, when talking to Nicodemus in John 3 that all people who are born are in need of regeneration.

John 3:6 NKJV

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

People are saved when, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they repent of their sin and place their faith in the finished work of Christ.

Acts 2:38 NKJV

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 3:21–26 NKJV

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In order for a person to have saving faith they must have a basic understanding of their sinful condition and Christ’s sacrifice.

Romans 10:9–15 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

This means that there must be a certain level of cognitive and reasoning ability along with the work of the Holy SPirit.

Because of this, it seems to me and many others, that there is a time in a persons life (not a specific age) when he or she is accountable for their sin.

With all of this in mind, is there hope for a person who doesn't possess the ability mentally or spiritually to be saved? (Children and those with mental handicaps)

I think there are two passages in scripture that seem to illustrate that God has mercy upon those who are unable mentally and spiritually to call on him.

Numbers 14:29–31 NKJV

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. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.

This was God’s judgement on the nation of Israel at Kadesh-Barnea after they lacked faith to cross over into the promised land. God held the decision makers (adults) accountable, but the children were not held responsible and therefore were able to enter the promised land.

While this is not eternal judgement at play here, it does illustrate a principle of mercy from God towrd those who were unable to make a determination by faith to follow God. It’s not that children are innocent, they are rotten little sinners, but that God is merciful and this mercy seems somewhat differently applied to infants, young children and the mentally unable than to those who are able/older.

2 Samuel 12:15–23 NKJV

Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

This is the story of the death of the child David conceived in adultery with Bathsheba, the Lord took the child in death seven days after he was born.

David told his servants in v.23

2 Samuel 12:23 NKJV

But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

David seems to have been clearly convinced that he would see his child again after his own death. David believed that he would spen eternity in the “House of the Lord”

Psalm 23:6 NKJV

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

and it is likely that he believed that his son went to the same place he would one day go.

John the Baptist

Luke 1:15 NKJV

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

This tells us that the Spirit of God can have a relationship with someone who has no intellectual understanding of that bond.

John 3:8 NKJV

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Gods Word does not explicitly say that there is an “age of accountability” but it does seem to at least imply that those who die before reaching an age of responsibility will not be condemned by God even though they are sinners by nature.

Where do tribulation saints come from?

2 Thessalonians 2:8–12 NKJV

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Allow me to say that the answer to your question depends a bit on your view of Eschatology. Furthermore, this is another answer that comes from logic and interpretation.

Following the rapture of the church, this passage seems to teach us that the Lord will cause people to believe a strong delusion in order that they reject the Gospel and fully embrace the anit-Christ. If this is the case, how then are people saved in Revelation during the time of the tribulation.

The answer to this questions lies in who are the people caused to believe the strong delusion? it seems to me, and many others, that this is speaking of those who have heard the gospel clearly, prior to the rapture and rejected. These are those who will be given the “strong delusion”.

So, who then will be saved? I tend to lean toward those who have never heard the gospel prior to the rapture, and there are indeed millions and millions of people like that around the world.

How then will these people hear the Gospel?

The Bible- upon the rapture there will be millions and millions of Bibles left behind for people to get ahold of and read. No doubt, when God’s judgements begin to rain down on the world, many will turn to the Bible for answers and be saved.

From the two witnesses. - Revelation 11 tells us that there will be two witnesses sent from God at the midway point of the tribulation to preach the Gospel. They eventually will be killed and resurrected.

Revelation 11:1–13 NKJV

Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The fruit if their ministry will be 144,000 Jewish missionaries who will go through out the world preaching the gospel.

Revelation 7:1–8 NKJV

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

Revelation 14:1–5 NKJV

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The fruit of their preaching will be millions of believers from every tribe, nation and tongue.

Revelation 7:9–17 NKJV

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Many of these saints will be killed for their faith, and many others will live through the tribulation and into the millenium, have children and die.

Explain further.