Correspondence: Who Will Be Caught up When the Lord Comes?

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 4
Listen from:
Ques. 1st. Who will be caught up when the Lord comes? (1 Thess. 4.)
2nd. Will all the babes in the world be taken?
3rd. To whom will the gospel be preached
after the rapture of the heavenly saints?
A. J. A.
Ans. 1st. All the dead in Christ from the beginning of man's race. (1 Cor. 15:23.) Then all the living believers will be changed, and caught up with
all that their faith takes in. (Acts 16:31.)
2nd. There is no thought in Scripture that all babes will be taken. Matt. 18:11 would show us that any babe, or irresponsible person, who dies, will be saved, because Christ died for such.
3rd. We see in 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:10-12 that those who hear "the gospel of the grace of God" and reject it, do not get another chance. Satan has blinded them. They have put away God's precious salvation for the pleasures of sin which were but for a season.
The "gospel of the Kingdom," the news that Christ is coming to reign (Psa. 2:10-12), will be preached to Israel (Matt. 10:5, 6, 7); and to all nations, i.e., Gentiles; and those who receive that gospel, will be Christ's subjects on earth. We find a direct testimony also sent to the worshipers of idols in Rev. 14:6,7. The everlasting gospel is creation's testimony (Psa. 19:1-6) to the God who created all things, and this
specially is sent to warn all such. God cares for the idolaters also.
Even in the Millennial period, when Christ is reigning, and Satan is bound, we find men making feigned obedience to Christ, the Head of the heathen. (Psa. 18:43, 44. See margin.) A multitude comes up in rebellion against God and His earthly people, whenever
Satan is loosed out of his prison.
Such is man, all men, unless through grace they are born again. How easy it is to let present things blind us to the truth.