JUNE 2002

Question 1: If the parents are raptured at the Coming of the Lord, what
will happen to their little children?

Answer: It is true that the Second Coming of Christ is for 'the perfect
in Christ' and little children will not be included in this group.
Because they have not come to an age of understanding to repent, take the
right water baptism, receive the Holy Spirit and to grow in the character
of Christ.

Although they may not be caught up at the Coming of the Lord, but if
their parents are raptured, one thing is DEFINITE - THE LORD WILL TAKE
CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN FAR BETTER THAN THEIR OWN PARENTS.

For example, Pharaoh ordered all the male Israelite children to be killed
as soon as they were born. However, God wonderfully preserved Moses.
Athaliah wanted to kill all the royal seed; yet God preserved Joash (2
Chro 22:11) and according to God's plan, he became the next king. Herod
sent his men to kill all the children in Bethlehem; nevertheless, Jesus
was preserved so that God's great plan could be fulfilled in Him.
Similarly God
will preserve the children of godly parents, if they are raptured at the
Coming of the Lord. Godly parents, therefore, should not be worried about
their little ones, on the other hand, they should rejoice knowing that
THE LORD WILL TAKE CARE OF THEIR LITTLE ONES, FAR BETTER THAN
THEY THEMSELVES EVER COULD DO.

Further, please see Zech 13:7, "smite the Shepherd...I will turn My hand
upon the little ones" ("I will turn back My hand and stretch it out
again upon the little ones" (Amplified) - "I will come back and comfort
and care for the lambs" (Living Bible). It is clear, the first part of
this prophecy (smite the Shepherd) was fulfilled at the crucifixion of
Christ and the second part (protecting the little ones) may be fulfilled
in the Great Tribulation period.

Also see Exo 9:31-32. Here we see during the judgment in Egypt, the grown
up barley and flax were smitten, "But the wheat and the rie were not
smitten: FOR THEY WERE NOT GROWN UP." Surely children are more precious
to God than wheat and rie. So when God's judgment comes upon this world,
the adults may face the severity and the children may be spared. God's
Word says, children should not be put to death for the sins of the
fathers (Deut 24:16).

It is therefore very clear from the Scriptures that godly parents'

children are in the special care of God once they are caught up at the
Coming of the Lord.

Question 2: Matthew 24:19 says, "And woe unto them that are with child,
and to them that give suck in those days."Does this mean that the
pregnant women and mothers with sucking babies will be left behind at the
Coming of the Lord?

Answer: The words of Jesus quoted above were not said with reference to
the Coming of the Lord, but in connection with the Great Tribulation
period -please note verse 21, "For then shall be great tribulation."
During the Great Tribulation period, if the women who are left behind are
pregnant or have sucking babies, they will have additional troubles and
trials as they have to flee Jerusalem to the mountains (Matt 24:16).

But if a woman is ready for the Coming of the Lord, the fact that she is
expecting a baby or already has a baby, will not be a hindrance for her
to go at the Rapture. If "marriage is honourable in all" children born to
godly parents in the perfect will of God also is definitely honourable.
Let us leave to God's
sovereign wisdom what happens to unborn babies when their mothers are
raptured.

May God bless you.

July 2002

Question No. 3

Jesus promised, "Surely I come quickly." Why has He not fulfilled this
promise so far, although almost 2000 years have gone by?

Answer: Even during the first century there were people who seriously
doubted the promise of His coming as Jesus did not come immediately.
Realizing this situation, St. Peter gave the right answer:"There shall
come in the last days scoffers...saying, Where is the promise of His
coming?...But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The
Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness."
(2 Pet 3:4, 8 & 9).

Accordingly, one thousand years for the Lord is like one day. In that
sense, it has only been TWO DAYS since the Lord said, "I am coming soon."
Let us expect His second coming any moment. "He is faithful that
promised" (Heb 10:23).