Q&A: Age of Accountability, Pretribulational Rapture, and Euthanasia

0:00Music Broadcasting across the United States, Canada and around the world, this is the Bible Answerman broadcast. Your host for the program is Hank Hanagraph, President of the Christian Research Institute. We're on the air because life and truth matter. For more information, resources or to donate to CRI call 888-7000-CRI or go online to equip.org. That's equip.org. The following program was pre-recorded. To start today's Bible Answerman broadcast, here's your host, Hank Hanagraph. Say it, my name is Randy. A lot of you hanging on. We'll go right to our phone callers. First up is Andy, listening on Lincoln, Nebraska. Hi Andy. How's it going? Good. At the time of the rapture, what will happen to children who have not reached the age

1:00or maturity level of accountability? Would they be taken up in the rapture? Well, a couple of things I would say first and foremost that you want to look at the presupposition that's packed into the question. Is there such thing as a pre-tribulational rapture? If that's what you're asking, I don't think that the Bible teaches a pre-tribulational rapture, although the meaning of the tribulation, the timing of the tribulation, the meaning of the blame, all these issues are secondary issues, but I would think critically as you read passages that are often used to teach a pre-tribulational rapture and see if, indeed, they do teach that. But to your basic question about children, remember that God is not finding technicalities to keep people out of heaven. God is reconciling the world to Himself. And therefore, the only people that will not inherit heaven are the ones who do not want the relationship with God so graciously provided by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who

2:05not only spoke of the universe left into existence, but who condescended to cloak Himself in human flesh who lived the life that we could never live and offers us His perfection as an absolutely free gift. So kids, before the age of reason, I believe, will have a relationship with God for all eternity. But all that choose not to have that relationship will get what they want. God doesn't force Himself on people in this life, nor does He force Himself on people in the life to come. Okay. Fair enough? Appreciate it. Yep. Thanks for time. You got it. Want to go back to the phone line, talk to Steve, he's listening to Hammond, Indiana. Hi, Steve. Hey, hey. Just curious here your comments about science and religion. Have you, are you familiar with Francis Collins, the language of God? Very interesting book. Yeah. As a matter of fact, in the creation answer book, they point out that Collins and company

3:08staunchly defend Darwinian evolution and their views hardly correspond to reality. Right. So you don't think that's a possibility of there being a Christian evolutionist or some type of... No one comes to macro evolution. I mean, it flies in the face of the facts. First of all, from a biblical standpoint, Cynes reproduce after their own kinds. Not only that, but from a scientific standpoint, Darwin hung his hopes on hundreds of thousands of transitional forms leading to the fossils of the Cambrian explosion. Well, in actuality, the poverty of the fossil record has been an embarrassment. Virtually all known body plans appear abruptly in the Cambrian, which is to say the Cambrian radiation vaporized the Darwinian tree of life. And not only so, but molecular biology has increasingly become an intractable enigma for Darwinian evolutionists. So I think you have the problem of science and scripture.

4:09My question that would be Hank, it appears that there are some people that are well-schooled in this area that are both Christian and evolutionist. So what would be your message to them? Well, I think it's a contradiction in terms, it's like talking about flaming snowflakes. How can you believe in common descent if you believe the biblical paradigm? And how can you believe in common descent if you look at the scientific evidence? The scientific evidence does not point to transitional forms in the fossil record from one kind to another kind. There are transitions within kinds, but never from one kind to another kind. Now I've written about this in some detail in the creation answer book, but I've also written about this, the is the theistic evolution, which applies directly to Francis Collins. In my book, The Face that Demonstrates the Fars of Evolution, which is available through the Ministry of the Christian Research Institute.

5:10And again, this is a self-contradictory idea, not even God can direct an undirected process. God can do anything that's logically possible, but he can't make a squared circle. Back to the phone lines and we'll talk next to Jonathan, listening to Nocle Homa, hi, Jonathan. Yes, I'm a little bit puzzled by what did Saul see when he visited the witchbundor and she supposedly conjured up a visible spirit of Samuel? Well, that's a good question. I think this actually is Samuel. That's my point of view. The miracle of bringing up Samuel from Hades or Sheel was not performed, however, by the witch of Endor. It was performed in spite of the witch of Endor. I think that if you read the passage, everything leads you to the conclusion that this was a sovereign act of God. Such a sovereign act of God that the witch of Endor was terrified, saying Samuel, because she knew this wasn't something she did.

6:10Okay, so that would be then along the same lines as what the three disciples saw at the transfiguration was essentially a reembodied Moses and Elijah. Yes, that would be correct. But remember that what ultimately happens is what Christ describes in John 5. Do not be amazed at this the time is coming when all, and that would include Elijah, and it would include Moses. When all who in the grace will come out, some will rise to live and some will rise to be condemned. When Jesus appears a second time as the right of Hebrews puts it, that is when the body rises immortal, imperishable, incorruptible. That's when the permanent transformation takes place. The soul returns to an immortal, imperishable, incorruptible body. Okay, so these three individuals kind of just got a little foretaste of that. Yes, and this is not a normative foretaste.

7:12In other words, what happened on the mount of transfiguration we would not call in any sense normative. This is a unique spectacular peculiar and sovereign act of God for particular purposes, not a normative occasion. Okay, well that actually clears things up quite a bit. Well, glad to help. Good talking to you, Jonathan. Thank you very much. God bless you back to the phone lines. We'll talk next to Albert, listing on Memphis, Tennessee. Hi, Albert. Hey, how you doing? Good, thank you. I had a question of regards to the first stuff alone in the fore. Mm-hmm. And 16 talking about the pre-tribulation rapture. I want to get you an intake on that. Well, I mean, the first thing I would ask is where do you get a pre-tribulation or rapture out of that passage? I know that it is used in that way, but perhaps we should say it is more properly abused in that way. In fact, I've used this very passage many times when I've done funerals.

8:14What does Paul say? Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. This passage from first to last has to do with resurrection not a pre-tribulational rapture. You don't find anywhere in this passage a secret coming of Christ. He comes with a loud command with the voice of the archangel with the trumpet call of God. You don't see anywhere in this passage, Jesus reversing course and taking people up to heaven for seven years. You don't see anywhere in this passage after a secret coming seven years later, a second coming. The presuppositions are read into this passage. This is a great and glorious passage on resurrection. It is not a great and glorious passage on a pre-tribulational rapture.

9:19I would say we ought to think critically about all the passages that are being used today to support a pre-tribulational rapture. This is a secondary issue. We can debate it vigorously. We don't have to divide over it, but nonetheless think critically, use discernment. There are people that will tell you that you find all the details of a pre-tribulational rapture in John chapter 14. Tim Lehigh is a classic case in point, but go to John chapter 14 and see if you find it there. Or Revelation, a letter to the church at Philadelphia, you'll find the pre-tribulational rapture there. Read the passage carefully and see if in fact you do. So again, this calls for not rhetoric, but discernment skills. John Huntsman used rhetoric. In reality, if you use discernment skills, you find out that the rhetoric doesn't correspond to reality. So what he says is settled science isn't settled science, and what people are saying is settled scripture isn't settled scripture when it comes to reading a pre-tribulational

10:24rapture into the passage. That's the point. That helped? A little bit. Well, I mean, here's what I'm saying, just to reiterate what I'm saying very clearly. I'm saying read the passage, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and see if this is not a passage about resurrection as opposed to a pre-tribulational rapture. That's what I'm asking you to do, and then make up your mind. Fair enough? Yeah. Okay, thank you so much for your call. We're coming up to Station Break, we're right back on the other side of the break with more of your questions answered right here of the Bible Answerman broadcast. Be right back. The famous British apologist, G.K. Chesterton, once noted, the true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. Because at CRI, we love what is behind us, our faith, our families, and our freedoms. We will never retreat quietly from the growing assaults on life and truth, even when the

11:24costs are great we will stand. To join like-minded friends and making a difference at home and around the globe and to equip fellow believers to stand their ground courageously, become a member of CRI support team. Simply call 888-7000-CRI. Or visit our website at equip.org. Stay with us, Hank Hanna-Grath will return in a few moments. Hank Hanna-Grath has dedicated his life to defending truth because truth matters. Yet an encounter with Christians in the underground church of China left Hanna-Grath contemplating his Christian experience. They were experiencing something beyond truth. They were experiencing life. Truth matters, life matters more by Hank Hanna-Grath is two books in one because truth matters Part 1 equips Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith.

12:27In Part 2, Hank explains why life matters more and how we can experience the height of human existence, union with God. Prepare to move past intellectually knowing about God to experientially knowing God in Christ. Receive your copy of Truth Matters Life Matters more the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian life, call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research Institute's Life Changing Outreaches, 888-7000-CRI or visit us at equip.org. Anyone who's been paying attention knows there's a war going on, not just on traditional morality, civility and decency, but even more fundamentally on historic notions of truth. And the enemy isn't just the onslaught of fake news facilitated by a post-truth culture and turbocharged by growing legions of ideological spend-ductors. Note the real enemies of truth range from post-modernist convictions that there is no objective truth to militant scientism that claims that only science can determine truth and religion

13:33is little more than primitive superstitions, but CRI support team members are not waving a white flag of surrender. They're holding the fort by undergirding everyone of Christian Research Institute's Mind-Shaping and Life Changing Outreaches 24-7 to learn how you can make a difference and enjoy all the benefits of support team membership, simply visit equip.org. Dr. Eben Alexander's wildly popular near-death experience book, Proof of Heaven, assures us that no matter what we do in this life, only unconditional love and joy await us in the world to come. But our Lord warned that while the gate to hell is wide, the road to it broad and those who enter through it are many. The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few. For generous support, let's hang canograph and CRI speak out against the lies that lead

14:34to hell. In appreciation for your gift today, we'll rush you Hank's book After Life. What you need to know about Heaven, the hereafter and near-death experiences filled with answers to your questions about life after death. Call 888-7000-CRI or visit equip.org now. Again, that's equip.org. Why not drop us a line at CRI today? We'd love to hear from you. You can get in touch with several ways you can call us toll-free at 888-7000-CRI. That's 888-7000-CRI. So write to us at FioBox 8500-Charlet North Carolina-Zip 28271 or if you're on the internet look us up at equip.org. And now once again, here is Hank Hanagraph.

15:36Let's go back to the phone lines, talk to Les listening in New Jersey. Hi Les. Hi Hank, how you doing? I'm doing well, good talking to you. You too. My question is about the worst. Yeah. Now my question is kind of complicated for me because I've been saved for three years now. And I was married, me and my current wife, they married for five years before that. I was married to a girl for a lesson a year and we just lived a total sinful life. And at that time, I thought like, Christianity were crazy. I didn't believe in nothing. And I find my name's me go to church after I was divorced with everything and I guess God just smack me around and maybe who I am today. Which I'm grateful for. Now me and my wife now, we currently, we serve the Lord. I'm a youth leader at my church. She is also a teacher and it's an incredible experience. I'm in right now. But now I'm getting confused because our preacher is talking about divorce.

16:38I mean, you divorce and you remarry, you're living in sin and my wife now living in sin and it's just real confusing to me, really, really confusing. Let me straighten out the confusion. Thank you. Okay, and I'm not speaking here in any great term. I'm speaking in black and white. What you've heard from the preacher, whoever the preacher is, is wrong. W-R-O-N-G. You can't unscramble the egg, which is to say you can't divorce your present wife and go back to your first wife. You are now a believer and you are committed to the wife to whom you are now married. And you need to honor her and cherish her and love her and move forward. You can learn from your past but you can't unscramble the egg. There are always consequences to sin, consequences follow like night, follows day.

17:42But also remember that God's forgiveness is the balm of gillied in your life and in your marriage. And if you start thinking backwards or think about, wow, now I'm living in sin, no, you are married and you would be sinful if you didn't fully commit yourself to that marriage. Honor and cherish your wife and become a testimony to the grace of God. So you can't go back but you can move forward in the grace and love and knowledge of God. So as a new believer, again, cherish your wife, be committed to her just as Christ is committed to the church. You can do whatever you need to do in a sanctified way to try to reach back to your first wife. Maybe you shouldn't be doing it personally but to be a witness to her in some way or

18:43other but you can't reattach yourself to what has been severed. And again, the operative phrase, I've repeated it but I think you need to hear it. You can't unscramble the egg. You can go forward in commitment and compassion and in the love of Christ as you cherish the wife that God has given you for the rest of your life. Understandable. 100%. That just makes a lot of sense to me. Like I was really just going to confuse and I just, I didn't understand. Like I, not just my priest like people tell you, well, you have to divorce your, this life now, like, well, God, so you're telling me that God is telling me to divorce now. I think that just don't make sense. That just don't make no common sense at all. Well, it doesn't make common sense. It doesn't make biblical sense. So again, press on. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and He will use you. His grace and mercy is there to forgive you and you can be used as a tool in His hand

19:47for the rest of your life. Take a David in the sins that he committed and yet God not only used him but continues to use him to this very day, particularly when you think of Psalm 139 in Psalm 51, the power of His words penetrates our hearts and the present. Yes. That's great. That's my question. That's incredible. Thank you very much. Press on, my friend. Thank you very much, Hank. I want to go back to the phone lines, Dr. Karen, listening in Kansas City, Kansas. Hi, Karen. Hi. How are you? I'm good. I'm driving in my car. So what I'm going to do is ask a question. Okay. You can probably let you go so you can answer that for me. Sure. My question is about hospice care. Yes. My father now currently is getting hospice care and I'm uneasy about these drugs that they're calling comfort drugs.

20:47And I'm wondering, is this just a form of euthanasia or is this, I mean, I'm really confused? Well, a couple of things that I will say about this. First in Christian theology, the timing in terms of death are always the prophets of God alone. So a doctor is never permitted to usurp the prerogative of God. And hastening death based on subjective judgments concerning one's quality of life is, of course, a direct violation of the Bible. So there are two kinds of euthanasia. One is called passive euthanasia, which is morally permissible in that it allows the process of dying to run its natural course. But active euthanasia is morally prohibited because it directly involves the taking of a human life. Now in the process of hospice, there are drugs that can be used to help a person in a very

21:53difficult situation. But I do think that it's also important to realize that from a biblical standpoint, there's virtue in suffering, but never a necessity for needless suffering. So I think you have to make a distinction between suffering, which suffering does bring growth, but there's no need for unnecessary suffering. So to mitigate suffering through the modern miracle of pain management is consistent with biblical morality from my perspective. Okay, because they had ministered drugs to him, and now he's just been in a sleep state. And like we're just waiting for him to die. And I just feel like they gave, they have robbed us of very important time to be with him.

22:54But... Well, look, I'm not at all saying something that counters that point of view. I think that you have a legitimate point of view because from a biblical perspective, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, character hope. And like suffering for our faith, physical suffering has redemptive value. It can be likened to a furnace that ridges of dross and fashions us more and more like the Lord. C.S. Lewis said, God, whispers to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our conscience, but he shouts in our pains. It's his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. So I think there is, given the principles there, a case to be made that putting someone in a stupor where you can't communicate with them is not particularly helpful. My dad went through this for quite a number of years.

23:57He had a fibrosing in the lungs and it accroached upon his ability to assimilate oxygen. And so he literally suffocated a death over a long process of time. And he was a public speaker. So it was a very difficult dying process. And sometimes when I would see him in agony and pain, I would say to him, Dad, wouldn't you just like to go home to be with the Lord? And he would always answer by saying this, no, every moment that God gives me is precious. Even in the midst of suffering. And he taught me a lot through his suffering. He taught not only his children, but his grandchildren and great-grandchildren a lot through his suffering. And he was coherent. He didn't take pain medication to the point of not being able to communicate. And so to the very end, he was able to communicate even though he was going through an agonizing dying process. In fact, at the end of his life, before he took his last breath and I watched it all, he prayed

25:01for every one of his children, every one of his grandchildren, every one of his great-grandchildren, then took his last breath and died. So I think to put someone into sort of a vegetative state can be a different thing than just pain management. Well, what a beautiful legacy from your father. That's just beautiful. Well Karen, you're going through a difficult time and certainly our thoughts and prayers are with you. And I don't say that in an empty way. It's a very difficult circumstance that you go through. But in these circumstances, we learned so much. It is in the cauldron of adversity that we come to a true valuation of things. Amen. Thank you so much, Hank. And God bless you. God bless you, Karen. I've written about Euthanasia in an entry in the complete Bible answer book, collector's edition available through the ministry of the Christian research. You can hear from the music. We're running out of time for today's edition of the Bible Answer Man broadcast. Thank you all for supporting this ministry. Those that supported prayerfully and financially are touching the lives of people, trust me,

26:05in a powerful way. For time and for eternity, thank you for enabling this process. It is making a difference. Thank you for joining us today. Our mission at the Christian Research Institute is to defend the faith. Answer Bible questions and encourage Christians to watch their life and doctrine closely. To find resources to help equip you, go to equip.org. That's equip.org or call us at 888-7000-CRI. You can also write CRI at Post Office Box 8500 Charlotte, North Carolina 28271. The Bible Answer Man broadcast is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air because life and truth matter. Truth Matters Life Matters more by Hank Hanagraff is essentially two books in one.

27:07Because truth matters, Part 1 equips Christians to defend the essential truth of the historic Christian faith. In Part 2, Hank explains why life matters more and how we can experience the height of human existence, union with God in Christ. Simply put, the map is not the territory, the menu is not the meal. We cheat ourselves of authentic union with Christ when we elevate the message above the Messiah. Truth Matters Life Matters more is a modern classic and the magnum opus of one of the great theological minds of our time. To receive truth matters, life matters more. Simply call 888-7000-CRI and make a gift and support the life-changing work of the Christian Research Institute. That's 888-7000-CRI or go online to equip.org.