Age Childhood Ends

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;

(Luke 2:41-43)

We have noted that there is an age at which children reach a point where God deems them to have knowledge of good and evil and therefore holds them accountable for their sin. It is at this stage that spiritual death occurs.

The question then arises: What is the age of accountability? The Lord answers this question in the passage above. When Jesus was twelve years old, God the Father still referred to Him as a boy. After this event, Jesus was never again described in Scripture as a boy. In other words, at age thirteen, Jesus had reached the point where, in God’s eyes, He was regarded as a man.

There is no greater benchmark than the Lord Jesus Himself. Therefore, it is plainly evident that, in God’s eyes, childhood ends at the age of thirteen—and it is at this age that spiritual death occurs. Consequently, every child, from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen, ascends into heaven if they die before reaching that age.

It is important to note that when we refer to those under the age of thirteen, this also includes individuals who have never mentally matured beyond that stage, such as those who are mentally handicapped—for example, those with Down syndrome.

As an aside, it is interesting to observe that the Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish rite of passage marking a boy’s transition to religious adulthood, takes place when he reaches the age of thirteen—aligning with the divine pattern revealed in Scripture.

Children are asleep in heaven

When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, 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. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

(Luke 8:51-56)

In the previous section, we noted that Jesus was the first to speak plainly about the saints “falling asleep” at death. In this passage, He applies that same truth to children, declaring that the little girl was not dead but sleeping. We know she was still a child, for Mark’s account records her age as twelve.

It is significant to observe Jesus’ perspective on the death of both saints and children, for He views death spiritually rather than physically. Though the little girl’s body was dead, Jesus knew that her spirit was not—her spirit was merely asleep. Therefore, when He spoke to her, her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.

The key point in this passage is that when this little girl died, her spirit ascended into heaven, where she entered her chamber to rest. Thus, we see that, just like the saints, when children die, their spirits fall asleep in heaven.

As an aside, evidence from Scripture suggests that, like the saints, children also ascend into Paradise when they die.

Michael E.B. Maher

Resurrection of the Dead

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