Daniel P. Barron

The topic of reincarnation came up following a question about the fate of infants.

Do you think any babies go to hell?

Scripture does not specifically mention what happens to babies when they die. It does say that a baby can be hated by God while still in the womb. ⁱ There is no reason to believe it is impossible for a baby to go to hell.

Are there any sins you can think of that babies commit. Could a three day old baby have been sinless at death?

They are born speaking lies. ⁱⁱ

Infant damnation hurt my conscience at first, years ago when I learned of it.

I don't see what the difference is. God creates most people ⁱⁱⁱ as vessels of wrath. ^iv What's it matter if they die as a baby or an adult if the result is eternal destruction either way?

Many of them probably get re-rolled. What beings can go from heaven back to earth? The elect are already said to be given a next life on a new earth, so in this sense, some people are given bodies again after death.

Although "it is appointed for men to die once" -- the death of Christ being compared to the deaths of us humans, meaning He does not make multiple sacrifices like "high priests" in order to enter "the Most Holy Place," and that we likewise do not die multiple times in order to enter. After death comes "the judgment." ^v There are some who "will go away into everlasting punishment" "when the Son of Man comes in His glory" -- "All the nations" being "gathered before Him." ^vi These people will go into hell alive. Whether someone dies and goes to hell, or whether they are alive and go to hell, in both cases they do not die and then "re-roll" anew to die again.

1. Romans 9:
   

   10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

    ^

2. Psalm 58:
   

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

    ^

3. Matthew 7:
   

   13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

    ^

4. Romans 9:
   

   22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction

   ---

   Proverbs 16:
   

   4 The Lord has made all for Himself,
   Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

    ^

5. Hebrews 9:
   

   23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

    ^

6. Matthew 25:
   

   31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

   37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

   41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

   44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

    ^