What happens to babies or infants who die?

A common question that I often hear from people is what happens to babies or infants who die in infancy? Do they go to heaven or hell? By way of background, we have to remember that everyone is guilty before God because of the sin we inherited from Adam, as Romans 5 .12 and 1 Corinthians 15 verses 21 -22 teach.

Universal Sin and Human Guilt Before God

In fact, there is not a single righteous person as Romans 3 .10 -11 says, there is none righteous, no not one. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, as Romans 3 .23 says. Therefore, everyone is guilty before the holy righteous God of the universe, no matter how young or how old we are.

Furthermore, belief is a necessary requirement for salvation, as John 3 .18 -19 says and Acts 16 .31 indicates. While the Bible does not explicitly say where young children go when they die in infancy, it does though, on the other hand, seem to imply that they actually go to heaven.

Why the Bible Does Not Explicitly Say Infants Go to Hell

First, there is no verse in scripture which states that those unbelievers who are infants will go to hell because they were not old enough to believe. Since God is just, it would appear that he would allow these infants to actually go to heaven.

Second, and more importantly, perhaps the only passage in scripture that we have which explicitly speaks about where babies go when they die is in 2 Samuel 12. In the context of this passage, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, if you remember the story.

She was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. The prophet Nathan, at the time, boldly confronts David about his adultery and tells him that the child that Bathsheba has conceived will actually die. As a result of this confrontation, David confesses his sin, puts on sackcloth and ashes, fasts and mourns the fact that he will actually lose his child.

You can read about some of that in Psalm 51, which is one of his penitentiary psalms. When David receives news that the child has died, he quits mourning and fasting and actually changes his clothing.

David’s Hope of Going to His Child

So that was very surprising to the people. David actually looks happy and content that the child is gone, or he's relieved or something, like what's up with that? So the prophet Nathan comes to David and asks him why he quit mourning the loss of his son.

David replies, and this is really important, I want you to focus here. This is in 2 Samuel 12, verses 22 -23. David says, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. For I said, Who knows the Lord?

May he be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he has died, so why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? And pay attention to this. This is what David says, I will go to him, but he will not return to me.

The text seems to imply the child went to heaven, since David also says in other parts of scripture, I will go to him, but he will not return to me. And elsewhere again in scripture, the scripture says that David went to heaven.

As Psalms chapter 16, verses 10 -11 says, Thou wilt not leave my soul to corruption. Basically David was resurrected. The New Testament draws upon that passage and actually argues that it is referring to the resurrection.

And that's Hebrews 11 -32 is just one example. So David was resurrected, David went to be with God, and he says he's going to go to be where his son was, so that would imply that his son actually went to heaven to be with God.

The Age of Accountability and Isaiah 7

Third, I think another point we need to understand is scripture may allude to an age of accountability in Isaiah chapter 7, verse 15, which speaks of a child who will eat curds and honey at the time he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.

As in the context of the virgin birth prophecy in Isaiah 7 -14. So if a child dies before this time, it would seem that he or she would still go to heaven. So this age of accountability, which again is not clear in Isaiah 7 -15, if a child does die before that, it would make sense that that child would actually go to heaven.

Conclusion: Trusting God’s Justice with Infants

So in conclusion, it is really difficult to be dogmatic about the issue because the scripture is not explicitly clear on the topic. But I believe we can rest in the fact that God is holy, righteous, and just.

Therefore whatever God chooses to do with infants will be best for them. And that is a hope that we can rest in. God bless you.