Exodus 30:14, From twenty years old and above. This passage gives us the first indication that the Torah viewed the age of accountability to be 20 years old (see also Num 1:3,18,20; 26:2). That is to say, those who died prior to age 20 were not held eternally accountable for their sins, and presumably might be given a second chance to live out their lives at some later date, although there is no clear scriptural reference to confirm this notion.
The idea that YHVH held o
ne accountable for their sins after the age of twenty is supported by the fact that all Israelites over age of 20 (with the notable exceptions of Caleb and Joshua) died in the wilderness prior to entering the Promised Land because of sins they had committed during their wilderness journey, while those under age 20 were allowed into the land, presumably because YHVH considered them to be guilt free (Num 14:29; 32:11).
If 20 is the age of accountability, then this begs the obvious question: What will happen to those who died before age 20?
It is generally accepted by many in the church that babies or young children who have died before having had a chance to “accept Yeshua” will be given a second chance to do so. But what about those who died “unsaved” prior to age 20? Some have speculated that they may be resurrected at some time in the future and be allowed to live out their lives during the Millennium (see Isa 65:17–20).
Perhaps the reason Satan will be released at the end of the Millennium from the pit where he was held captive will be to give all those living on the earth at that time (including those who died under the age of accountability) a chance to accept or reject Yeshua. YHVH will use the devil to test the loyalties of this new crop of potential saints (Rev 20:7–10). Those who remain faithful will inherit eternal life, while those whom Satan seduces into rebellion will have their part in the second death (Rev 20:11–15).
Care to add your speculations to this discussion?
The 20 year old references are all about the census. The census references mentioned all specify who was old enough to go to war. Is being old enough to go to war the age of accountability? It could be argued that young men go to war because they think they are invincible, and because most arent old and wise enough yet to even question whether their nation’s political war objectives are justifiable. Most wars are not righteous to begin with. 20 year olds make the best soldiers because they are physically stronger, while mentally they are more easily impressionable (controllable). Are 20 year old women accountable? At 20 they are probably more responsible (accountable), but as a whole they will never be more ready for hand to hand combat—the issue. How many of the Israelites had the kadosh spirit? How many of them even knew it would be desirable to have it? The deal was whether or not they would inherit the land. They didnt. Was the deal for them ever really about eternal life? Could the parameters for eternal life, for those who didnt know those rules, be more based on how they lived out their lives and how well they loved their neighbors? I am far more convinced that Matthew 25:31-46 is the place to look in the Bible to see who is accountable—and it has absolutely nothing to do with how much they knew about Elohim, or how they obeyed Him, and little to do with age. Accountability can be determined far earlier than 20! The wicked, those who will end up committing serious crimes against their neighbors, can be reliably spotted very early in life, according to people who study kids.
You make some good points Lon, and you may be right. However, we can’t forget the fact that those under the age of 20 were allowed into the Promised Land, while those over that age weren’t. From this, it could be surmised that 20 is the age of accountability in the Father’s eyes. The Promised Land might be viewed as a metaphor for the promised inheritance of the redeemed believer, which is eternal life in the kingdom of Elohim. From this, it’s not too far of a logical jump to view 20 as some sort of line of demarcation in the eyes of YHVH between those who will inherit eternal life and not.
If I were below the age of 20, I wouldn’t stake my life on this reasoning, though. What if it were fallacious and the age of accountability were actually younger and I died before age 20 without having surrendered my life to YHVH Elohim?
It was due to sin that most of Israel died in the wilderness, but then so did Moses—and for same reason! Yet we dont believe that Moses forfeited his eternal life due to sin do we? I dont necessarily see anyone (or everyone) else being eternally condemned just because they sinned in the wilderness after turning 20. They havent even faced Judgment Day yet. The tarnish of Egypt was bad enough that Yehovah decided to eradicate all memory of it and start afresh with people who had never even been exposed to it.
Indeed, in the Second Exodus account of Joel 2, the sinful survivors of the Day of Yehovah (v.1) will have an opportunity to clean up their act, AFTER the fact:
Joel 2:12 Yet even now”, declares Yehovah, “Turn to Me with all your being, with fasting and crying and mourning.
13 Rip your paradigm, not your clothes, AND TURN to Yehovah, your Elohim, because He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and generous in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
So in the coming Second Exodus I would expect to see most of the adults not surviving the Day of Yehovah.
Joel 2:31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will become blood red in the presence of the great and awesome Day of Yehovah coming to pass. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of Yehovah will be rescued, because on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, there will be a way of escape [rootword: refugees], as Yehovah has said, for the survivors who Yehovah has invited [called].
Deja vu
I know for certain that at age 15, in my case, I was entirely aware of the necessity to keep Sabbaths, Feasts, kosher etc—accountable—in defiance of my parents, and I wouldnt have had it any other way. I just didnt know that any “Christians” actually did those things.
We can learn from the mistakes of our forefathers, but with the kadosh spirit dwelling in us we are held to a much higher degree of accountability than the 20 year olds who died in the wilderness.
Most of the converted people I know were sold to sin at age 20.
The wages of sin is death ( Romans 6:23).
The fact that children die shows that they are subject to sin just like adults. The Bible never mentions an age of accountability. Instead, it teaches that “the whole world (is) held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19), Psalms 51:5, Eph. 2:3.
Gary
Luther, Baptists, and Evangelicals
You’re right. An age of accountability isn’t specifically mentioned in the Bible in overt terms. However, many astute Bible scholars see it as being inferred.
I suspect that this debate could eventually get back to some of the core tenets of Calvinism relating to the concept of original sin that has been hotly debated among well-meaning scholarly believers for centuries.
trying to prove my teacher wrong…you helped a lot!!!…THX.