The recent floods in Texas have led to significant loss of life, including that of children. It caused extensive devastation throughout Central Texas—an area with personal significance for me because I grew up there. The impact of that tragedy has been profoundly felt by parents and families mourning their loved ones, particularly children, whose deaths have garnered widespread attention and sorrow. And this situation prompts challenging questions, such as “Does God allow the innocent and children to die?” While this topic is complex and sensitive, I hope to answer this question and give a scriptural answer for those who may be searching.
All The Earth Belongs to Yehovah
First and foremost, it is important to begin with the most foundational scriptural truth, and that is, all the earth and every human soul belong to Yehovah; it does not belong to mankind.
The earth belongs to Yehovah, and all that fills it – The world and those who dwell in it. Psalm 24:1
Mankind does not own the earth, nor does he own his soul. Yet some claim that they have sold their soul to Satan, but in reality, they never owned their soul in the first place!
Secondly, all authority has been given to Yeshua Messiah according to Matthew 18:18. Thus, for anyone to proclaim that Yeshua reflects a different perspective than Yehovah has the wrong ideology. For it will be Yeshua who will break the seals of the scroll in Revelation in Revelation 6-8 that brings devastation upon all of the earth.
And Yeshua drew near and said to them, ‘All authority of heaven and earth is given to me, and as my Father sent me, even I send you now.’ Cochin Hebrew Matthew 28:18 (emphasis mine)
So, these scriptures I presented are concepts that we must clearly understand to better realize our position in this world. But it also means that we need to understand who the owner of the earth is and what His demands are for us to live peacefully on His earth.
In Exodus 20:6, John 14:15; 14:22, 23; 1 John 5:2,3; and 3 John 1:6, Yehovah and Messiah Yeshua define that those who keep His commands are those who love Him. Thus, consider the following verses from the Tanakh (Old Testament).
Tanakh (Old Testament) References
In Exodus 11:1-10, Pharaoh and all the Egyptians’ firstborn were killed with the final plague in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go to worship Him in the desert. He rebelled against Yehovah and suffered the consequences of losing his firstborn son.
Also, consider that in 1 Samuel 15:3, the children of Israel were ordered by Yehovah to kill Amalek, including every man, woman, and nursing child, because they hated Yehovah and were not a covenanted people.
‘Now go, and you shall strike Amalek and put under the ban all that he has, and you shall not spare them, and put to death from man to woman, from infant to nursing child, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey.’ 1 Samuel 15:3 (emphasis mine)
Additionally, in the following verses, Yehovah commanded the children of Israel to kill men, women, children, and beasts in other nations, as well.
And Yehovah said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess – in order to possess his land.’ And Siḥon and all his people came out against us to fight at Jahaz,” and Yehovah our God gave him over to us, so we struck him, and his sons, and all his people. And we took all his cities at that time, and we put the men, women, and little ones of every city under the ban, we left none remaining.’ Deuteronomy 32:2:31-34 ISR (emphasis mine)
‘Only, of the cities of these peoples which Yehovah your God gives you as an inheritance, you do not keep alive any that breathe,’ but you shall certainly put them under the ban: the Ḥittite and the Amorite and the Kena‛anite and the Perizzite and the Ḥivvite and the Jebusite, as Yehovah your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against Yehovah your God.’ Deuteronomy 20:16-18 ISR (emphasis mine)
‘And we put them under the ban, as we did to Siḥon sovereign of Ḥeshbon, putting the men, the women, and the children of every city under the ban.’ Deuteronomy 3:6 ISR (emphasis mine)
Yet, in the following verse, Yehovah proclaims that He is compassionate and forgiving for those who seek Him. And, at the same time, He explains that He cannot allow rebellion to remain in His people. For those who are rebellious against Him and His covenant, He will bring curses upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.
‘And Yehovah passed before him and proclaimed, ‘Yehovah, a God compassionate and showing favour, patient, and great in loving-commitment and truth, watching over loving-commitment for thousands, forgiving crookedness and transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished, visiting the crookedness of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’ Exodus 34:6-7 (emphasis mine)
Thus, that means that the children, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren’s future depends on their parents. Yet, for those who love Yehovah by keeping His covenant, He offers blessings to a thousand generations, to those who love Him.
‘And you shall know that Yehovah your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy God guarding covenant and loving-commitment for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands.’ Deuteronomy 7:9. ISR, (emphasis mine)
Therefore, either we will bless our children for a thousand generations because we love Yehovah and keep His covenant, or we curse our children to the third and fourth generations because we hate Yehovah and rebel against His covenant commands.
The Coming Future Destruction And The 4 Witnesses
And to further emphasize the importance of this topic, we must realize that the latter days are upon us; for in Deuteronomy 31, a decree was made, and as the Torah was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant of Yehovah, the 4 witnesses became animated and stood guard, watching and taking notes. Then, in the “latter days,” the 4 witnesses rise and bring vengeance upon those who broke Yehovah’s covenant – all defined in the Song of Moses according to Deuteronomy 32.
And it is for this reason, the Song of Moses must be sung again, as seen in Revelation 15. The song stands as one of the four witnesses that comes “in that day.”
The four Witnesses are emerging in these latter days, also called “In that day…” (i.e., that latter day when Yehovah brings judgment upon the earth) as described in Deuteronomy 31.
Who are the four witnesses? They are the following:
- The Song of Moses
- The Torah
- The Heavens – also a metaphor for “heavenly beings”
- The Earth
Earthquakes, volcanoes, fire, demonic activity, and more are on the rise. And the four witnesses see the side we stand; Yehovah’s or Satan’s.
Consider the following verses in Deuteronomy 31:12-29, which define the judgments in the latter days.
Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your sojourner who is within your gates, so that they hear, and so that they learn to fear Yehovah your Elohim and guard to do all the Words of this Torah. And their children, who have not known it, should hear and learn to fear Yehovah your Elohim as long as you live in the land you are passing over the Jordan to possess. And Yehovah said to Moses, See, the days have drawn near for you to die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Appointment, so that I command him.
And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Appointment. And Yehovah appeared at the Tent in a column of a cloud, and the column of a cloud stood above the door of the Tent. And Yehovah said to Moshses, ‘See, you are about to sleep with your fathers. And this people shall rise and whore after the mighty ones (gods) of the strangers of the land into the midst of which they shall enter, and forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.’
‘Then My displeasure shall burn against them IN THAT DAY, and I shall forsake them and hide My face from them, and they shall be consumed. And many evils and distresses shall come upon them, and it shall be said IN THAT DAY, ‘Is it not because our Elohim is not in our midst that these evils have come upon us?’ And I shall certainly hide My face IN THAT DAY, because of all the evil which they have done, for they shall turn to other mighty ones (gods). And now write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the children of Israel. And I shall bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they shall eat and be satisfied and be fat, then they shall turn to other mighty ones (gods), and they shall serve them, and scorn Me and break My covenant.’
‘And it shall be, when many evils and distresses come upon them, that THIS SONG shall answer before them as a witness (#1). For it is not to be forgotten in the mouths of their seed, for I know their thoughts which they are forming today, even before I bring them to the land of which I swore to give them.’
‘And Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. And He commanded Joshua son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you are to bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I Myself am with you.’
‘And it came to be, when Moses had completed writing the Words of this Torah in a book, until their completion, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Yehovah, saying, Take this Book of the Torah, and you shall place it beside the ark of the covenant of Yehovah your Elohim, and it shall be there as a witness against you (#2), for I myself know your rebellion and your stiff neck. See, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yehovah, then how much more after my death? Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, so that I speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens (#3) and the earth (#4) to witness against them. For I know that after my death you shall do very corruptly and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil shall come to you IN THE LATTER DAYS, because you do what is evil in the eyes of Yehovah, to provoke Him through the work of your hands.’ Deuteronomy 31:12-29
Also, consider the following verses in Revelation:
And when He opened the fifth, I saw beneath the holy place, the souls that were killed for the Holy Name, and for the sake of their testimony. Then they shout with a great voice saying, ‘The Lord is holy and faithful! Until when will You judge, and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?’ And every one of them was given white garments, and it was said to them, ‘Relax still, a little while.’ Revelation 6:9-11, Cochin Hebrew Revelation[1]
And when He opened the fifth, I saw beneath the holy place, the souls that were killed for the Holy Name, and for the sake of their testimony. Then they shout with a great voice saying, the Lord is holy and faithful! Until when will You judge, and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?’ And every one of them was given white garments, and it was said to them, ‘Relax still, a little while.’ Cochin Hebrew Revelation 6:9-11
Yehovah Does Not Change
For I am Yehovah, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Jacob, shall not come to an end. Malachi 3:6 ISR (emphasis mine)
God, even He who sits enthroned from of old, does hear and afflict them – Selah – those with whom there are no changes, those who do not fear Elohim. Psalm 95:19 ISR (emphasis mine)
But You are the same, And Your years have no end. Psalm 102:27 ISR (emphasis mine)
…and like a mantle You shall fold them up, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail. Hebrews 1:12 ISR
Conclusion:
The question remains: does God allow the innocent and children to die? Yes, He does. But we have choices to make. The first step to be taken is to repent from sin. What is sin? Sin is transgression of the Torah (1 John 3:4). Sin not only brings judgment on you, but curses down to your descendants to the 3rd and 4th generation; for all the earth and all the souls belong to Yehovah. And while the four witnesses are rising, we must recognize they are searching for those who have broken the covenant with Yehovah, and they serve as witnesses against each one of us. For the day the proclamation was made by Moses, and the Torah was stationed next to the Ark of the Covenant of Yehovah, the four witnesses became animated and shall bring destruction to the covenant-breakers.
The second response required to do, is to intercede. Pray on behalf of others. Yehovah is looking for those who will intercede and stand on behalf of others as defined in Ezekiel 22:30-31. He loves for each of us to stand in intercession on behalf of others.
Intercession:
“And I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the breach before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it – but I did not find one! Therefore I have poured out My displeasure on them, I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. And I have put their way on their own head,’ declares the Master Yehovah.” Ezekiel 22:30-31
Lastly, seek out and teach the truth of Yehovah’s word and the covenant commands to others. Many lies have been passed down through the generations. And because someone is ignorant of scripture, it does not mean that truth ceases to be truth. Time is short. And the main question remains, “Whose side will you be on, for the four witnesses are rising?”[2] Choose life (Deut 30:19).
