We have seen in the previous two Q&A’s that abortion at any time, after human life has been conceived in the mother’s womb, is a sin and murder in the eyes of God.
On the website “gotquestions” we read: “Science tells us that human life begins at the time of conception. From the moment fertilization takes place [fertilization, a synonym for conception, is defined as the action or process of fertilizing an egg, female animal, or plant, involving the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote. See definition of zygote below], the child’s genetic makeup is already complete. Its gender has already been determined, along with its height and hair, eye and skin color. The only thing the embryo needs to become a fully-functioning being is the time to grow and develop.
“More importantly, God reveals to us in His Word that not only does life begin at conception, but He knows who we are even before then (Jeremiah 1:5). King David said this about God’s role in our conception: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13, 16).”
From the website “answers in genesis,” we read: “The initial event along the road of human development is fertilization. Twenty-three chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father are combined at the time of fertilization. At this point, the genetic makeup of the individual is determined. At this time, a unique individual, known as a zygote, begins to exist. But is this zygote human? [A zygote is defined as the cell formed by the union of a male sex cell (a sperm) and a female sex cell (an ovum)].
“This zygote then divides again and again. Some cells develop into the placenta and are essential for implantation. Other cells develop into the anatomical parts of the baby. The number of cells increases rapidly, and the name changes as the number increases. By the time this rapidly dividing ball of cells arrives in the uterus, it is called a blastocyst. Implantation in the uterine wall normally occurs about six days after fertilization.”
Although not born again in this life, we are already begotten children of God and heirs (Romans 8:16-17). This is on the spiritual level and it is exactly the same on the physical level.
We published a Q&A over 15 years ago entitled, “Will an aborted fetus live again?” Below is some of the information contained previously:
- David said that God knew him while still in the womb. Psalm 22:9-10 says: “But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.” Since God knew him in the womb, this suggests that God had given him the human spirit while still in the womb.
- Isaiah was inspired to write in Isaiah 49:1: “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.” The same conclusion applies as per the previous reference above.
- In speaking of Jacob in Hosea 12:3, God says: “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God.” We read in Genesis 25:22 that “the children STRUGGLED TOGETHER within her”; and Genesis 25:26 states that Jacob “took hold on Esau’s heel” — that is, he did not want Esau to come out first. As we saw, Hosea 12:3 clarifies that Jacob had already taken Esau’s heel “in the womb.” It is also interesting that some translations (Elberfelder Bible; Lamsa; Luther; Zuercher) render Hosea 12:3 in this way: “He DECEIVED his brother in his mother’s womb…” Others translate this verse as follows: “In the womb he tried to supplant [or, supplanted] his brother…” (NRSV; REB; NAB; Tanakh; Moffat). Regardless of which translation we use, they all seem to indicate motivation through the human spirit. We read that these two brothers are not described as bits of “biological material” as one writer put it, rather that they already possessed identity and significant purpose – they were to become two great leaders, the progenitors of two vast nations (Genesis 25:23). The omniscient God already possessed the foreknowledge of the entire lifespan of these two boys – from womb to tomb – and He communicated something of it to their mother.
- In reference to John the Baptist, we read in Luke 1:15: “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” Since he had the Holy Spirit, while still in his mother’s womb, he must also have had the human spirit, while still in his mother’s womb; that is, prior to his birth. In verses 41-44 of this chapter of Luke, we read in the Authorized Version: “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy [Spirit]: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Again, there appears to be motivation through the human spirit by – in John’s case – the power of God’s Holy Spirit within him.
- When the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream, he said to him: “… do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). The angel was giving to Joseph the understanding that the LIFE which was within Mary was of God! Christ already “lived” in His mother’s womb, prior to His human birth. As with John the Baptist, Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit from His mother’s womb, beginning with the very moment of His conception. Unlike John, who had only a measure of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit in its fullness, without measure (compare John 3:34 in the Authorized Version). Since He had the Holy Spirit in His mother’s womb, He must have had the human spirit in his mother’s womb as well.
- Judges 13 relates the birth of Samson. In verse 5 we read: “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” In verse 7, there are particular instructions to Samson’s mother: “And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”” This was necessary because, as a Nazirite, Samson was to have a restricted diet hence the reason why his mother had such limitations so as not to pass on anything to her unborn child, at any time, during her pregnancy. Right from conception, it had to be right!
It is therefore biblically sound to conclude that a human being receives from God the spirit in man at the time of conception within the mother’s womb, thus giving him what we understand as human intellect. (Unlike Christ and John, who received the Holy Spirit in the mother’s womb, we receive today the Holy Spirit as adults, after our conversion, repentance, and proper baptism and the laying on of hands by an ordained minister of God).
Therefore, based on the Scriptures we have examined, a fetus already receives the spirit in man at conception, and is therefore a living HUMAN BEING, and if it is aborted at any time prior to birth, the spirit in man will return to God. At the time of the resurrection, God will place the spirit of the (aborted) fetus in a newly created body. This means that the fetus will receive the opportunity to live again, through a resurrection from the dead. The resurrected child will then have the opportunity to qualify to enter into the Kingdom of God, which opportunity has been given to us today. (But none of that justifies the abortion of the innocent fetus, as there are no godly reasons to take the life of an innocent adult human being either.)
For more information on this astonishing aspect of God’s plan, please read our free booklet “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”
In conclusion, here are three anomalies that are worth considering.
- The Daily Telegraph on May 31, 2008 printed this item:
“A decorator has been jailed for 23 weeks after amassing one of the largest collections of wild bird eggs ever uncovered.
“Richard Pearson turned a bedroom in his home into an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ devoted to his collection of 7,715 eggs, all of which are protected under law. His haul contained eggs from Britain’s rarest nesting birds including the golden eagle, little tern, osprey, black-necked grebe, avocet, black-tailed godwit, stone curlew, chough, peregrine falcon and red-throated diver.
“What an evil society we live in when bird’s eggs are protected but not the unborn child in the womb!”
- It is mind-boggling to realise that we live in an age where society believes that it’s acceptable to KILL unborn children, yet unacceptable to lay a hand on a child for the sake of correction.
- Also, if an abortion goes wrong with a long term pregnancy and the baby is actually born, then the medical will then fight to save the “born” life that they were trying to kill as an “unborn” child. What a nonsense and muddled thinking.
God’s Word is very clear – “You shall not kill,” as we read in Exodus 20:13. Abortion is murder; the killing of innocent, as yet unborn children, falls very firmly into that category.
Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)
