The Dead

In the biblical narrative, the concept of death is introduced early in the Scriptures. Death is first mentioned in Genesis 2:17, where God warns Adam that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in death: "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die" . This establishes death as a consequence of sin, a theme that is reiterated throughout the Bible.

The Old Testament often portrays death as a return to the earth, as seen in Genesis 3:19: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground, because out of it were you taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return" . The dead are frequently described as going to Sheol, a shadowy place of the dead, as in Psalm 6:5: "For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?" .

In the New Testament, the understanding of death is expanded with the revelation of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Jesus' resurrection is central to the Christian hope of life after death. In John 11:25-26, Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" . The Apostle Paul further elaborates on the victory over death in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55: "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" .

The dead in Christ are described as being with the Lord, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8: "We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" . The final destiny of the dead is addressed in Revelation 20:12-13, where the dead are judged according to their deeds, and death itself is ultimately defeated.

The Unborn

The Bible speaks to the value and sanctity of human life, including that of the unborn. Scripture affirms that life begins in the womb and that God is intimately involved in the creation of each person. Psalm 139:13-16 beautifully captures this truth: "For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be" .

The prophet Jeremiah's calling before birth is another testament to the significance of the unborn. In Jeremiah 1:5, God declares, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations" . This indicates that God's purpose and plan for individuals begin even before birth.

The New Testament also acknowledges the personhood of the unborn. In Luke 1:41-44, the unborn John the Baptist reacts to the presence of Mary, who is pregnant with Jesus: "When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy'" .

The biblical perspective on the unborn underscores the belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every human life, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This view informs the Christian understanding of the sanctity of life and the moral imperative to protect and cherish life at all stages.