Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - AGE BEFORE BIRTH?

 AGE BEFORE BIRTH?

It may seem rather unusual to question how old one might be before that person is born. The obvious answer would be probably that your age begins at birth; but then again, there are many who would say that life begins at conception. So, when you’re born is that really day one or are you already nine months old when birth occurs?

The true answer may depend on how we view ourselves. If we consider ourselves to be a body with a soul and spirit than we may well look at things differently than if we consider ourselves a spirit, temporally inhabiting a human body that has a soul. Are we human or are we really spirit?

In the Bible, it states that: “…God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him…” (Genesis 1:27). The Bible also says that: “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). So, if God is Spirit and we are made in God’s image then it is not unreasonable to consider ourselves primarily spirit rather than human.

In the same way, God, as Jesus, is Spirit who became human for a period of time and came to earth as man. But when Jesus was questioned regarding His age, He replied “…before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). John also said in Chapter 1, verse 1 that: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” By saying this, John was certainly stating that Christ existed long before His physical birth, and therefore, His true age was, and is, eternal.

Now, if we are made in the image of God, and therefore spirit, did we also exist before our human birth? It does say is Psalms 139:16 that: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.” And Jeremiah states: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Do these words only refer to us in human form or is there a more subtle meaning?

In the book The Eternal Journey* reports are mentioned of people having sustained near death experiences (NDEs). These individuals reported circumstances which indicate that conception may not be the beginning of existence. It has been reported that everyone on earth had expressed a desire to be here. Some have even chosen the family they wished to be born into, and the length of time they wished to be on earth. It may sound unbelievable, but there are many such incidences reported.

Besides, we often talk of “going home” when we die and may have heard the phrases “the earth is not my home” or “ home is where the heart is.” How can we talk of going home if we’ve never been there before? It’s only after you’ve lived in a place that you can call it “home” and refer to returning as “going home again.”

So how old are you before birth? It may not be such an unusual question after all.

At the very least, it certainly is an intriguing subject to think about. 

*The Eternal Journey Chapter 15 by Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D Chairman Emeritus, Dept. of Social Studies and emeritus professor Western New Mexico University and Harold A. Widdison Professor of Medical Sociology, Northern Arizona University