In recent days, Planned Parenthood, an American reproductive health and abortion provider, has been in the headlines. Undercover journalists released videos of Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of body parts obtained from human babies killed by abortion. The videos exposed this fact to much of the general public for the first time. Since then, controversy exploded onto the national scene, with several lawmakers clamoring for an investigation and others claiming the matter is being blown out of proportion. But the central fact of the story is something no one denies: Aborted baby parts are being traded for money at Planned Parenthood.

God's Church is clear where it stands on abortion. The Creator has placed great value on human life given the ultimate hope and destiny He longs to grant us: joy and life forevermore with Him in His Kingdom (Psalm 16:11). With the process of abortion, mankind takes God's authority over human life upon itself. Abortion snuffs out a life far too soon, and the innocence of these children is not lost on God (Proverbs 6:16-17).

What does the Bible say about the sale of human bodies? An interesting prophecy came to my mind from Revelation 18:11-13, where the "merchants of the earth" are weeping over the fall of an evil end-time superpower known as "Babylon the great" (Revelation 18:2). Immediately following their despair, the Bible lists some of the merchandise provided by this superpower: Many luxuries such as gold and pearls, and practical materials like iron and wheat. But the list concludes with this shocking item: "the bodies and souls of men."

The Greek word used for "body" in verse 13 is the same word used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe a physical body. For instance, in Acts 9:40 when by God's power Peter raises Dorcas from the dead, the same word is used to describe her body. While things could change in the United States due to the recent backlash, the objectification of other people as "merchandise" will take place at the end of the age, for medical research purposes, slavery, or otherwise (Revelation 18:11-13).

However, this dark future is not all we have to look forward to! God will come to end the suffering caused in this age when He establishes the next one: the Kingdom of God. Pain and strife will be obsolete: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). Jesus Christ is coming to heal the brokenhearted. All life—even the unborn—will be protected, and those already killed in this massive genocide will be given life once again.