To understand why God has permitted suffering & what He will do about it, we have to appreciate how He made us. We were created with more than just a body and a brain. God created us with special mental & emotional qualities. The most important part of our mental & emotional makeup is free will. God implanted in us the faculty of freedom of choice. This is indeed a wonderful gift from Him.
To consider how free will is involved in God's permission of suffering, think about this: Do you appreciate having the freedom to choose what you will do and say, what you will eat & wear, what kind of work you will do, and where and how you will live? Or would you want someone to dictate your every word & action every moment of your life? No normal person wants their life taken out of their control completely. Why not? Because of the way God made us. The Bible tells us that God created man in his 'image and likeness,' and one of the faculties God himself has is freedom of choice. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 7:6) When He created humans, he gave us the wonderful gift of free will. So desiring freedom is no accident, for God is a God of freedom. The Bible says: "Where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17) Therefore, God gave us free will as a part of our very makeup. Since he knew the way our minds & emotions would work, he knew that we would be happiest with free will. To go with the gift of free will, God gave us the ability to think, weigh matters, make decisions, and know right from wrong. (Hebrews 5:14) Thus, free will was to be based on intelligent choice. We were not made like mindless robots having no will of their own. Nor were we created to act out of instinct as were animals. Instead, our marvelous brain was designed to work in harmony with our freedom of choice.
However, did God's purpose for free will to be without limits? Imagine a busy city without limits, without traffic laws, where everybody could drive in any direction at any speed. Would you want to drive under those conditions? Unlimited freedom would mean anarchy in society. There have to be laws to guide human activities. God's Word says: "Behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an excuse for wickedness." (1 Peter 2:16) God wants free will to be regulated for the common good. He purposed for us to have, not total freedom, but relative freedom, subject to the rule of law.
Whose Laws?
Whose Laws Were We Designed To Obey? 1 Peter 2:16 states: "You are slaves of no one except God." This does not mean oppressive slavery, but rather that we were designed to be happiest when in subjection to God's laws. (Matthew 22:35-40) His laws, more than any laws devised by humans, provide the best guide. "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk."--Isaiah 48:17
Thus, we were created to be happiest when subject to God's laws for human behavior. It is similar to being subject to God's physical laws. For instance, if we ignore the law of gravity & jump off a high place, we will be injured or killed. If we ignore the internal laws of our body & stop eating food, drinking water, or breathing we will die. As surely as we were created with the need to submit to God physical laws, we were created with the need to submit to God's moral & social laws. (Matthew 4:4) Humans were not created to be independent of their Maker & be successful. In every way humans were created to live under God's rulership, not their own. Obedience to God's laws would not have been burdensome for our first parents. Instead, it would have worked for their welfare & that of the entire human family. Had the first pair stayed within the limits of God's laws, all would have been well.
The Issue of Universal Sovereignty
Why did God not just destroy Adam & Eve and start over with another human pair? Because His Universal Sovereignty, that is, His inalienable right to rule, had been challenged. The question was: Who has the right to rule, and whose rule is right, His being almighty and the Creator of all creatures gives God the right to rule over them. Since He is all-wise, His rule is best for all creatures. But God's rule had now been challenged. Also, was there something wrong with his creation--man?
By man's becoming independent of God, another question was implied: could humans do better if not ruled by God? The Creator certainly knew the answer, but a sure way for humans to find out was to allow them the total freedom they wanted. They chose that course of their own free will, so God permitted it.
By allowing humans enough time to experiment with total freedom, God would establish for all time whether humans are better off under God's rule or on their own. And the time permitted would have to be long enough to allow humans to come to what they considered the peak of their political, industrial, scientific & medical achievements.
Therefore, God has allowed man a free rein clear down to our day to show beyond any doubt whether human rule independent of Him can succeed. Thus man has been able to choose between kindness & cruelty, between love & hate, between righteousness & unrighteousness. But he has also been confronted with the consequences of his choice: goodness & peace or wickedness & suffering.
Rebellion of Spirit Creatures
There is another factor to consider. Our original parents were not the only ones to rebel against God's rule. Before God created humans, he created a higher form of life, great numbers of angels, to live in the heavenly realm. They too were created with free will & also with the need to submit to God's rule--Job 38:7; Psalm 104:4; Revelation 5:11
The Bible shows that rebellion first broke out in the spirit realm because a spirit creature wanted total freedom. He even wanted humans to worship him. (Matthew 4:8,9) This spirit rebel became a factor in influencing Adam & Eve to rebel, claiming falsely that God was withholding something good from them. (Genesis 3:1-5) So he is called Devil (Slanderer) & Satan (Adversary). Later, he induced other spirit creatures to rebel. They became known as demons--Deuteronomy 32:17; Revelation 12:9; 16:14
Humans by rebelling against God, gave themselves over to the influence of Satan & his demons. That is why the Bible calls Satan "the god of this system of things," who "has blinded the minds of the unbelievers." Hence, God's Word says that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." Jesus himself called Satan "the ruler of this world."--2 Corinthians 4:4, 1John 5:19; John 12:31
Two Issues
Satan raised another issue that challenged God. In effect, he charged that God was mistaken in the way He created humans & that no one would want to do the right thing when put under pressure. In fact, he claimed that under test they would even curse God (Job 2:1-5) In this way Satan called into question the integrity of the human creation.
Therefore, God has permitted enough time for all intelligent creatures to see how this issue as well as the issue of God's Sovereignty would be resolved. (Exodus 9:16) The eventual experience of human history would reveal the truth about these two issues.
First of all, what would time reveal regarding the issue of Universal Sovereignty, the rightness of God's rule? Could humans rule themselves better than God? Would any system of human rule apart from God usher in a happy world free from war, crime, and injustice? Would any eliminate poverty & provide prosperity for all? Would any conquer sickness, old age, and death? God's rule was designed to do all of that. --Genesis 1:26-31.
The Result of Rebellion
When our first parents rejected God's rule, disaster followed. They brought suffering upon themselves & all the human family that came from them. History has shown the correctness of God's warning to Adam & Eve that if they moved out from under God's provisions, they would deteriorate & eventually die. (Genesis 2:17; 3:19)
Many centuries have passed. Empires have come & gone. Every conceivable type of government has been tried. Yet, over & over, dreadful things have happened to the human family. After six thousand years, one would think that humans would have progressed to the point of establishing peace, justice & prosperity earth wide and that by now they would have mastered the positive values of kindness, compassion & cooperation.
The Situation Today
In addition consider the overall condition of the human family today. Crime & violence are rampant. Drug abuse is epidemic. Sexually transmitted diseases are pandemic. Tens of millions of people die of hunger or disease each year, while a small number have vast riches. Humans pollute & pillage the earth. Family life & moral values have broken down everywhere. Truly, life today reflects the ugly rulership of 'the god of this world,' Satan. The world he is master of is cold, ruthless, and thoroughly corrupt.--2 Corinthians 4:4
God has allowed enough time for humans to come to the peak of their scientific & material progress. But is it genuine progress when the bow and arrow have been replaced by machine guns, tanks, jet bombers, & nuclear missiles? Is it progress when people can travel into space but cannot live together in peace on earth? Is it progress when people are afraid to walk the streets at night, or even in the daytime in some places?
What Time Has Shown
What the test of centuries of time has shown is that it is not possible for humans to direct their own steps successfully apart from God's rule. It is no more possible for them to do that than it is for them to live without eating, drinking, & breathing. The evidence is clear: We were designed to be dependent on our Creator's guidance just as surely as we were created to be dependent on food, water & air.
By permitting wickedness, God has once and for all time demonstrated the sad results of misusing free will. And free will is such a precious gift that rather than take it away from man, God has allowed them to see what its misuse means. God's Word speaks the truth when it says: "It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step." It is also truthful when it says: "Man has dominated man to his injury. "--Jeremiah 10:23; Ecclesiastes 8:9.
God's permission of human rule for six thousand years forcefully illustrates that man is unable to stop suffering. At no time has he done so. For instance, in his day King Solomon of Israel, with all his wisdom, wealth & power, could not straighten out the misery resulting from human rule (Ecclesiastes 4:13) Similarly, in our day world leaders even with the latest technical advances, are not able to eliminate suffering. Worse yet, history has shown that humans independent of God's rule have increased suffering instead of eliminating it.
Evidence
Jesus foretold of features that would accompany the last days: "There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilence [disease epidemics] and food shortages."--Luke 21:11 This is evident in the world today.
Major earthquakes are regular occurrences, taking many lives. The Spanish influenza alone killed about 20,000,000 people following World War I--some estimates being 30,000,000 or more. Aids has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and could take millions more in the near future. Each year millions of people die of heart ailments, cancer, and other diseases.
Jesus also foretold the increase in crime that is experienced in all lands. He said "Because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off.'--Matthew 24:12
Further, Bible prophecy foretold the moral collapse so evident throughout the world today: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power...Wicked men & impostors will advance from bad to worse.' (2Timothy 3: 1-13) All of this has come true right before out eyes.
Another Factor
There is another factor responsible for the huge increase in suffering in this century. Coinciding with the beginning of the last days in 1914, something happened to put mankind in even greater danger. At that time, as a prophecy in the last book of the Bible relates: "War broke out in heaven: Michael [Christ in heavenly power] and his angels battled with the dragon [Satan], and the dragon and its angels [the demons] battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil & Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him"--Revelation 12:7-9.
What were the consequences for the human family? The prophecy continues: "Woe for the earth & for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time."
Yes, Satan knows that his system is nearing its end, so he is doing everything he can to turn humans against God before he and his world are put out of the way.--Revelation 12:12; 20:1-3.
It is no wonder that Jesus foretold of our time: "On the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out...Men become faint out of fear & expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.--Luke 21:25, 26.
End of Human and Demon Rule Near
How many Bible prophecies remain to be fulfilled before God destroys this present system? Very few! One of the last is at 1 Thessalonians 5:3 which states: "While they are talking of peace and security, all at once calamity is upon them." This shows that the end of this system will begin "while they are talking." Unforeseen by the world, destruction will strike when least expected, when the attention of humans is on their hoped-for peace and security.
Time is running out for this world under Satan's influence. Soon it will come to its end in a time of trouble of which Jesus said: "Then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again."--Matthew 24;21.
The climax of the "great tribulation" will be God's war of Armageddon. That is the time spoken of by the prophet Daniel when God will "crush and put an end to all these kingdoms." This will mean the end of all present human rulership independent of God. His Kingdom rule from heaven will then take over complete control of all human affairs. Never again, Daniel foretold, will governing authority be left "to any other people."--Daniel 2:44; Revelation 16: 14-16.
At that time all satanic and demon influence will also cease. Those rebellious spirit creatures will be put out of the way so that they cannot "mislead the nations anymore."--Revelation 12:9; 20:1-3 They have been sentenced to death and await destruction. What a relief it will be for mankind to be free from their debasing influence!
God's Long-Range View
God's permission of suffering has been painful for all of us. But he has taken a long-range view, knowing the good results that will come in the long run. God's view will benefit creatures, not just for a few years or a few thousand, but for millions of years, for all eternity. Because Jehovah has permitted wickedness & suffering at this time, it will already have been amply proved that nothing that is out of harmony with Him can prosper. It will have been shown beyond doubt that no independent scheme of men or spirit creatures can bring lasting benefits, Hence, God will then be fully justified in swiftly crushing any rebel. "The wicked ones He will annihilate." --Psalm 145:20; Romans 3:4
Who Will Survive? Who Will Not?
When God's judgments are executed against this world, who will survive? Who will not? The Bible shows that those who want God's rule will be protected and will survive. Those who do not want God's rule will not be protected but will be destroyed along with Satan's world. Proverbs 2:21,22 says: "The upright [those who submit to God's rule]are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked [those who do not submit to God's rule], they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it."
Psalm 37:10, 11 also says: "Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more...But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." Verse 29 adds: "The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it." We should take to heart the counsel of Psalm 37:34, which states: "Hope in Jehovah and keep his way, and he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it." Verse 37 and 38 say: "Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in sight, for the future of that man will be peaceful. But the transgressors themselves will certainly be annihilated together; the future of wicked people will indeed be cut off."
Righteousness Replaces Wickedness
All of this will be made possible by the destruction of Satan's world. No more will there be divisive false religions, social systems, or governments. No more will there be satanic propaganda to deceive people; all the agencies producing it will go down with Satan's system. Just think: the entire poisonous atmosphere of Satan's world cleared away: What a relief that will be!
Then the destructive ideas of human rule will be replaced by the upbuilding teachings that comes from God. "All your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah."--Isaiah 54:13 With this wholesome instruction year after year, "The earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea."--Isaiah 11:9 People will no more learn what is bad, but "righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn."--Isaiah 26:9 Upbuilding thoughts and actions will be the order of the day--Acts 17:31p; Phillippians 4:8
Perfect Health Restored
In a new world, there will be a rolling back of all the evil effects of the original rebellion. For example, Kingdom rule will eliminate sickness and old age. Today, even if you enjoy a measure of good health, the hard reality is that as you grow old, your eyes dim, your teeth decay, your hearing dulls, your skin wrinkles, your internal organs break down, until finally you die.
However those distressing effects that we inherited from our first parents will soon be a thing of the past. Do you remember what Jesus demonstrated regarding health while he was on earth? The Bible relates: "Great crowds approached Him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing.--Matthew 15:30, 31.
"THE GIFT GOD GIVES IS EVERLASTING LIFE.'--Corinthians 15:25, 26; Romans 6:23; Isaiah 25:8.
This post is just something more from something profound that I recently read. Being brought up in the Catholic church from childhood to my adult life, I enjoyed the teachings of the Bible that I learned in school and church. Having forgotten most of the readings of the Bible that I learned, it was for me, earth moving to read all of the above post and to be reminded of what God has in store for those who believe in Him. I have heard of many blasphemers and personally been harassed and stalked by one of these so called 'prophets'. ["Woe for the earth & for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time." yes, Satan knows that his system is nearing its end, so he is doing everything he can to turn humans against God before he and his world are put out of the way.--Revelation 12:12; 20:1-3.]
In my humble opinion, people who are truly of God behave in a way that is good and for a higher good. The next to the last paragraph eloquently shows what true prophets and men of God are able to achieve. Jesus caused the blind to see and the lame to walk and the dead to arise, things that no false prophet can do! Throughout the Bible are great men & women of God who achieved miraculous things with the help of God. Moses parted the Red Sea to save his people. To all the naysayers who believe that worshiping a false prophet will get you into heaven, I say let your false prophet raise someone from the dead or part a sea. It's very easy to believe something that you see as opposed to something that is unseen. I am of the school of thinking, like the above post, that we must have unceasing faith in God and trust that His teachings and principles will ultimately protect us from evil and shield us from Satan. Look within yourself and reflect deeply on what is around you and what you are doing in your life and pray without ceasing and have never ending faith that even though God constantly tests us every day, know that none of it is in vain.
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