People are saying, or have said at one time or another: But if there is a God, why does he not do something about all this injustice, the wars, the killings, the crimes, and all the other evils? In short, why does he not end all this mess the whole world is embroiled in, and set up his Kingdom now?

How can a question like this be answered in an easy and clear way in a space of a few short pages? Well, maybe not, but maybe yes; so I shall try. Of course, for some people a whole book won’t do, or a whole week of discussion will leave them unaffected. But, then, that kind of people would not ask questions like this, would they? So, it can be assumed that the people who do ask such questions at least do believe, or would want to believe: that there is a God. And if you belong to that group of people, but have no explanation along those lines, because you are not familiar with the Word of God, take first of all courage from the following Scriptures:

Ps. 14:1; 53:1  “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10“The fear [reverence] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Next I shall try to establish a confidence in God’s works, whatever they may be, so that on that basis one can develop trust and confidence also toward that which God has determined to do on behalf of man, even though it may seem, to the human mind, that God’s time schedule does not synchronize with the events on our worldly scene. But, of course, there is nothing wrong with God’s time plan; it is just that man in general does not understand God’s ways and times, because man in general is ignorant about them. To be able to see and understand them would involve more than being a member of a Church and attending service once in a while (or even quite regularly). It would involve: to “seek” God and to “worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23–24).

But for those who have taken the time and put forward a serious effort with an earnest heart: it did not take long to find that God has a definite plan in which: “times and seasons” are very important. Just like in the Universe, too, everything is arranged and follows exact “times and seasons”. Take a look around you and observe the vegetations, berries, fruits, summer, winter, day, night, and other everyday occurrences. They all follow exactly their individual “times and seasons” (unless man interferes with the natural laws of nature which God has set), not only once in a while, but year after year, century after century, millenium after millenium, eons after eons — in fact, as long as they are in existence when brought forth by the power of God.

And, in the case of celestial bodies, they too run their courses — their paths — with such an accuracy, that it should and must boggle the human mind, because: even though they zoom through space with fantastic speeds, especially when considering their gigantic sizes and the distances they travel in their predetermined orbits or paths, as well as the distances they are apart from each other, yet their accuracy is so precise: that astronomers can figure out their position on the sky for thousands of years forward or backward. Only on this basis of these God-given laws of “times and seasons” were, and are, modern space technologists able to have man set foot on the moon, and shoot probes into space with years of tavel involved, to perform research tasks of various kinds on or about other planets, and even beyond.

And to give one more example along a different line of marvel — and marvels they are to the human mind, in spite of the sober and technical jargon of scientists, and their everyday handling of highly sophisticated mathematical formulas and figures:

The most accurate time piece man has created in this modern age, is patterned after and made subject to the laws which govern the atoms and which is, therefore, fittingly called: the Atomic Clock. It runs with such a precision, that to notice a variation of one second: will take several thousand years.

Indeed, the Universe and everything therein, and all the laws governing it, must and can only be the creation of a supreme being which the human mind can hardly grasp (much less criticize), but in which the human being can and should have complete confidence and trust. Remember: God’s ways are not man’s ways, and his thoughts are not the thoughts human beings have; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways and thoughts higher than those of man! (Is. 55:8–11).

Does the preceding tend to imply that God is so great, and so busy, that he would have no time, or not much time left over for that little dust speck in the Universe called man? Not at all; on the contrary, since God is all-love, and all-just, he loves all his creations dearly, and the Scriptures tell us about that in many beautiful ways.

However, because of Christendom’s doctrines and teachings: God’s four true attributes of Justice, Wisdom, Power, and Love, have been totally misrepresented, especially his Justice and Love.

Take, for instance, Churchianity’s doctrine of The Immortality of the Soul. It is totally contrary to the Scriptures which tell us by way of a picture in Ps. 103:15–16, “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.”

Also, in Eccl. 3:19–20, we read: “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast [after man, Adam, fell from perfection]: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

And the declaration in Ezek. 18:4, 20 is: “The soul [being] that sinneth, it shall die [shall be cut off from life].”

The man-made doctrine of The Immortality of the Soul, as I said already, is contrary to the Scriptures: it is also contrary to God’s absolute Justice of which the Scriptures tell us:

“Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.” (Ps. 89:14; 97:2)

Oh yes, once Adam disobeyed the law of his Creator, God’s Justice had to sentence him to death. But God’s Love for his creation “man” becomes demonstrated in that he, God, bound himself by an oath: that a deliverer would come to save Adam and all his posterity out of their pitiful state, caused by Adam’s disobedience, which God permitted (not caused); that this Deliverer would be able — by a well designed plan of God — to bring back the human race out of death, and into favour again with God; in fact, to restore all that which was lost in Eden, including eternal life.

That is why we hear the Psalmist say:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8:4; and also Heb. 2:6)

Well, the Psalmist also tells us the reason:

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet [originally, before Adam’s disobedience and fall].” (Ps. 8:5–6)

Yes, Adam was created “a little lower than the angels”, as perfect as the angels but on a little lower plane: on the earthly plane; and he was indeed king over the earth: he had complete control over all the animals, and also over the fowls of the air and the growth from the earth. Adam had full control over everything pertaining to the earth. Oh yes, Adam was a glorious being before he fell from perfection. God had pronounced him “very good”. He was the crowning feature of all the things pertaining to the earth.

Yet, when this being disobeyed God’s command, he had to sentence him to death, because that was the penalty announced, and Adam and his as yet unborn posterity had to suffer the consequences, even to this day. When God warned him beforehand that from a certain fruit he was not allowed to eat, and that if he did, he would die, did Adam understand what death meant? Did he understand that it meant the opposite to life, namely the cutting off from life for ever? Did he understand that it also entailed the moral and mental decay until in death all would end? He did not. How could he, there were no examples to see, or to learn from: death was unknown until then, and, therefore, even if it was explained to him, the severity would not have been grasped by him. Therefore an experience of that kind was necessary, and for that reason God permitted (did not prevent) Adam to fall into sin. This experience with sin would also show the exceeding sinfulness of sin, would give Adam and all his posterity a lesson they would never forget in all eternity.

An other aspect should be considered in this connection: all intelligent beings which God created had a free will to choose. One of the heavenly beings, which the Scriptures refer to as being as glorious as the morning star, Lucifer, had already made a wrong choice of which the prophet speaks in this way:

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God [as you can see, Satan was a powerful being, not just an ordinary angel]: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north [that is, the seat of God’s throne, according to the Scriptures]: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Is. 14:13–14)

What an arrogance this being had developed. Jesus said of him:

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning [by being the actual cause of Adam and Eve’s death sentence], and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

With an attitude like that, is it any wonder that mother Eve could not withstand against the wisdom (and spiritual cunningness) of this spiritual being which represented itself in such an innocent way to her? Now, the question will be asked: Could not God have prevented it? The answer, of course, is: Of course. But the fact is: He did not. Therefore, the correct question should be: Why did God not prevent it? The answer to that question is partly given already just a few lines back, when speaking of the practical experience with sin, that it would be a lasting one, that man will be so fed up with sin: that it creates horror only by thinking of it. He will never want to cause it again, especially after man will have had the true and righteous instructions from the Prince of Peace, who will eradicate wrong, and establish right, for ever!

But the question can be answered from a different standpoint, and I do not want to be presumptuous when posing and dealing with the following, because whatever has been said so far, and whatever still will be said: it is all according to the Word of God albeit in a condensed form. If human wisdom would reason on the subject, most likely four solutions would present themselves:

1. Destroy Lucifer at the outset of his pride and arrogance.

2. Create all beings infallible.

3. Use divine power to intervene every time at a possible failure.

4. Let it happen, and see what happens.

The Bible teaches us to see things from the standpoint of God, and in doing that: learn to see and understand God’s ways, plans, and purposes, and the realities of his types and shadows, pictures, and parables. But, be assured, it cannot be done by reading the Bible as you would read a novel. No, time and effort belong to a serious study, and that with patience. But be equally assured, that God is rewarding those richly who “diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

First Solution: Destroy Lucifer

If God would have chosen this solution, he would have set a precedent, viz, every time one of his creatures would have violated one of his laws, be it in actions or in intentions, he would have to destroy it. But God’s wisdom did not permit that, neither did the love of God permit it, for with God every life is precious. Furthermore, no one would learn the real lesson from it, except that every creature would fear God in the sense of being scared, and that in itself is evil and, therefore, anti-God. God could never choose such a solution. By the way, that is exactly what Christendom has established over the centuries: the doctrine of Hell and Eternal Torment has produced that fear.

Second Solution: Create all beings infallible

To choose this solution would be even against human logic and reason, because to create beings with intelligence, and withhold a free choice, would mean to keep them in a mental or spiritual prison. And not to give them intelligence would mean that they would not be better by one bit than the animals; and that would be against the character of God which he reveals to be not only all-loving, and all-just, and all-powerful, but also that his creative powers must always come to the full use. It would mean, that if he did not give full freedom to his creations, he feared that he would be unable to keep control. This, too, is absolutely impossible to God, it is anti-God. When God created man, he displayed just that benevolent character, he said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Surely, God did not mean his physical or spiritual image, because the Scriptures teach very clearly that “no man can see God and live”, and, therefore, his spiritual likeness, as far as appearance is concerned, is of necessity drastically different from that of man. But what God did mean was that man would be a character likeness of himself, which corresponds with many other Scriptures. Man was to be able (in his perfection) to judge justly; to use his mental and physical powers for creative purposes with regard to earthly matters; he would display great wisdom as king over the earth; and he would be capable of true love. Indeed, created in God’s likeness, and maintained in perfection, it would have been a crowning feature of all his creations.

No, God could never have chosen to make his creatures infallible. That characteristic belongs to God only; God has not extended it to any of his creatures, and not to the popes either.

Third Solution: Intervene every time

How would this solution solve the problem which from time to time would occur? In fact, if God would intervene, would it not imply that no matter how careless, or how bold some might get, nothing would come of it? No, the solution of “Big Daddy” watching out for eventualities will not fit even for human conditions, how much less with a supreme being who is the creator of the whole Universe. That may be a solution for undeveloped creatures, but not for beings which are created perfect, and could use their perfect minds for negative things just as illustrated by the actions of Satan and his followers. Furthermore, God’s throne is built upon justice. How can he be the interferer, and be just at the same time? No, this solution, too, is impossible with God.

Fourth Solution: See what happens

That leaves us with the last solution, to let it happen and see what will happen. Well now, we know that God did let it happen, but could we expect an all-wise God to sit back and do nothing? Could we expect that an all-wise God did not know what to do? No, such a thing is impossible with God, and, therefore, the Scriptures inform us that while God did not prevent Adam’s fall into sin, while he permitted it for a purpose of an everlasting lesson to man as well as to all spiritual beings, he will also eradicate all evil and its cause (Satan) for ever, that he would bring this about by a plan which would not only incorporate the everlasting lessons, but also the redeeming of those who fell prey to the wiles of him who is the father of all lies, and that he would do it in such a way that while Adam was justly condemned, his redemption would also be: a just one, namely, on the basis of a RANSOM, viz, a corresponding price: one life taken, an other life of the same value and quality given. One life forfeited, the other life given freely, sacrificially. That is why the Apostle Paul declares:

Rom. 5:18  “Therefore as by the offense of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the man Christ Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

1 Cor. 15:22  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

And now an additional thought must be introduced, a thought that has to do with the question at the beginning of this essay: When God created man, he gave him a commandment: “Multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). It also should be remembered that, when Adam disobeyed, four curses were uttered by God:

1. To Satan, God said that he would be an outcast for ever, and that the seed of the woman (which is Christ) would crush his head (would destroy him in the finality, viz, toward the end of God’s plan). The Scriptures declare that, because of God’s foreknowledge, his plan was already in existence before the foundation of the world (Adam’s world). There can be no such thing with God as a surprise!

2. To Eve, God said that she would be always subject to the man, and that she would bring forth her posterity with great suffering and pain.

3. To Adam, God said that he would die, and that — in the meantime — he would have to labour hard to supply his needs. And then, still speaking to Adam, he announces the fourth curse:

4. That the ground also would be cursed for his (Adam’s) sake.

It should be noted, that the death sentence was pronounced upon Adam only, because, as far as their creation was concerned, Eve was taken from Adam and, therefore, they were, before God: considered not twain, but one.

Now, the additional thought is this (additional to those already given): If God commanded Adam to “fill the earth”, and if all of his posterity would have to learn that everlasting lesson with the experience of sin and its effects, and since the ground was also cursed for Adam’s sake, then the Kingdom of God, in which Christ reigns as “King of kings and Lord of lords”, cannot be established before these things have been fulfilled. Now, you may say that the earth is overpopulated already, and that therefore that feature must be fulfilled already, but that is not so. It may appear that way by looking at the present situation from the human standpoint. But you should remember that the earth was cursed also, and that, therefore, after the curse of the earth is also lifted: the surface of the earth will look entirely different. To illustrate: right now only one fifth is land, and four fifths is water; right now even of that one fifth, the by far greater area is waste land in one form or another, and is inhospitable to man. There are all these extremes: between hot and cold, tremendous heights with glaciers and unreachable depths of the oceans, etc., etc. If, as the LORD has promised, the earth will be made glorious, and as he further promised: everyone will possess his own garden and will harvest the fruits thereof for himself in sufficiency without want, then, when the curse will be lifted: the earth will undergo tremendous changes, which in effect has begun in its preliminary stages already. Bible prophecy, and Bible chronology, tell us that we are living in “the last days” of this Gospel age, a period when all these things are to happen. Have you noticed, for instance, that while there have been natural disasters in the past of man’s history, have there been ever so many in a short time span as now? Try to think of how many there were only in the last few years, even the last fifty years! It seems as if good Mother Earth lies in pain and labour to bring forth a newborn child (a new face), to coincide with the establishment of the Kingdom of God which is also not very far off anymore.

Someone has figured out that from the creation of man till now, approximately 60 to 80 billion people came into being. Now, consider that number in connection with the remodeling of the surface of the earth. You will be surprised to find that there will be a great plenty of room for everyone of Adam’s family, just as it is stated in the Word of God.

One would like to write much more about all this, but space does not permit in the context of a short essay, except to put to your remembrance that: God’s time schedule is not like that of man’s way of reasoning, but that with God: “a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:4), or, as the Apostle Peter puts it: “… one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). Therefore, His “times and seasons” must be considered from that standpoint. Human wisdom may not agree with God’s dealing pertaining to man, but who is man to argue, or to accuse God of being unfair only because man is adversely affected? Who is man to sit in judgment of him who can contemplate and determine ages at once, while man often cannot contemplate or determine from one day to the next?

All through the ages, God has not been idle. Many features of his plan have already been fulfilled; some are in the process of being fulfilled; but that feature, of setting up Christ’s Kingdom, that has to wait just a little longer. But according to God’s holy Word, this short period just before us, which will fill out the time between now and the setting up of the Kingdom, which is called the end of the age (this Gospel age), this time period will see great things developing in all areas pertaining to man’s life: religiously, politically, geographically, even weather related, and all are listed and described in the Scriptures.

So, why does God not do anything about these terrible conditions of this, our day? Because man has not yet, not quite yet learned the lessons he must learn, and must make them his own. They are stlil going on to deceive, cheat, and even kill each other every day within their small circle of activities; they are going after their own lusts; they blaspheme God, and many other things they do (read, for instance, 2 Tim. 3:1–6, or Rom. 1:21–32). Man will have to drink the cup of evil to the last drop before he will come to his senses. And foreknowing all this, God arranged HIS “times and seasons” to coincide with the conditions prevailing.

So, what can you do? Nothing, really, as far as these evil things and times are concerned, but you can “seek” God, and, in so doing, find peace in the midst of turmoil; and not only peace, but courage and a true hope as well!

To conclude, here are a few Scriptures which have something very specific to say:

Eccl. 7:29  “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

Ps. 19:1–2  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.”

Ps. 1:1  “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

Ps. 40:4  “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” (See also Ps. 112:1)

Luke 9:56  “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

John 12:47  “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world [during the Gospel age], but to save the world [in his coming Kingdom, during “the times of resitution of all things”].”

1 Tim. 2:4  “[God, ] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Acts 3:21  At his second presence, Christ will introduce: “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began [Adam’s world]”.

Is. 11:9  “… for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD [during “the times of restitution of all things”], as the waters cover the sea.” (Then ignorance will vanish.)

Is. 26:9  “… when thy judgments are in the earth [during “the times of restitution of all things”, during Christ’s reign as “King of kings and Lord of lords”], the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

There are many more Scriptures of the kind just mentioned, but these ten give reason enough to kindle a true and positive hope: not just for a few; not just for a man-made portion of mankind; not just for a man-made religious society, but as the foregoing Scriptures testify and declare: for all mankind, for Adam and all his posterity! A Plan of Salvation, designed by God, in which God’s attributes are manifested: his Justice, his Wisdom, his Power, and his Love.

“And [then] it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God [we always wished that there is such a God; at least, we had that hope in the far corner of our heart]; we have waited for him [unconsciously we hoped for such a God], and he will save us [because we have learned to see that: there is no salvation from men, be they called religious systems, political parties, scientists of any kind, or “holy” men — individuals — with their claims]: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9).