Why Does God Allow Wickedness?

This is a challenging question frankly for the entire human race to understand, but God has good reasons. There are issues affecting the entire universe that must be settled once for all time, so the conditions that exist today on the earth will never exist again.

The answer to WHY God has allowed wicked things to occur goes all the way back to the beginning of human history.

Genesis 1:26-31 tells us: “26 And God went on to say: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth.” 27 And God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 Further, God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.” 29 And God went on to say: “Here I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed. To you let it serve as food. 30 And to every wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it came to be so. 31 After that God saw everything he had made and, look! [it was] very good...”

Notice the creation was “very good”; a far cry from the world today. And notice they were given dominion over ALL the animals. They were told to have children and fill the earth. They were to “subdue” it…in other words make it a paradise home for all their offspring. This is God’s original purpose for the earth and humankind living upon it. There was to be no suffering, no injustice, no sickness, no war…no not even death. The fact that death was not part of the original plan is evident by what Genesis 2:15-17 tells us: “15 And God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. 16 And God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” So God gives Adam one command, one law. The consequence for disobeying that law was death...conversely obedience to that command would mean everlasting life. By exercising faith that the Creator would know what is best for that which he created, what is good and what is bad for them, humankind would enjoy everlasting life on a paradise earth, in perfection no less.

Job, the 38th chapter, gives some additional insight into that wondrous creative period: God was questioning Job after his ordeal, asking him where he happened to be during the creation of earth. In verse 7 God speaks about the angels observing the earthly creation and asks Job in verse 4 “Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth? Tell me if you do know understanding”…..then verse 7: “When the morning stars (angels) joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God (angels) began shouting in applause.” Can you imagine what an incredible event that was! The myriads of angels were rejoicing over this fantastic new creation…this new species of being…this new life form joining their universal family. An awesome moment. The angels had existed for millions of years and seen universes built, stars formed, even the earth turned from an empty, desolate orbiting rock transformed into a beautiful planet filled with millions of different interdependent life forms. They (the angels) lived as perfect beings themselves…knowing, loving and worshiping the source of all life; with everlasting life lying before them too. Recall back to Genesis 1:26: …”let us make man in our image, according to our likeness…” In other words, give humans the same qualities as Jehovah, the same ones he had given Jesus and the angels. Those included the ability to think, to love, to create, to experience emotion, to teach and on and on, along with a free will; the ability to think and act independently, just like the angels had. Free will was an essential part of the creative process because it allowed love to grow and flourish and express itself in many ways; without it, robotic obedience or acting from instinct would put mankind on a par with non thinking lower forms of life. Free will was an incredible gift. What a wondrous future lay ahead for all humans. With such an incredible beginning, what went so terribly wrong??? Why is the world the way it is now?

The problems for the earth and mankind really began in heaven. Whatever it was that turned one of those powerful heavenly beings, it changed him into something he wasn’t before. He became the Devil (which means Slanderer) and Satan (which means Opposer). It is similar to an honest person making himself into a thief by yielding to the temptation to steal something. Perhaps it was the thought that humankind had everything they needed. They could grow their own food. They could build homes. They could reproduce…create their own offspring. They wouldn’t need God for anything. I don’t know, the Bible doesn’t say what Satan’s thinking was other than he desired mankind to follow him and his way of thinking rather than God’s way. In essence he desired humans to worship (follow or obey) him. So he opposed God’s way of thinking and seduced the recently created naive Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. (Adam had been alive much longer, having spent many years doing the work given him of naming the animals; during which time he conversed daily with God in the garden). Notice how the Devil slandered God in the account found at Genesis the 3rd chapter: “Now the serpent proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field that God had made. So it began to say to the woman: “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. 3 But as for [eating] of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘you must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You positively will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” 6 Consequently the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward she gave some also to her husband when with her and he began eating it.” Genesis 3:1-6  

James 1:14-15 provides this insight into the nature, growth and birth of sin: “ But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” Notice Eve’s thoughts…”the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon”… Satan also implied that God was withholding something good for them in that they could be like God, knowing good and bad, implying God was withholding something good from them.

Eve was fooled, but Adam was not. He knew and willfully chose to follow his wife rather than his God: “…Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived…” 1 Tim. 2:14.  He chose the power of deciding for himself what is good and what is evil and of acting accordingly. He laid claim to complete moral independence and refused to accept his status as a created being. He took something he had no right to take; something his Creator chose to reserve for himself. By that act, Adam withdrew himself from subjection to God’s rulership, to go out on his own, doing what was “good” or “bad” according to his own desires and decisions. The first sin was an attack on God’s sovereignty. The result to all their offspring is found at Romans 5:12: “12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned..”  

But that is not the end of the story. Why wouldn’t the all powerful Creator step right in and wipe the slate clean, destroy the rebellious Satan and start it all over again? Moral questions were raised concerning the rightfulness and the righteousness of God’s rule… and too of the integrity of all God’s servants, both in heaven and on earth (yes, heaven too was tested and many angels forsook God and rebelled also). When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying God, Satan did not call into question God’s power. Even Satan knows that there is no limit to God’s power. But by calling God a liar who withholds good from his subjects (the knowledge of good and bad), Satan charged that God was a bad ruler. Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God’s rulership. This was an attack on God’s sovereignty, and the righteousness of his rule. Was it right for him to withhold that knowledge? to require obedience from his earthly sons and daughters? Could humans live apart from God? Would…could humans be faithful to God, even under trial and test? Could humans see the need for a close relationship with God?

When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, in effect, they said: “We do not need God as our Ruler. We can decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.” How could God settle that issue? How could he teach all intelligent creatures in heaven and on earth that the rebels were wrong and that his way truly was best? And it wasn’t just Adam, Eve and Satan involved. Genesis the 6th chapter talks about the son of the true God (angels) taking the daughters of men as wives for themselves. In those days, angels had the ability to materialize in human form. (Many accounts in the Bible of this, (loyal) angels visited Abraham,
Lot, Jacob wrestled with one for a blessing…etc.). Those “fallen angels” produced offspring with human women, called the Nephilim. They were huge, violent beings. The world became a very bad place…to the point of God bringing on the flood some 1656 years after Adam’s creation. Thankfully Noah was a man of faith and one who found favor with God. After the flood, these angels were no longer allowed to materialize, but as Jude verse 6 says, “And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.” And 2 Peter 2:4 adds: “God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgement.” (that darkness was in a spiritual sense, cut off from God). That explains were the demons came from. Their evil influence in the world today is very powerful and very obvious. Consider Psalm 106:36, 37: “They kept serving their idols, and these came to be a snare to them. And they would sacrifice their sons and their daughters to demons.” (modern example? suicide bombers in the name of religion, for one; the major religions of the world blessing troops and sending off their sons and daughters to die in war, for another).        1 Timothy 4:1 “In later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.” One can find in the Bible various accounts of Jesus and the disciples expelling demons from people. Those demons are behind much of the violence and perversity and false religion we see in the world today. But as God’s Word promises, their time is limited… their end is near.

So this issue of the rightfulness and righteousness of God’s rulership is not merely an earthly one, but involves all creation, both humans and angels. Time was needed to let these issues play out…to answer themselves so to speak. This would give enough time for all other forms of government a chance to try and solve humankind’s problems. Time was needed to show what life without God would deteriorate into. Time would prove the Creator’s way is the best and that reliance upon him is the right and only way to find true fulfillment and joy in one’s life. This list could go on and on, but you get the sense, I hope, of why time would be set aside to settle these questions ONCE for ALL TIME. Never will these events or influences be allowed. It is really a universal trial and we are all a part of it. We are all witnesses giving our own particular testimonies with our lives. Knowingly or unknowingly we are siding with one or the other.

And that brings us to another issue raised. Will anyone remain faithful to God under test? Look at the ordeal of Job 1:6-12 “ Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them. 7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where do you come from?” At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.” 8 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?” 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed, and his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. 11 But, for a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.” 12 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!” So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah.”

Of course Job lost his possessions and children to Satan’s attacks, but Job still maintained his integrity to God. Then…“Afterward it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also proceeded to enter right among them to take his station before Jehovah. 2 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Just where do you come from?” At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.” 3 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad? Even yet he is holding fast his integrity, although you incite me against him to swallow him up without cause.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul. 5 For a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch as far as his bone and his flesh [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.” 6 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “There he is in your hand! Only watch out for his soul itself!” 7 So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah and struck Job with a malignant boil from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Job 2:1-9

Again Job maintained his integrity to God. He was greatly blessed by Jehovah for proving Satan a liar; for proving humans can willingly maintain their integrity to God under test. Jesus Christ went way beyond that when he proved faithful and obedient even to a brutal death (in order to rescue mankind from this bondage to sin and death). Humans today (and throughout history) are still enduring, following this same course of faithful integrity no matter what the test. Satan’s charges have been proved false. The time allotted for him to make his case against God has all but run out. His rulership over the earth has been an utter failure. God has allowed this brief time (if you place eternity in front and behind these few thousand years of human existence, it truly is a short time on God’s watch) for Satan’s charges to be proved false, for humans to prove faithful no matter what and for Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from bondage to sin and death.

Great events are taking place in our lifetime. The world has changed dramatically even in our short lives. The big, the final event is yet to occur, but it is close. Here in Revelation 12:7-12 is one of those big events (and if you believe the Bible is the word of God, and is true, think about what the word “entire” means in this verse and look at the evidence so apparent in the world: “7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. 10 … 12 On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” Satan has been a liar from the beginning and by any and all means has mislead almost all of mankind, turned them away from knowing and worshiping the living God.

Jehovah created the earth to be a paradise. He created people to live forever upon it. That purpose will be fulfilled by means of the kingdom. “....Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...” The promises are everywhere in the Bible. Here are two examples

Psalm 37:9-11, 29 “ 9 For evildoers themselves will be cut off, But those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. 10 And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. 11 But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.… 29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.”

Proverbs 2:20-22 “20 The purpose is that you may walk in the way of good people and that the paths of the righteous ones you may keep. 21 For the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. 22 As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”

Humans will be just like the faithful angels in the sense they can live forever. The angels have lived for millions of years already and will continue living on and on everlastingly. Last scripture: Revelation 21:3-5 “3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” 5 And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also, he says: “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

I hope this helps you understanding the overriding issues that needed to be resolved in the universal court of justice. Of why God had to allow a short time for these issues to be proven false and a way to restore mankind back to the original plan for the earth provided. This “wiping the tears from their eyes” includes the old growing young, the sick being cured, the lame healed, the blind given sight and even the dead brought back to life. Jesus did all these things when on earth to demonstrate God’s power to fulfill his promises. Every bad thing Satan or humans have ever done will be undone. Then, life on earth will be everlasting…in a paradise…People will use their full mental capacity, not the tiny % they use now. People will develop unlimited creative capacities and means of expression, the arts will be taken to new levels. Jehovah will bless the works of their hands…the earth will yield like never before. It is almost unimaginable how wonderful life will be under God’s Kingdom Government. Theocratic rule restored. The law of love will be the only one on the books. At last,
Paradise.