Daniel 2:44
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
If God is a loving God, why is there so much evil in the world, is a question that I hear so often. While the question is a simple one, the implications are profound and thus this discussion is often quite convoluted and not very helpful.
See the question assumes that God is behind the happenings of the details of the daily lives of humanity. If this assumption was true,
- Then definitely, God would be at fault for every bruised knee, abused child, or needless death that occurs every moment all over the world.
I think the answer to this question lies in understanding our verse of study today. Daniel wrote about how the world is in transition from its’s present course of affairs to an ultimate kingdom that will offer peace, tranquility and paradise for those who are part of this kingdom.
- The fact is Daniel understood that our present world is not under the control of God’s loving rule and reign. Instead, it has been handed over to Satan, the God of this world, who exerts his rule through the hands of human beings.
- This include of course the political sphere, but also every other sphere imaginable including the spiritual, emotional and moral.
Why do bad things happen?
With Satan at the helm of things, wars abound, hunger is replete worldwide, and the weakest among us are hurt and abused every single day.
God clearly tells us that there is coming a day when he will remove Satan, the author of evil and cast him in to the lake of fire, and when that occurs, at the time of the end of this age, there will be a tranquility that will overcome, one yet unknown to man.
Rev 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Isn’t that amazing?
On that fateful day, when he makes everything new, he will also install a physical government on the earth that will rule justly and uphold fairness, equity and justice for all, though there will really be no need for everyone will be morally righteous, and will desire to be law abiding, because of the beauty of the their King, Jesus who will sit on the throne and rule the nations.
Don’t you long for that day? When the kingdom of God will come in its full manifestation.
However
- we don’t’ have to wait until that day to see the kingdom operate in our lives, for Jesus said, the kingdom of God is within you, when you repent.
- This means, that now, today, though we live in a fallen world, God is renewing all things from within – our hearts that is.
That’s right, his kingdom has already begun. It began in humanity 2000 years ago, when Christ came, and for those who have surrendered their lives to him, they are called to live out God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy.
- We are to be prophetic symbols of the actualized kingdom today, so that the world may see what the kingdom will be tomorrow.
So the answer ultimately to why does a loving God allow evil, then can simply be answered by simply knowing that it’s not God’s desire, and that he has a plan to end the evil in this age. He sent Jesus his son, thereby not avoiding pain, but instead to enter into the struggle with us. And we are also included in that plan according to his own sovereign will, meaning when we decide to be Christ followers, we can also in our own little way make things new in people’s lives by sharing the love and hope that Christ brings through our words and deeds.
He doesn’t allow evil to happen. But he has asked us his children to work in his stead doing works of justice until the day when all things are made new. ………. But he understands that evil will occur, that is the consequence of the sin of Adam. God however doesn’t stay detached and wait for the ultimate solution at the end of days, he gets involved. He sends his son, into the evil and messy situation, where he takes evil upon himself, and having beath death, he lives in us, inspiring us to beat evil every day.
– Pastor Olu Jegede