Answer: This question has been asked for Ages, but aside from the Bible, none of the great thinkers, nor has any human philosophy ever been able to offer a reasonable answer.

The Scriptures declare that God is a Righteous Being and abhors evil (Deuteronomy 32: 4). Additionally, of all His great attributes of character, love is not only the greatest, but is the one quality that represents Him (1 John 4: 16).

Since the fall of the perfect man, Father Adam, over six thousand years ago, man has continued to degenerate. Yet even in his present state, we witness much good in man  acts of compassion and kindness indicating there are still remnants of God’s image in him (Genesis 1: 26, 27).

But why has God permitted evil, in the form of sin, suffering, sorrow, pain and death to reign over mankind for over six thousand years?

God’s Purpose for Man Progressive

The Word of God alone explains that God’s purpose and dealings with mankind are progressive, covering many Ages, each with its own purposes, yet all leading toward a grand and glorious consummation.

First, God chose to create His human children with the same quality He possesses  freedom of will, the power to choose one course or another. He knew this meant the possibility of disobedience on the part of Father Adam and Mother Eve, and He even foresaw their fall into sin; but instead of preventing it, He premeditated the entire Plan of Salvation.

For over six thousand years, mankind has, and continues to learn a great lesson through the permission of evil  the exceeding sinfulness of sin  that the bitter fruits of sin lead to alienation from God, suffering, sorrow, pain and eventually death. The vast majority of mankind in this life learn to know sin, evil, only.

Thankfully, God has made provision in His Plan for mankind to receive an opposite experience  one with righteousness. In due time God will usher in the one-thousand-year reign of Messiah’s Kingdom. During that time, mankind, both the living and the dead (who will be brought back from the grave), will be given a full opportunity to learn the desirability of righteousness. They will learn that the blessed fruits of righteousness are fellowship with God, joy, peace and life.

By the close of the Mediatorial Reign mankind will have learned, by these two contrasting experiences, the exact nature and effects of good and evil. Every individual will then be given a final testing in order to determine whether he will choose righteousness and its reward of eternal life, or whether he will choose sin and its consequence  the Second Death.

Though God will not coerce anyone’s will, it seems reasonable to conclude that no other Plan than the one adopted by the Creator will lead more people to love and practice righteousness, and to hate and avoid sin; and that is because experience is the most efficient teacher (Psalm 90: 14-17).

God’s Character Magnified

Another benefit that will result from God’s permission of evil is that His glorious character of wisdom, power, justice and love will be better known and more highly appreciated by saints, angels and men (Psalm 76: 10). The key to this knowledge and appreciation is found in God’s Plan of the Ages, which when properly comprehended, demonstrates the work which each Age has been designed to accomplish until the grand climax is reached.

When God’s Plan of the Ages has been successfully accomplished, then the prophecy found in Revelation 5: 13 will become a reality:

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Note: Please find a more thorough examination of this subject in Study 7 of God’s Wonderful Plan of the Ages.

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