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WHY HAS GOD ALLOWED WICKEDNESS FOR SO LONG?

By 9. October 2024Bible study

INTRODUCTION

When we look at the world today, we see a situation that is very bad for billions of people. When we look back, we can see a similarly bad situation throughout history — according to the Bible, for about 6,000 years. The Bible shows that one of the attributes of our Creator, Jehovah God, is love, and because of this, many persons wonder why the God of love could have allowed wickedness for so long.

We cannot read the mind of God, and therefore, we cannot get a perfect answer. But we can find what is written in the Bible about this issue. And on the basis of what is written, we can try to ascertain as much as possible of the different sides of this issue. I take the first prophecy in the Bible, in Genesis 3:15, as a point of departure.

15 I will set enmity between you and the woman and between your seed (zæra‘) and her seed (zæra‘). He will bruise you, that is, the head, and you will bruise him, that is, the heel.

This prophecy points to a solution to the problem in connection with the rebellion of Adam and Eve. It shows that the solution will come from the seed of the woman. It shows that wickedness will be removed by the crushing of the head of the snake who caused the rebellion. And it shows that the solution will not come instantly, but some time will elapse. So, the prophecy implies that a world with wickedness would come and that the purpose of God will eventually be fulfilled.

In the article “The Sacred Secret and God’s Administration,” I showed how the prophecy was fulfilled, and will be fulfilled with the restoration of the peace between the families of God in heaven and earth, as it existed before Adam and Eve sinned. In this study, I will discuss different issues behind the steps that were necessary to achieve the restoration, and why it has taken so long time.

THE BASIC ISSUES

When we study the whole Bible’s account of Satan’s actions, we realize that he made three accusations against God, and these accusations had to be settled. The settling of these accusations would influence all the descendants of Adam.

We can see how Satan by using a snake, challenged God by reading Genesis 3:1-5:

1 Now the serpent proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah 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.”

Which issues did Satan raise? He accused God of lying; the two humans would not die as God had said, if they broke his law. He accused God of preventing humans from receiving good things, and therefore, Satan challenged the reign or sovereignty of God, saying that this reign was not beneficial for humans. So, his words suggested that humans should seek independence from God and govern themselves. If they did that, according to the Devil, they would become like God and know good and bad.

There was another challenge that the Devil expressed as well. We see this from the account in Job 2:1-6:

1 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!”

God refers to Job saying “that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad.” Satan says that Job was loyal to God because he benefitted from it. And if the things that made him happy were taken away from him, he would no longer be loyal to God. One important point that I will return to is the accusation of Satan that if his life was at stake, any human being would preserve his life at any cost and no longer be loyal to Jehovah.

As we have seen above, Satan challenged the sovereignty of God, saying that his reign and his laws were not good for the human family. In connection with Job, we see how Satan challenged the quality of what God had created, by implying that no human being would be loyal to God if he experienced hardships.

The challenges of Satan were:

1)   God lied when he said that violations of his law would lead to death.

2)   God’s reign was not the best for the humans, so, the humans should be independent of God and govern themselves.

3)    God did a bad job when he created the humans — they would not be loyal to him if they did not get benefits from it.

What would God do with the rebellion against him? He could have killed the two humans and Satan after they broke his law and created other humans. But in that case, you who read this and all others who are living today would not have been born, because we are the offspring of Adam and Eve. Moreover, the two issues—whether God’s rule is the best and whether humans would be loyal to God under any circumstances—would not have been solved.

 If a man accuses you of wrongdoing, you will not prove him wrong by killing him. God let Adam and Eve have children, but because children inherit their parents, all the offspring of Adam and Eve inherited sin, and that was the start of our imperfect world. But according to the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, God had a purpose that would be accomplished.

THE SOLUTION TO SATAN’S CHALLENGE OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

The issue whether God lied when he said that those who violated his law would die, was settled 930 years later when Adam died. This shows that it was Satan who was a liar.

The issue regarding the reign of God, whether it was the best reign, or whether humans could govern themselves effectively, could be settled by letting the humans try different forms of government and see the results. That would, of course, require a long time.

According to Luke 3:23–38, the human family has lived on earth for about 4,000 years by the time of Jesus. If we add 2,000 years to this, we find that the human family has been on this earth for more than 6,000 years. During this time, different governments have existed. Assyria and Babylon had kings who made all the important decisions. King Croesus of Lydia could be said to lead a plutocracy, reigning on the basis of his wealth. Some city-states in ancient Greece were republics, and Rome had emperors and a senate.

In modern times there have been dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin. In the western world, there are many democracies where the people have the power. In the 20th century, a new kind of rule emerged, a “world government”; the nations became members of the United Nations in order to solve problems among them with the purpose to uphold peace and security, according to its charter.

All the wars throughout history, including those of the 20th and 21st centuries, since the UN has been in existence, show how imperfect human governments are. Moreover, in spite of the fact that enough food is produced to feed all the 8 billion persons on earth, millions are starving because bad governments hinder the distribution of food. History shows clearly that human beings do not have the ability to govern themselves in an effective way, and therefore, the issue regarding the reign of God has been settled. Without any doubt. His government is the best and Satan is a liar!

One reason why the wicked world has existed for about 6,000 years, is because of the issue whether God’s rule is the best. Humans had to get time to test different forms of government in order to see if they could govern themselves in a good way.

JESUS PROVED THAT SATAN WAS A LIAR AND WAS THE SAVIOR OF ADAM’S DESCENDANTS

The issue of God’s sovereignty was relatively easy to solve given 6,000 years of human history. The issue of the quality of God’s creation and whether humans will be loyal to God under any circumstances, is more complicated because it is intertwined with the salvation of the human family, and there are several issues inside this bigger issue.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SIN

We must remember that while God loves the world of mankind and does not want anyone to be destroyed, as Jesus said, according to John 3:16, his dealings with mankind must be according to the laws he has given. If he does not follow his own laws, he will not be a righteous and truthful God. The basic problem can be seen by comparing the two passages of Genesis 2:16, 17 (above) and Romans 3:26 (below):

16 And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 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.”

26 so as to exhibit his own righteousness in this present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man that has faith in Jesus.

The situation is clear: The penalty for sin is death. Adam and Eve sinned. And therefore, they had to die. God could not just annul the law and let the sinners live. In that case, God would not have acted in a righteous way. This is stressed in Romans 3:26. If God would declare someone righteous — free from sin — that could only be on a righteous basis. This means that there had to be a judicial or legal reason for declaring someone righteous.

In the situation of Adam and Eve, the only possibility was the execution of God’s law, and they had to die. But there is an issue that is connected to their situation that is illustrated by Paul’s words in Hebrews 7:10:

9 And, if I may use the expression, through Abraham even Leʹvi who receives tithes has paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his forefather when Mel·chizʹe·dek met him.

The Bible does not advocate that small humans live in the loins of their fathers or grandfathers. But the point here is that every man can procreate children, and therefore, a man has potential children in his loin. This was also the case with Adam, and these potential children would, according to the laws of heritage, inherit the sin and death sentence from Adam.

Even though both Adam and his unborn offspring were sinners and were sentenced to death, there was a difference between them. Adam was perfect, and he had consciously chosen to sin, but that was not the case with his offspring — they had not chosen to become sinners. This means that according to the law of God, Adam’s descendants had to die. But because they were not personally responsible for their inherited sin, God could do something on their behalf. But what he would do had to be according to his laws.

His purpose that we can understand, if we study everything that is written about it in the Scriptures, is that each of Adam’s descendants will get the same chance as Adam got. This means that each descendant of Adam, except those who are incorrigibly wicked and therefore consciously have renounced any fellowship with God, will be led to a situation where they no longer are sinners. In this situation, which is the same situation in which Adam was, they will make a conscious choice to serve God or not. That the descendants of Adam will reach a situation when they no longer have inherited sin, and when they can make a personal choice to serve God or not, seems to be a fairy tale. But I will show that this is God’s purpose.

THE COMING OF THE SAVIOR

In connection with the issue of whether humans can govern themselves, God gave the human family around 6,000 years to try. And as we have seen, all evidence points in one direction: Only God’s government can cause humans to have a happy life.

During the 6,000 years, God has made several arrangements in connection with his purpose and with the salvation of the human family. An important arrangement was that he chose the nation of Israel as his people and gave them his laws. This arrangement was important for the issue of the quality of God’s creation and the loyalty of humans to God, as is implied in John 4:22:

22 YOU worship what YOU do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation originates with the Jews.

The first prophecy telling about the woman and her seed that would crush the head of the snake, gave humans hope. And the words of Jesus, shows that this hope was connected with salvation. And God had identified the people where salvation originated. The source of salvation for the people of God was clarified by the words of the angel when Jesus was born, according to Matthew 1:27:

 21 She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The name of Jesus (Hebrew: Yehoshua‘) means “Yehowa is salvation,” and the angel connects the salvation of his people with this name of Jesus. In connection with Jesus as savior, I will one more time quote Romans 3:26

26 so as to exhibit his own righteousness in this present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man that has faith in Jesus.

In order to declare anyone righteous, i.e., free from sin, it is required that God must be righteous. The actions of Jesus laid the foundation for God to be righteous when declaring persons righteous in two different ways.

Satan’s accusation against God, as we see in the first chapter of Job, was that God’s creation was imperfect because no human would serve God on the basis of unselfish love, if he did not benefit from serving God. And he could point to Adam as an example. One side of the work of Jesus was that he was tested like Job. This is illuminated in Hebrews 4:15:

15 For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.

Jesus was a perfect man like Adam. The text says that he was tested in all respects, but he stood any test and was without sin. This includes his death. According to Job 1:4, Satan said: “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” But Jesus was faithful until his death, and he showed that a human being could be perfectly loyal to God under any circumstances. In this way, Jesus showed that Satan was a liar.

The death of Jesus in faithfulness did not only prove Satan to be a liar, but it also provided the ransom sacrifice, as we read in 1 Timothy 2:5, 6:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom (antilytron) for all (pas)—this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time. 

The words “corresponding ransom” shows that the sacrifice of Jesus had exactly the same value as that which was ransomed. Jesus was a perfect man, just as Adam was. Adam used his life in a selfish way by violating the law of God; Jesus used his life in an unselfish way, and he gave his life without violating the laws of God.

Jesus was tested, and he proved that a human being would be loyal to God in all circumstances, even to death. Therefore, he proved that Satan is a liar.

He gave his life as a corresponding ransom and became the savior for all Adam’s descendants.

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE SALVATION OF THE HUMAN FAMILY

The basic issue that is connected with the salvation of the human family is God’s righteousness. His law is that the punishment for sin is death, and because he is righteous, he cannot annul his own laws. In accordance with this, Paul wrote in 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.

To this day, all human descendants of Adam have died because of their sins, and because of this, God’s righteousness has been satisfied. But the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 gave the human family hope.

We can illustrate the situation in the following way: If a man jumps from a steep mountainside, he will die. A person who will help this man cannot annul the law of gravity, but he can give the man a parachute so he does not die when he jumps. God cannot annul his law that “the wages sin pays is death” (Romans 6:23). But he can give the human family parachutes. What does this mean? Romans 5:18-21 throws light on this issue:

18 So, then, as through one trespass the result to men of all sorts was condemnation, likewise also through one act of justification (dikaiōma) the result to men of all sorts is a declaring of them righteous (dikaiōsis) for life. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were constituted sinners, likewise also through the obedience of the one [person] many will be constituted righteous (daikaios). 20 Now the Law came in beside in order that trespassing might abound. But where sin abounded, undeserved kindness abounded still more. 21 To what end? That, just as sin ruled as king with death, likewise also undeserved kindness might rule as king through righteousness (dikaiosynē), with everlasting life in view through Jesus Christ our Lord.

These verses were written to those who will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. But the principles apply to all descendants of Adam. To what does “one act of justification” refer? It refers to “the obedience of one,” that is, to Jesus Christ. Jesus was sent to the earth to provide the ransom sacrifice. He was tested in every respect, and he gave his life as a ransom sacrifice. Paul shows that this “one act of justification” could lead to everlasting life. The one act of justification could not prevent the death of the sinners, but it provided a parachute for them all, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:21:

21 For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a man.

The “parachute” is the resurrection. The situation is described in Romans 6:7:

7 For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin.

Because the punishment for sin is death, it means as Paul says, that in the moment a person dies, he has “served his sentence.” He is acquitted of all his sins, and he cannot be judged a second time for the same sins. But this does not benefit the dead person because he continues to be unconscious. But then comes the “parachute.” All descendants of Adam, except those who are incorrigibly wicked, will get a resurrection on this earth during the thousand-year-long Judgment Day.

In this new situation, we see God’s righteousness in several ways.

THE RESURRECTION ITSELF SHOWS GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

Because Jesus was a corresponding ransom, a perfect man for the perfect Adam, he bought Adam and his descendants when he died. God accepted the price for each one of Adam’s descendants.[1]

Because Satan questioned the quality of the creation of humans — that no one would be loyal to God without getting benefits — in order to satisfy righteousness, it had to be proven that humans who got a resurrection could be loyal to Jehovah. Jesus proved this by being loyal to his death.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE RESURRECTED ONES MUST BE BASED ON RIGHTEOUSNESS

Judgment Day is described in Revelation chapter 20, and verse 12:

12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds.

Because the resurrected ones have been acquitted of their sins by their death, they cannot be judged for what they did before they died. So, righteousness requires that they will be judged for their deeds on Judgment Day, whether they follow what is written in the books that will be opened or not.

GETTING ADAM’S CHANCE IS BASED ON RIGHTEOUSNESS

 Revelation chapter 20:4, 5 speaks of two groups of people:

4 And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

The group of 144,000 that will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven will get the first resurrection. The parenthesis with the words “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” does not refer to a resurrection — the second resurrection is mentioned in verses 12, 13 — but “come to life” means that they no longer have inherited sin and are in the same situation as Adam, being perfect humans.[2]

During the thousand-year-long Judgment Day the ransom sacrifice is applied to all humans on earth, and gradually they will proceed toward perfection, which they will reach at the end of the thousand years.

And here we see the unfathomable righteousness of God. Adam’s descendants have inherited sin without asking for it. And their sin leads to their death. At the end of the thousand years all humans are perfect just as Adam was. And now the righteousness of God gives each one Adam’s chance. Exactly as Adam was, they will now have the opportunity to personally make their choice of serving God or not.

The result of the choice given to perfect and sinless humans after the thousand-year period has ended is seen in Revelation 20:7-9:

7 Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, 8 and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them [people] together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they advanced over the breadth of the earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city. But fire came down out of heaven and devoured them.

The quoted words are easy to misunderstand. To what does the word “them” in the expression “to gather them together for the war” refer? Many readers will conclude that “the nations in the four corners of the earth” are called God and Magog, and that “them” refers to the mentioned nations. In other words, the nations in the four corners of the earth will follow Satan in his rebellion against Jehovah.

This conclusion is impossible because of Greek grammar. The words “The nations” (ta ethnē) are neuter, while “them” (autous) is masculine. This means that “them” cannot refer to the nations. But autous must refer to some unidentified people of the nations. Satan will try to mislead the nations, but he will only succeed in misleading some people of these nations, and these people are called “Gog and Magog,” which are masculine like autous.

The expression “The number of these is as the sand of the sea” can also be misunderstood” to represent a huge number. According the Genesis 22:17 God said to Abraham that his seed would be like the sand of the sea, and his seed numbered 144,000 members. This shows that the reference to the sand of the sea meant that the number of Abraham’s seed at that point of time was not known. And the same must be the case with the similar expression in Revelation 20:8. So, the number of the people who will follow Satan in his rebellion is unknown. But it need not count more than 144,000.

We cannot know the number of the people of the nations who will refuse to follow Satan in his rebellion. However, in view of the experiences the people of the nations have had — they have received a resurrection, they have during thousand years learned the laws of God, they have been led to human perfection and sinlessness, and they have seen how Satan’s actions in the past have led to sorrow and misery — it is likely that a great number of these people will be loyal to Jehovah.

And all the people who stand this final test in loyalty to Jehovah show that Satan is a liar. 

[1] A detailed discussion of the ransom sacrifice and how it is applied is found in chapter 2, entitled “The righteousness of God and the ransom sacrifice” in my book The Atonement Between God and Man.

[2]. Chapter 8 in my book The Atonement Between God And Man is entitled “The Atonement Between God and Man is Completed at the End of the Millennium” has a detailed analysis of this point.

ANOINTED CHRISTIANS PROVE THAT SATAN IS A LIAR  BY THEIR ACTIONS

Satan’s first challenge was that God’s government was not the best government and that mankind would benefit by governing themselves. The history of mankind throughout 6,000 years has shown that Satan is a liar because humans cannot govern themselves with a good result.

Satan’s second challenge was that God’s work with the creation of mankind was bad because no human would be loyal to God if he or she did not benefit from it. According to Job 1:4, Satan said: “Skin in behalf of skin and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” In other words, no human would be loyal to God if that required that he had to die for being loyal.

By living a life in perfection, without sinning, and sacrificing his life for mankind, Jesus showed that Satan is a liar — humans can be loyal to God at any cost. But one objection could be made. Jesus was a perfect man. But would imperfect humans be loyal to God if they had to die for being loyal?

The will of God is that imperfect humans who had been declared righteous on the basis of the ransom sacrifice should prove that Satan was a liar.

WHAT I LACKING IN THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE CHRIST  

The situation of the 144,000 anointed Christians who have the heavenly hope is described in Romans 6:3, 4:

3 Or do YOU not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life.

Those with the heavenly hope were baptized to the death of Jesus. And Paul shows that each one must sacrifice his or her fleshly body in death, so he or she can get a spiritual body in his or her resurrection. In other words, all human descendants die because they are sinners, and the punishment of sin is death. But the members of the 144,000 die because they sacrifice their bodies in order to get a spiritual resurrection.

All the anointed Christians must die in order to get a spiritual body in the resurrection. But the way they die makes a difference in connection with making Satan a liar. I will outline this situation by analyzing Paul’s words in Colossians 1:24:

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings (pathema) for YOU, and I, in my turn, am filling up what is lacking of the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of (hyper) his body, which is the congregation.

I will look at the details in this scripture: First, I will present the definition of four Greek words:

The noun thlipsis: “trouble involving direct suffering (Louw and Nida); “pressure, compression; met. affliction, distress of mind; distressing circumstances, trial, affliction.” (Mounce)

The verb thlibō: “to crowd in hard against,” (Louw and Nida); “to squeeze, press; to press upon, encumber, throng, crowd; met. to distress, afflict.” (Mounce)

The noun pathema: “to suffer pain” (Louw and Nida); “what is suffered; suffering, affliction; emotion, passion.” (Mounce)

The verb paskhō: “to undergo an experience, usually difficult, and normally with the implication of physical or psychological suffering” (Louw and Nida); “to be affected by a thing, whether good or bad, to suffer, endure evil; absol. to suffer death.” (Mounce)

The noun pathema (“suffering”) corresponds to the verb paskhō (“to suffer”). In Colossians 1:24, pathema (“suffering”) is a synonym of thlipsis (“trouble involving direct suffering”). The verb thlibō corresponds to the noun thlipsis. But thlibō is never used in connection with Jesus Christ. This means that the verb paskhō, which corresponds to the noun thlipsis, and is a synonym for  thlipsis, is the verb that is used to express the verbal idea of the noun thlipsis.

 The expression “the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ” refers to tribulations that are similar to the tribulations that Jesus Christ experienced. I will give some examples of the use of the verb paskhō, which correspond with the noun thlipsis, in connection with Jesus Christ.

I quote Luke 17:25 (above); 22:15 (middle), and Mark 8:31 (below):

25 First, however, he must undergo many sufferings (paskhō) and be rejected by this generation.

15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with YOU before I suffer (paskhō).

31 Also, he started teaching them that the Son of man must undergo many sufferings (paskhō) and be rejected by the older men and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and rise three days later.

In Luke 17:25, the verb paskhō related to Jesus refers to all the sufferings he experienced. In 22:15, the verb refers to his death, and in Mark 8:31, it refers to all his sufferings including his death.

The Epistle to the Hebrews shows that the suffering (paskhō) of Jesus represented a test. I quote Hebrews 2:18 (above) and 4:15 below:

18 For in that he himself has suffered (paskhō) when being put to the test (peirazō), he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.

15 For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested (peirazō) in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.

Hebrews 2:18 shows that the suffering of Jesus presented a test to him, and 4:15 shows that his followers will experience a similar test of suffering. If we should express the verb paskhō (“to suffer”) in the five quotations above in a nominal way, we would use the noun thlipsis (“tribulation”).

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS 

The tribulations of the anointed Christians can be viewed from different angles. I quote Acts 14:22, (above), 2 Corinthians 4:17 (middle), and Hebrews 10:32, 33, 38, 39 (below):

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith and [saying]: “We must enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations (thlipsis).”

17 For though the tribulation (thlipsis) is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting;

32 However, keep on remembering the former days in which, after YOU were enlightened, YOU endured a great contest under sufferings (patēma), 33 sometimes while YOU were being exposed as in a theater both to reproaches and tribulations (thlipsis), and sometimes while YOU became sharers with those who were having such an experience.

38 “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and, “if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 Now we are not the sort that shrink back to destruction, but the sort that have faith to the preserving alive of the soul.

Acts 14:22 shows that the anointed Christians must experience many tribulations (thlipsis) in order to enter the kingdom of God. Second Corinthians 4:17 shows that tribulation (thlipsis) will be followed by everlasting glory. Hebrews 10:32, 33 shows that “suffering” (patēma) and “tribulation” (thlipsis) are synonyms. The Hebrews went through much suffering and tribulations, and verses 38, 39 shows that this was necessary in order to “preserving the soul alive”.

BEING SHARERS OF THE SUFFERINGS OF THE CHRIST

I return to the basic passage we are discussing, Colossians 1:24 (above), and 1 compare it with 1. Peter 4:13 (below):

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings (pathema) for YOU, and I, in my turn, am filling up what is lacking of the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of (hyper) his body, which is the congregation.

13 On the contrary, go on rejoicing forasmuch as YOU are sharers (koinōneō) in the sufferings (paskhō) of the Christ, that YOU may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory.

The verb koinōneō has the meaning “to join in doing, to share in doing” (Louw and Nida); “have in common, share, be associated with.” (Mounce) So, 1 Peter 4:13 shows that the anointed Christians will have the same kind of sufferings and tribulations as Jesus Christ experienced — “being sharers in the sufferings of the Christ.”

I will now show that there is a purpose with the tribulation and suffering that anointed Christians will experience, and I quote 1 Peter 4:19:

19 So, then, also let those who are suffering (paskhō) in harmony with the will of God keep on commending their souls to a faithful Creator while they are doing good.

The suffering of the anointed Christians is caused by wicked people. But this suffering is not accidental. But as the passage above shows, God has a purpose with allowing Christians to suffer. An explanation of this purpose is found in the main scripture we are discussing, namely, Colossians 1:24 (above), and in Philippians 1:29 (below):

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings (pathema) for YOU, and I, in my turn, am filling up what is lacking of the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of (hyper) his body, which is the congregation.

29 because to YOU the privilege was given in behalf of Christ, not only to put YOUR faith in him, but also to suffer (paskhō) in his behalf (hyper).

Prepositions can be translated in many different ways. Regarding the proposition hyper, Louw and Nida define it as: “a marker of a participant who is benefited by an event or on whose behalf an event takes place — ‘for, on behalf of, for the sake of.’” The point here is that “filling out what is lacking in the tribulations of the Christ” benefits the body of Christ, which is the congregation of 144,000. And the suffering that is God’s will for the anointed Christians benefit Jesus.

On the basis of what we have discussed above, we can now better understand why it is God’s will that the anointed Christians shall experience sufferings and tribulations and in this way be tested. The sufferings and tribulations are said to be a test. And therefore, sufferings and tribulations are connected with the challenge of Satan. I quote Hebrews 4:15 (above), James 1:12 (middle) and Revelation 2:10 (below):

15 For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested (peirazō) in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.

12 Happy is the man that keeps on enduring trial (peirasmos), because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving him.

10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer (paskhō). Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of YOU into prison that YOU may be fully put to the test (peirazō), and that YOU may have tribulation (thlipsis) ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Here the focus is on faithfulness even to death, and this is said to be a test (peirazō). According to Job 1:4 Satan tested Job and he said “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” Hebrews 4:15 shows that Jesus has been tested in all respects. Jesus was a perfect man, and he proved that Satan was a liar by being faithful to Jehovah during all his tribulations.

Hebrews 4:15 uses the words “like ourselves.” This shows that the anointed followers are tested by Satan in the same way as Jesus was. James 1:12 says that those who keeps on enduring trial will receive “the crown of life.” This “crown of life” represents heavenly life. Revelation 2:10 uses the same expression and connects the test with tribulation.

When standing the test, even being killed by the enemies, the anointed Christians prove that Satan is a liar — even imperfect humans love Jehovah so much that they will give their lives in death rather than compromise their loyalty to God.

First Peter 4:19 said that it is God’s will that the anointed Christians shall suffer and experience tribulation. And this will of God is expounded in Revelation 6: 9-11:

9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work that they used to have. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying: “Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number was filled also of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed (apokteinō) as they also had been.

According to 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 the anointed Christians will get their heavenly resurrection during the last trumpet. In the tableau quoted above, they were given  white robes, indicating that they had received a resurrection. But their blood will first be avenged in the great tribulation when the number of those who would be killed has been filled. This shows that it is Jehovah’s will that a particular number of his anointed servants shall be faithful to the death from the hands of their enemies. When this number is filled, God has as many witnesses that he wants showing that Satan is a liar.

On the background of the number that must be filled can we also understand the words of Colossians 1:24 “what is lacking of the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of (hyper) his body, which is the congregation.” The sufferings of Jesus had nothing to do with his ransom sacrifice. This sacrifice was his perfect body and blood that he sacrificed by his death. And Jesus endured all his sufferings in faithfulness to his Father. So, the point of Paul is not that Jesus did not get enough sufferings and tribulations, so someone else had to go through the sufferings and tribulations that he should have gone through.

Linguistically speaking, the expression in the genitive “the tribulations of the Christ” could either refer to the tribulations he experienced (he owned), or it can refer to the same kind of tribulations that Jesus experienced. First Peter 4:13 says “YOU are sharers (koinōneō) in the sufferings (paskhō) of the Christ”, which means that they experience the same kind of sufferings as Christ experienced. So, this must also be the meaning in Colossians 1:24.

But what is the meaning of the words, “what is lacking in the tribulations of the Christ”? These words must be seen in the light of Revelation 6:11, that God has decided that a particular number of his anointed followers should die in faithfulness from the hands of their enemies. This number was not filled when Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians. But he said that he would be “filling up what is lacking in the tribulation of the Christ in my flesh.” Paul was one of those who would sacrifice his body (his flesh) and be faithful to death; thus, contributing to the number of those God wanted to be killed in faithfulness.

I quote Colossians 1:24 (above) and Philippians 1:29 (below), and Table 1.1 expresses the meaning of the details:

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings (pathema) for YOU, and I, in my turn, am filling up what is lacking of the tribulations (thlipsis) of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of (hyper) his body, which is the congregation.

29 because to YOU the privilege was given in behalf of Christ, not only to put YOUR faith in him, but also to suffer (paskhō) in his behalf (hyper).

Table 1.1 Colossians 1:24 and Philippians 1:29

The tribulations of the Christ The same kind of tribulations that Christ experienced.
Filling out what is lacking of the tribulations of the Christ. By his death, Paul will contribute to filling the particular number that God has decided of those who will be killed by their enemies.
In my flesh. His body (flesh) will be killed by his enemies.
On behalf of his body. By being killed by his enemies, Paul contributes to the completeness of the body of Christ, because he fills his place among the 144,000 anointed ones.
To suffer in his behalf. When the Philippians suffered and stood the test, that was in behalf of Christ, because they filled some places of the foreordained number of the members of the body that should be killed.

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG TIME TO PROVE THAT SATAN IS A LIAR?

We do not fully understand the purpose of God related to time. But we can look at some events that must happen according to the will of God. I quote 1 Peter 1:10-12:

10 Concerning this very salvation a diligent inquiry and a careful search were made by the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for YOU. 11 They kept on investigatingwhat particular season or what sort of [season] the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ when it was bearing witness beforehand about the sufferings for Christ and about the glories to follow these.

 12 It was revealed to them that, not to themselves, but to YOU, they were ministering the things that have now been announced to YOU through those who have declared the good news to YOU with holy spirit sent forth from heaven. Into these very things angels are desiring to peer.

The prophets wanted to know which time the salvation they prophesied about would come, and even the angels wanted to peer into the purpose of God. My point here is that there were many onlookers to the challenges of Satan, particularly the angels. I have already pointed out that Jehovah could not prove for all onlookers that Satan was a liar by killing him and Adam and Eve.

Time had to pass before it could be proven that Satan was a liar.  Satan’s first challenge was that Adam and Eve would not die if they violated God’s laws. It took 930 to prove that Satan was a liar.

Satan’s second challenge was against the sovereignty of God, that humans were not dependent on God’s government but could govern themselves effectively. I have pointed out that different forms of government have been tried during the six thousand years of human existence. And all governments have caused great problems for their inhabitants. We cannot question why God has allowed the human family the time to try so many different governments. But we can say that humans have got enough time to prove that  they could govern themselves independent of God.

The third challenge of Satan was about the quality of God’s creation of humans. He claimed that no human being would be loyal to God if he had to sacrifice his life for being loyal. This situation was more complicated than Satan’s second challenge because it was intertwined with the salvation of mankind who were sinners.

The core of this issue was to establish a situation on the basis of which God, in a righteous way, could give everlasting life to humans, which was his original purpose. In order to achieve this, a savior had to come. And this savior had to be identified.

In order to lay the foundation for the identification of the coming savior, God chose the Jewish nation as his own people. Regarding this people Jesus said in John 4:22:

22 YOU worship what YOU do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation originates with the Jews.

The Jewish people had existed for about 1,500 years when Jesus Christ was born. And in connection with his birth, an angel said according to Matthew 1:27:

 21 She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Savior had now come and had been identified about 4,000 years after sin was introduced into the world. We can hardly criticize God for not sending the Savior earlier because only God knows the situation in which millions of humans lived during these 4,000 years.

SELECTING THE 144,000 ANOINTED ONES HAD TO TAKE TIME

Jesus came to the world, and he was tested by Satan, as Matthew 4:1 shows. When he sacrificed his life, he had stood all the tests of Satan without sin. And therefore, he proved that Satan was a liar.

Filling the number of the anointed servants of God who would be slain because of their faithfulness to God would take some time, as is implied by Hebrews 2:17, 18:

17 Consequently he was obliged to become like his “brothers” in all respects, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, in order to offer propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself has suffered (paskhō) when being put to the test (peirazō), he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test (peirazō).

A high priest offers sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus’  body and blood, which he gave to death, were the perfect propitiatory sacrifice. This sacrifice must be applied to the human family for their sins. A high priest has a number of priests helping him with offering the sacrifices on the altar. And in this connection, I quote 1 Peter 1:3, 4 (above) and 1:3, 4 (below):

9 But YOU are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that YOU should declare abroad the excellencies” of the one that called YOU out of darkness into his wonderful light.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for YOU.

Those to whom Peter wrote his letter were a royal priesthood, and they were born again as sons of God so they would receive an inheritance in heaven. The members of the Jewish congregations to whom the epistle of Hebrews was written were also priests, as we see in Hebrews 10:19-22:

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 which he inaugurated for us as a new and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with true hearts in the full assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies bathed with clean water.

These brothers had a great priest over the house of God, namely, Jesus Christ. They were themselves, priests because it is said that they should have their bodies bathed in clean water, which was the requirement for priests.

Both those whom Peter called a royal priesthood and the brothers who were called priests in the letter to the Hebrews died in the first or second century CE. So how should they function as priests and offer sacrifices for the people? We get an answer in Revelation 20:4-6:

4 And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.

Those who have a part in the first resurrection, which includes those who are mentioned in 1. Peter and the Hebrews, will be judges, kings, and priests during the thousand-year-long Judgment Day. All kinds of people will get a resurrection on Judgment Day, and the kings, priests, and judges will apply the ransom sacrifice to these people. But what are their qualifications?

According to Hebrews 2:17, 18, that is quoted above, Jesus had to be “like his brothers in all respects,” and he had to suffer “when being put to the test” to become “a faithful high priest” and “come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.” In other words, Jesus had to experience the same situations as those whom he would help, in order to understand how he could help them.

The situation must be the same for those who, during the thousand years, serve as priests together with Jesus. And this throws light on the process of calling and choosing this group. The experience of the members of the 144,000 kings, priests, and judges, must be so broad that some of this group have about the same experience as any human that will get a resurrection on Judgment Day. That is the reason why some members were called and chosen in the first century, and others were chosen in the time of the end before the great tribulation.

This also throws light on the reason why God has allowed the wicked world to exist for 6,000 years and still exists. Time was needed to find and choose the persons with the right experience and background to become faithful priests during the thousand-year-long Judgment Day.

Satan’s challenges have been answered in the ways we see in Table 1:2.

Table 1.2 The challenges of Satan

THE CHALLENGE THE ANSWER
The humans will not die if they break God’s laws. Adam and Eve died, and all their descendants have to this day died
God has no right to exercise his sovereignty over the human family.  They are able to govern themselves without any help from God. All the different forms of government that have existed during 6,000 years have only resulted in sorrow and misery for the human family.
No human will serve God if he does not have benefits from it. No human will be willing to sacrifice his life ín loyalty to God. Jesus was a perfect man who stood all his tribulations. He sacrificed his life in loyalty to God
A predestined number of the 144,000 anointed ones will stand all tribulations with the result that they are killed by their enemies.
Great numbers of humans who have become perfect and without sin during the thousand-year-long Judgement Day will not follow Satan in his rebellion. But they will serve God with everlasting life in view.
God’s original purpose have now been accomplished. The earth is filled with perfect descendants of Adam who will live in the earthly paradise forever.

                                         CONCLUSION

We cannot fully understand why God has allowed this wicked world for so long time because we cannot read the mind of God. But this discussion of how Satan challenged God and the time that was needed to prove that Satan is a liar explain a part of the question.

By allowing wickedness to last so long, God has not done injustice to the human family. You who are reading this study, as well as I, would not have been born if God had intervened in the wicked world a hundred years ago. So, we are happy that God has allowed wickedness for so long.

But we know that God will intervene in the future, and that he will remove all wickedness and make the earth into a paradise.

Rolf Furuli

Author Rolf Furuli

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