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Overland Monthly / OV014 - The Divine Program (IV. The Permission of Evil)
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OV14 THE DIVINE PROGRAM IV—THE PERMISSION OF EVIL
BY C. T. RUSSELL
PASTOR BROOKLYN TABERNACLE
This is the fourth article in the series by Pastor Russell of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
These articles are attracting
attention among a wide circle of readers, as is evidenced by numbers of
letters that have come to the Overland Monthly from Pastor RussellÂ’s
followers throughout the country. In addition, the press has devoted
considerable attention to the articles in the form of criticism and
comment.—THE EDITOR.
NOTHING HAS done so much to foster
unbelief in a gracious Creator as the fact and persistency of evil—a
fact that is indisputable. The reasoning faculties of some will
exercise themselves and refuse to be stifled, and the possessors of
such minds are straightway in trouble, unless, under Divine Providence,
they have the only rational solution of the question from the only
possible source—the Bible. The best faculties of the best brains
idealize the Creator as the very embodiment of Wisdom, Justice, Love
and Power. They say our CreatorÂ’s character should be in harmony with
these lines. Then, looking out upon the world and perceiving the sin
and suffering everywhere prevalent, they conclude that the evidence is
lacking that there is such an ideal God as they supposed. They reason
that if he were just, he would not permit the child to inherit its
parentsÂ’ weaknesses and depravities, and then hold the child
accountable for its conduct under these influences. They reason that if
he were wise he would have avoided such conditions as made our race a
"groaning creation." (#Ro 8:22.)
They reason that if he were All-Powerful
as they had supposed, he would never have permitted present conditions
to come upon mankind. They reason that if he were All-Loving he would
make an end of the present conditions of things one way or another. It
may seem strange to many that our claim should be the very reverse of
the foregoing, namely, that it is the very perfection of Divine
Character that has made possible the present condition of affairs. It
is because of the absolute perfection of our Creator that he permits
evil in the world. Let us demonstrate this and show the philosophy of
it. Granting an All-Wise Creator, just, loving and powerful, it is but
reasonable to expect him to exercise his power, in harmony with his
other attributes, not merely in the creation of inanimate things, but
specially in the creation of beings of a highly intelligent order, and
possessed of qualities and characteristics resembling his own. Such
beings might properly be called "sons of God." The Scriptures declare
to us several orders of these sons on various planes of existence.
While revelation respecting the archangels, the cherubims and a lower
order of angels is set before us in the Divine Word, comparatively
little is told us respecting them and Divine dealings with them.
However, a sufficiency has been told us, as we shall soon see, to
enable us to comprehend
OV15 the operation of the Divine
attributes in dealing with these. The Scriptures inform us that man was
made subsequently to the above-mentioned spiritual beings, and that, .
because endowed with moral qualities and reasoning faculties, he also,
in his perfection, was styled a "son of God," made in his image,
although at the same time declared to have been "made a little lower
than the angels."—#Ps 8:5.
Accepting the foregoing Scriptural statements, and giving them full
weight, it will be admitted that for them to be in GodÂ’s image and
likeness would mean that they must have liberty to do right or to do
wrong—they must be free moral agents. If their Creator is a free moral
agent and they were created in His image and likeness, this would mean
their liberty to obey or disobey the Divine command to follow
righteousness or sin. As their Creator is influenced in his conduct by
principles of righteousness, but is not bounden or restrained, so with
these. Consequently there would always be a liability of their falling
into error of judgment or personal ambition or other sin, and thus
stepping out of accord with the Divine Government. This is exactly what
has occurred. The Creator, by the exercise of his power, could have
kept his creatures shielded from temptation and continually prompt in
obedience and adoration; but to have thus limited their sphere of
reasoning and liberty would have been contrary to his noble designs
respecting them. Moreover, "the Father seeketh such to worship him as
worship him in spirit and in truth." Those who would not serve him
loyally, intelligently, gladly; those who would develop in any degree a
spirit of opposition to the Divine standards, and a love for sin should
be manifested, should be known, should be dealt with accordingly. On
the contrary, those found loyal under every test should be the more
highly appreciated and blessed in their association with their Creator
in his great Divine Program of the Ages.
Satan the First Rebel.
According to the Scriptures, Satan was
the first rebel against Divine authority. He is represented as being
one of the highest order of the angels, a "covering cherub," glorious
and beautiful. His name was Lucifer, which signifies bright morning
star, and corroborates the thought that he was one of the chiefest of
the angels, who are figuratively called stars or bright ones, as when
we read, "The morning stars sang together." SatanÂ’s ambition, which led
up to the change of his name, is expressed in the words, "I will ascend
above the other stars (angels.) I will be as the Most High"—an emperor,
a ruler, having separate jurisdiction from that of the Creator. Lucifer
is represented as first of all entertaining a disloyal and ambitious
design, which for considerable time lay dormant, merely as an ambition,
until in Divine providence the time came which seemed to Satan to be
opportune for the realization of this ambition. Then came the test and
his fall. This was when our race was created, represented in our first
parents. In their innocency and perfection, they enjoyed their Eden
home, nor even thought of disobedience to their Heavenly Father. Satan
beheld in them a new feature of Divine creation, such as had not been
conferred previously upon any of the orders of angels, namely, the
power of propagating their own species. In them he beheld the highest
order of animal creature and animal powers, combined with the image of
God, moral and intellectual. Here was the opportunity for the
gratification of his long-cherished ambitions. If he could bring over
to loyalty to himself the first human pair, he could doubtless
establish such a control over them as would bring him his longed-for
separate empire. The method of procedure was a simple one. He would
persuade them that he was their friend and benefactor, and that their
Creator was tyrannical and desirous of keeping them in ignorance. God
had furnished the opportunity for such a suggestion by putting our
first parents upon trial for life or for death, the conditions being
obedience. One special kind of fruit tree in Eden was selected for the
testing. They were forbidden to eat of it. Satan, "that old serpent,"
endeavored to show them that the fruit of that tree was the most
desirable of any in the Garden to give wisdom, to make them as gods. He
assured them that the Divine Word, "In the day thou eat thereof thou
shalt surely
OV16 die," was an untruth; that their
Creator was a falsifier; that his motive was to deceive them, and that
it was backed by an ignoble intention to hold them in slavery to
himself—in ignorance. The sequel is briefly stated in the Divine
record. Mother Eve believed the serpent and disbelieved the Creator.
Thus she became a transgressor.
Father Adam, perceiving that his wife had
come under condemnation, ate of the forbidden fruit, knowingly,
willingly, that he might die with his beloved spouse, without whom life
seemed not worth living. Thus the great catastrophe of Sin and Death
was launched upon our race. We estimate, we believe reasonably, that
twenty thousand millions of AdamÂ’s posterity since born have been
overwhelmed by this catastrophe and have gone down in sin and
degradation and in death to the tomb—the hell of the Bible—the sheol of
the Old Testament, the hades of the New Testament.
The Intelligent and the Unintelligent Tested.
Behold the wisdom of God in the method
here pursued: One of the most glorious of the angels, long-experienced
in fellowship with the Creator, finds his testing, his opportunity for
sin, and in connection with the newest of GodÂ’s creatures. And the
youngest of GodÂ’s sons found his trial, his testing, his temptation, at
the hands of one of the oldest and by nature one of the most glorious
of his brethren. Note another difference. The one of long experience
and transgressor against great light was merely ostracized as respects
heavenly companionship, while the one of little experience was
subjected to the full penalty of the Divine Law, "Dying thou shalt
die," "The soul that sinneth it shall die."—#Eze 18:4. Let us not hastily decide that our Creator was unjust in this arrangement, but rather with the poet say: "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.
"Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan his work in vain; God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain."
The dying processes which from the time
of disobedience took hold upon our race were not unjust. He who gave
life originally had the full right to take it away when it was
exercised in disobedience to the Divine command. Its infliction was in
full conformity with the original declaration, "Thou shalt die." The
dying began forthwith, and was consummated within the thousand-year
day. "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years" (#2Pe 3:8.)
Since then the same penalty has continued with AdamÂ’s race. It has
indeed been "a reign of Sin and Death"—and has had many sad features,
even though entirely just. But our Creator informs us in the Scriptures
that he purposes that all the present lessons given to our race
respecting the exceeding sinfulness of sin "and the bitterness of its
fruit shall ultimately prove valuable, assistful and educational to our
race—before the Divine Program shall have finally ended. Meantime, in
permitting Satan to seemingly thwart the Divine purpose in Eden and in
permitting him still to live untrammeled, undying, the Creator gave
opportunity to all the angels of Heaven to doubt the greatness of his
power—to doubt his ability to cope with one of his highest creatures.
We can imagine the wonderment of the angels and their queries
respecting what their Creator would do with the arch-rebel who had thus
defied him. Failure to visit condign punishment upon him could easily
be misunderstood to signify weakness, deficiency of power, in the very
place where omnipotence was supposed to reside—and really does reside.
The Angelic Hosts All Tested.
If only one of the angelic host failed
along the lines of unbounded ambition, the Creator would extend a
testing to all of the angelic hosts along various lines. Not that he
would delight in the fall of any more, not that he would participate in
tempting them, but he would permit such a reign of sin and such an
apparent over-riding of Divine power as would encourage all of the
angelic host who had the slightest tendency toward disloyalty to
manifest themselves. Thus would the Lord test, prove, manifest, those
who are in
OV17 heart obedience of love and loyalty
and those whose obedience is of fear or ignorance. The occasion of
testing of the angels presented itself during a period of time in which
they were permitted to have free intercourse with humanity, ostensibly
with a view to helping them back again into full harmony and fellowship
with God.
A part of their privilege was
materialization, by which they were enabled to appear as men amongst
men. The exercise of this power was fully set forth in the account of
Genesis, Sixth Chapter. It is related that the special angel or
messenger of the Lord and two others of the Heavenly messengers
appeared to Abraham in broad daylight.
He knew them not from men. They ate with
him and talked with him and subsequently revealed their identity, the
two inferior angels (messengers) going down to Sodom for the
deliverance of Lot. According to the Divine Plan and Word it was not
possible for the angels to lift mankind out of sin and condemnation
back to Divine fellowship. But if the opportunity had not been granted,
the angels might have supposed to this day that the redemption which
God purposes through Christ was not the only possible one, but that
they, if permitted, might have accomplished wonderful results for
mankind. God not only demonstrated that they were not competent to save
mankind, but at the same time He brought a test upon the angels
themselves, which at first they little suspected. As they beheld sin in
humanity and realized something of the "pleasures of sin," the test
came to them whether they would prefer the pleasures of sin for a
season or would remain absolutely pure and loyal to God—whether they
would retain their original state as angels, or, failing to appreciate
this, would desire to live as men and to participate in human affairs
and sinful propensities. A considerable number chose to "leave their
own habitation"—the spiritual realm—and to live as mankind and with
men. These were probably emboldened to this step by the example of
Satan, whose disloyalty to the Divine will had not been punished with
death nor with any diminution of his power. The suggestion was that
there were limitations to Divine power which they had not at first
suspected, and this belief made them free to exercise their own
volition and to choose sin. It is in harmony with this that we read,
"The sons of God (angels) saw the daughters of men that they were fair;
and they took them wives of all which they chose....There were giants
in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God (angels) came
in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown." —#Ge 6:2-4.
This very plain record of the Old Testament is also substantiated by
the inspired writers of the New Testament. Both St. Peter and St. Jude
refer to the matter of those angels quitting their own habitation or
plane of existence and preferring the lower human plane and its
intercourse with humanity. Thus we read: "The angels which kept not
their first estate, but left their own habitation (preferring the
human), He hath reserved in everlasting chains of darkness, unto the
judgment of the great day." (Jude 6  .) "God spared not the angels that
sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus (our earthÂ’s atmosphere), and
delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment."—#2Pe 2:4
The Earth Filled with Violence.
The distinct intimation of Genesis is
that the posterity of the angels amongst men possessed greater virility
than AdamÂ’s race, which had been fallen through sin and its death
penalty for fifteen centuries. Selfish ambition threatened to utterly
destroy with violence the race of Adam and to leave the earth in full
possession of Satan and the fallen angels and their human offspring.
This would have been going too far—would have been frustrating the
Divine Program. Every feature of it, however, was foreknown and had all
been permitted to come to pass of angelic volition and human volition
at the most appropriate time—at a time when the last of earth’s
Saturn-like rings was ripening for collapse, as a flood of water to
destroy every living creature on the face of the earth, saving only
Noah and his family, who
OV18 were specially provided for and
cared for in the ark. That flood of waters drowned the giant
descendants of the angels and the members of the human family who had
come under their influence willingly and unwillingly. The justice of
the destruction, so far as the progeny of the angels is concerned,
cannot be questioned. They were exercising life rights and privileges
which the Almighty had never authorized nor countenanced. Consequently
no provision would ever be made for them no redemption, no
resurrection. As for those of AdamÂ’s race who perished in the flood,
they were no worse off than if they had perished by some other means,
famine or pestilence, or what is sometimes designated "natural death."
Their lives were already under sentence of death. No injustice was
done. We shall see, however, in due course that the Divine Program
includes certain privileges and opportunities of blessings for those
and for all of AdamÂ’s children involved in his condemnation to death
and subsequently redeemed from the power of death by Jesus the Son of
the Highest.
Noah Perfect in His Generation.
Noah as the son of Adam was partaker of
his condemnation and inherited his weaknesses. Therefore he was not a
perfect man, nor is such the intimation of the words used in describing
him, namely, "Now Noah was perfect in his generation."
His generation or birth is the particular
point in this observation. He and his family were not polluted,
contaminated by the improper, angelic intercourse. Thus we have in few
words the assurance that our entire race is of Adamic stock, and that
we, therefore, were of those condemned in Adam, for whom provision was
made for justification through the sacrifice of Christ. As for those
angels who sinned, St. Peter declares that they were thereafter
restrained of their liberties of materialization in chains of
darkness—restrained from manifesting themselves to humanity in the
light, in the open. We have reason, however, for believing that the
mercy of God has not yet utterly forsaken those fallen angels. The
basis of this thought is found in St.
PeterÂ’s words, to the effect that our
LordÂ’s death and his resurrection from death by the FatherÂ’s power
constituted a sermon to those fallen angels, demonstrating to them the
power of God and his faithfulness to his obedient Son and his generous
mercy to sinful humanity in the redemption thus accomplished. This
sermon of Divine mercy coming to fallen angels would signify that there
might be, eventually, mercy for them also. This thought was further
supplemented by the Scriptural declaration, "Know ye not that the
saints shall judge angels?" (#1Co 6:3.)
Since the holy angels will need no judging, disciplining or trial, it
must be the fallen angels who are thus to be judged by GodÂ’s saints in
due time, and judgment or trial implies an opportunity for repentance
and reconciliation to God. In view of this, we may reasonably assume
that while all of those disobedient angels are restrained from
liberties and separated from the holy angels, there are two classes of
them—the one desirous of returning to harmony with God, the other
delighting in sin and under the Prince of Demons, Satan, evil workers
amongst men, operating through spirit mediums and obsessed persons and
others less thoroughly given over to their control.
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight.
During the four thousand years since the
deluge, this earth has been subject to what the Scriptures term "A
Reign of Sin and Death." Humanity, struggling under these adverse
conditions, has been subjected additionally to baneful influences from
the fallen angels, so that the Apostle declares, "We wrestle not with
flesh and blood (merely), but with wicked spirits in influential
positions." (#Eph 6:12 .)
The degradation of man, originally made in the image of his Creator,
has been dreadful in some quarters of the world, reducing him almost to
the level of the brute. All this has certainly been a great trial of
faith to the holy angels. Well might they inquire, "Why does the
Almighty permit such conditions of imperfection to continue? What
purpose has he in this permission of evil?" Meantime Satan has, through
various agencies, sought to turn the hearts of men away from the
Almighty, and from the revelation he has made of himself. These
OV19 agencies have sought to represent
him as base, vindictive, loveless, unjust and powerfully vicious.
During this time God has, through the stammering lips of humanity and
his prophets and evangels, proclaimed to the world a time of coming
blessing through Messiah and a Messianic Kingdom. Nevertheless, all who
so believed were required to "Walk by faith and not by sight." To
outward appearances the Divine Program miscarried and Satan won the
day. Only those who would exercise faith have been enabled to endure as
seeing the invisible and believing in a grace not yet made manifest in
full measure. Doubtless it was a trial to the holy angels and to the
fallen ones, but specially to humanity.
Holy, Harmless, Undefiled.
More than four thousand years after the
reign of Sin and Death began, God sent forth his Son to be manÂ’s
Redeemer, to recover him from the fall. Yet here again the outward
evidences seemed to believe the facts. The Son of the Highest,
miraculously born, was thought to be illegitimate. Instead of appearing
in regal, heavenly splendor, he appeared as "The man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief," and died as a blasphemer and malefactor. Yea,
and since then, those who have followed his footsteps most closely have
corroborated his words that the friendship of God means the opposition
of the world and the Adversary. What is the secret of Gospel Age, since
Pentecost obscures Divine dealing? We reply that during this time the
Creator has been selecting from amongst the redeemed sinners special
classes to have association with himself and his Only-Begotten One in
the work of blessing all the families of the earth. The Divine object
in requiring all of these to walk by faith and not by sight is that
thus he may find a select "Little flock" full of faith and zealous of
good works.
The Grandeur of the Climax.
As the century plant develops very slowly
its bloom, and then suddenly bursts forth most gorgeously, so, we hold,
will the Divine Program ultimately show forth the Wisdom, Justice, Love
and Power of the Creator. The poet caught this poetic thought and
expressed it in the words:
"Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill, He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will.
"His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower."
By the permitted reign of Sin and Death,
Divine Justice has been permitted to display itself in a manner which
would not otherwise have been known to either angels or men, and in the
Sacrifice of the Cross, Divine Love manifests itself to a degree never
previously understood nor appreciated. When this age shall have
accomplished its work of selecting an "elect" church, to be the Bride
and Joint-Heir with Messiah in his Millennial Kingdom; when that
Kingdom reign shall have brought blessings and glorious opportunities
to all of the human race, and Divine Power shall have been manifested,
even to the utmost limit of the Resurrection of the Dead, the Divine
Purpose as a whole will be resplendent with the Wisdom of God.
In a word, then, evil has been permitted
in order to manifest the Divine Attributes to obedient creatures and in
order to test and prove the loyalty to God and the principles of his
righteousness of both angels and men. The Grand Outcome will be
satisfactory to all—that ultimately all not in heart harmony with God
and his righteousness will be utterly destroyed, while all truly his
will share his love and blessing eternally. Then every creature in
heaven and earth and under the earth shall be heard praising him that
sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb, forever.
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