Hello all,
I believe I have stumbled upon the reason why God doesn't intervene (at present, or at a point in time in the past) to prevent evil acts from occurring. Please note that this only pertains to human evil and not natural evil. Anyways, the answer is found, of course, in Scripture. I believe that it is contained in the parable of the tares and also the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:
"24 He put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[c] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? 28 He said to them, An enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? 29 But he said, No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." Mt. 13:24-30 (ESV)
Now, notice what's being said: the servants (angels) ask Christ if they are to intervene to remove the tares (prevent evil). Christ says no, and indicates that the reason why is because in doing so they would somehow harm the interests of the elect (root up also the wheat with them). And that's the reason given to us in Scripture for why God doesn't intervene to prevent evil.
Sodom and Gomorrah also show the same theme:
"27 Abraham answered and said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there. 29 Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. 30 Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there. He answered, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 He said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. 32 Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place." Gen. 18:27-33 (ESV)
Of course, God could have just simply told the righteous to leave the city (as he did Lot) and then destroyed the city, but I think a more important point is being made. The point is that God cannot intervene to prevent evil while there are enough righteous among the wicked because doing so would somehow harm the interests of the righteous.
So the conclusion is simple: the reason why God has not yet intervened to prevent (human) evil in this world is because there have been (and still are) too many righteous people living for him to intervene. God will wait until the righteous are very, very few; then he will protect them (see Revelation), and then he will intervene to prevent evil.
I believe I have stumbled upon the reason why God doesn't intervene (at present, or at a point in time in the past) to prevent evil acts from occurring. Please note that this only pertains to human evil and not natural evil. Anyways, the answer is found, of course, in Scripture. I believe that it is contained in the parable of the tares and also the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:
"24 He put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[c] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? 28 He said to them, An enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? 29 But he said, No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." Mt. 13:24-30 (ESV)
Now, notice what's being said: the servants (angels) ask Christ if they are to intervene to remove the tares (prevent evil). Christ says no, and indicates that the reason why is because in doing so they would somehow harm the interests of the elect (root up also the wheat with them). And that's the reason given to us in Scripture for why God doesn't intervene to prevent evil.
Sodom and Gomorrah also show the same theme:
"27 Abraham answered and said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there. 29 Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. 30 Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there. He answered, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 He said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. 32 Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place." Gen. 18:27-33 (ESV)
Of course, God could have just simply told the righteous to leave the city (as he did Lot) and then destroyed the city, but I think a more important point is being made. The point is that God cannot intervene to prevent evil while there are enough righteous among the wicked because doing so would somehow harm the interests of the righteous.
So the conclusion is simple: the reason why God has not yet intervened to prevent (human) evil in this world is because there have been (and still are) too many righteous people living for him to intervene. God will wait until the righteous are very, very few; then he will protect them (see Revelation), and then he will intervene to prevent evil.
