Why Do the Wicked Prosper?
DESPITE the world’s many courts and prisons that punish law violators, wickedness does not diminish. Racketeers grow rich, unscrupulous persons in business and politics prosper, and evil men gain dictatorial power over great masses of people. Corruption, violence and every form of wickedness continue to be the fruits produced by this world Notwithstanding centuries of instruction and leadership by Christendom’s churches, the world has not been transformed. It is no nearer to being righteous than it was in the days of pagan Rome.
Nations that claim to be Christian are not producing the good fruits of Christianity. They are not living by Christian principles. Why has there been no change after all these years of church influence? Why does wickedness continue to flourish? Why do the wicked prosper and those who try to do what is right suffer? Will the time ever come when things will be different?
A change is indeed coming, but it will not be brought about by Christendom’s religious leaders. They have failed to teach the people of Christendom how to walk in the good way Christ walked and to live as he instructed. They have failed to set a good example. How could the religious leaders who were responsible for the wicked activities of the infamous inquisition instill love for righteousness in human hearts? How can religious leaders who have sought the friendship of cruel rulers and have voiced approval of unchristian actions by such rulers teach people to avoid wickedness and live righteously?
The change that is coming will be caused by God himself. He foretold it when he moved a prophet to write: “For evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth.” (Ps. 37:9) This was the good news that Christ preached when he told people about the Kingdom of God and taught his followers to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven.
Because Christ’s followers were taught to look for a new world of God’s making, it must be concluded that this present world is not of God. The Bible confirms this conclusion. The Creator is not the ruler of the world and is not responsible for its wicked fruits. Its ruler and god is identified by the Scriptures as Satan, the wicked spirit creature who led a heavenly rebellion against the Supreme Sovereign. “The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.” “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.”—2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19.
In view of the fact that the one who is the very embodiment of wickedness is the invisible ruler of the world, should it seem strange that the wicked prosper and that wickedness flourishes? Is that not rather what should be expected? This fact explains why Christ said to his followers: “If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.” (John 15:19) That hatred of true Christians has continued down to this very day. Because the world is dominated by the enemy of righteousness it has no love for God’s servants. To God’s dedicated witnesses living today Jesus said: “Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name.”—Matt. 24:9.
END OF WICKED IN SIGHT
It is God’s purpose to bring an end to this devilish system of things in our day. We are assured of this because the things we now see taking place were foretold by Christ as visible evidences of the last days. At the appointed time God’s heavenly forces under the leadership of Jesus Christ will destroy this world that Satan has dominated for thousand of years. It will be replaced with a new world of God’s making.
With God’s kingdom ruling the earth without interference righteousness will flourish instead of wickedness. The wicked will not be. This was foretold long ago. “Just a little while longer and the wicked one will be no more, and you will certainly give attention to his place and he will not be.”—Ps. 37:10.
Until that time arrives the wicked will continue to prosper and dominate the earth. They will continue to persecute lovers of righteousness as the Scriptures foretold. Since their time is rapidly drawing to a close, it is utter folly for a person to become envious of their prosperity and to think that he might be better off by being as they are. Listen to this divine warning: “Do not show yourself heated up because of the evildoers. Do not be envious of those doing unrighteousness. For like grass they will speedily wither, and like green new grass they will fade away.” “Do not become envious of wicked people. For there will prove to be no future for anyone bad; the very lamp of wicked people will be extinguished.”—Ps. 37:1, 2; Prov. 24:19, 20.
Is it not much wiser to follow the way of righteousness and be living long after the wicked have become dust than to join with them in their wickedness because they prosper? Is it not better to live for the future than to live solely for the present, as they do? Why, then, be envious of the wicked? Their days are numbered.
God has explained in his Word why the wicked prosper, and he has pointed out the way for the meek to go. It is a way that leads to life in his righteous new world. But no one can follow it while continuing to cling to the present world. “Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God?”—Jas. 4:4.
There is no need for anyone to be puzzled as to why the wicked prosper. What else can be expected in a devilish system of things? The meek of the earth can rejoice that relief from the wicked is in sight. Soon the wicked will not be, but “the meek ones themselves will possess the earth.”—Ps. 37:11.