“there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9)
Some things are just not right. We cry out “this should not be”. A mother should not get sick and die and leave behind children who need her. Parents should not have to bury an infant. People longing for the dignity of work should not remain jobless. It is diabolical, especially in a world of suffering, for those tasked with governing to steal billions.
The bible does not explain why evil is allowed. But evil is not swept under the carpet. On the contrary, evil is unmasked. In Revelation 6, for example, scrolls are unsealed and evil is named; e.g. war (red horse), economic injustice (black horse), pandemic (pale green horse), persecution (5th seal), environmental catastrophe (6th seal). In a world of such terror no wonder the chapter ends asking “who is able to stand” (Rev 6:17).
Eugene Peterson[1] helps us see that the question is answered in Rev. 7. Angels, God’s messengers, stand their ground (7:1,7). So too do Christians (7:9f)! We don’t just stand, in the face of evil we sing and worship (9, 15). For the Lamb is our shepherd and God himself will wipe away every tear (7:17).
God Bless,
Sean
[1] Reversed Thunder, The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination (pg. 82f)