Biblical Theodicy of Righteous Fulfillment: Divine Promise and Proximity

Abstract

How, according to the best Biblical theodicy, does God justify God’s allowing extreme suffering and evil? According to this article, the Biblical God is Lord of the future as well as the present and uses the future to fulfill divine promises to humans. The future fulfillment, coupled with present divine proximity to humans, includes restoring and saving them in full righteousness, given their losses from suffering and evil. This lesson is part of a widely neglected Biblical theodicy of restoration for humans in divine righteousness at God’s appointed time. Such righteousness aims to renew people for their lasting moral good in relationship with God and others. Benefiting from some Old Testament writers, the apostle Paul, and Jesus, the proposed theodicy illuminates God’s intention in bringing about a world that undergoes severe suffering and evil. It fits with humans’ ‘knowing in part’ and thus their being unable to justify God, but it leaves room for God justifying God in righteousness to be fulfilled, coupled with present divine proximity to humans in need.