Why Abuse of Power Is Certain to End

ANCIENT King Solomon noted about the abuse of power in his day: “I myself returned that I might see all the acts of oppression [misuse of power] that are being done under the sun, and, look! the tears of those being oppressed, but they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power.”​—Ecclesiastes 4:1.

You may well ask, ‘Since abuse of power has existed so long, will it be with us forever?’ No, it will not. Because, as Solomon himself wrote under inspiration, there is One who is taking note of it all: “If the oppression of the poor and the wresting of justice and righteousness [you] see in the province do not be astonished over the matter, for one high above the highest is watching, yea the Most High is over them.”​—Ecclesiastes 5:8, Rotherham.

God’s Word, the Holy Bible, shows that Jehovah, the Most High, is infinite in power and wisdom, as well as perfect in justice, and he is the personification of love. Because he is such a God, he will not forever tolerate these unjust conditions. The psalmist David wrote: “Do not show yourself heated up only to do evil. For evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth.”​—Psalm 37:8, 9.

We get further assurance from the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I shall certainly bring . . . their own error upon the wicked themselves. And I shall actually cause the pride of the presumptuous ones to cease, and the haughtiness of the tyrants [abusers of power] I shall abase.”​—Isaiah 13:11.

But it has been centuries since those words were written, so why can we be certain that Jehovah God will yet carry out his promise to end all abuse of power? Because he has in times past demonstrated his determination to do so. Before the Flood of Noah’s day, there was great abuse of power. We read that “the earth became filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:5, 11) And what is violence but an abuse of power? The same was true of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s day. (Genesis 18:20, 21; 19:4-29) In both cases Jehovah put an end to the abuse. So we see that Jehovah God is not one to tolerate abuse of power indefinitely.

As added basis for us to be sure that Jehovah will act is the fact that he is jealous for his name, and all abuse of power is an insult to his majesty. Notice this connection in these texts: “He that is defrauding the lowly one has reproached his Maker.” “He that is holding the one of little means in derision has reproached his Maker.”​—Proverbs 14:31; 17:5.

We can rest assured, then, that the Most High will not for all time tolerate being reproached. That leaves just one question: When will abuse of power end?

When Will It End?

God’s Word informs us that “for everything there is an appointed time, even a time for every affair under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Some may be impatient with God’s timetable, but we are told: “Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, . . . but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed.”​—2 Peter 3:9.

Fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that we are living in the last days of this wicked world, or system of things. This generation has seen the fulfillment of Jesus’ great prophecy regarding his presence and the conclusion of this system of things: wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, increase of lawlessness, and the preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:1-35; Luke 21:10, 11) That pinpoints our time as the last days of this wicked world.

Because these are the last days, we can hope soon to see the prophecy at Zephaniah 3:8 fulfilled: “‘Keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to the booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger; for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured.’”

Surely, those words are an assurance that Jehovah God will end the abuse of power.