albaqwerty @ If two people each owned a horse, and each one believed their horse was better and faster than the other, how could such a dispute be settled? Simple - Let them race.
A lot of people may then hear about this big dispute, and become keenly interested. On race day the grandstands are filled with people curious about the outcome.
But what if shortly after the race begins, or at any time during the race, before the finish, one man was to pull out a gun and shoot the other horse and then go on to win the race. Would it be considered fair? Would anything be proved? Those in the grandstand would never really know which was the best horse. Perhaps they would even conclude that the shooter knew he would lose the race.
The race must go the full distance, right down to the finish line. Only then could it be decided which horse is clearly the better.
Jehovah could have 'shot' Satan right away. But what would the angels (people in the grandstands) have thought if he did? They may have questioned whether Satan could have ruled successfully, etc (could have won the race). They may have felt that God, by using his superior power (gun, killing), was acting unfairly. What was needed, then, to prove who had the right to rule , etc (whose horse was fastest?)? TIME! Jehovah God determined that he would allow Satan time to prove his claims (let the race go to the finish). Then, once and for all, everyone would know, fair and square, who's way of rule was best (who was the winner of the horse race.)"