9010. 'And God caused it to happen at his hand' means appearing as something happening by chance. This is clear from ancient people's idea of chance, which was that whatever happened was brought about by God; and this was why they expressed the idea of chance by saying that 'God caused it to happen at someone's hand'. Those who belonged to the ancient Churches knew that the Lord's providence was present in every single thing, and that contingencies, that is, things which appeared to happen by chance, were providential. Simple people therefore who could see no difference between things that happened because He permitted them and those that happened because He was well pleased by them attributed to the Lord both good and evil, good because they knew that He was the author of everything good, but evil on account of the appearance. For when a person performs evil deeds, and by performing them turns away from the Lord, the appearance is that the Lord turns away; at this time the Lord appears to him to be behind, not in front of him. These then are the reasons why if anyone struck another by chance, that is, his will had not contemplated the deed beforehand, the words 'God caused it to happen at his hand' were used to express it.

The Lord's providence is in every single thing, see 1919 (end), 4329, 5122 (end), 5155, 5195, 5894 (end), 6058, 6481-6487, 6489, 6491, 7004, 7007, 8478, 8717.

Contingencies or chance occurrences are providential, 5508, 6493, 6494.

Evil is attributed to the Lord, when in fact it originates in man, 2447, 5798, 6071, 6832, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7877, 7926, 8197, 8227, 8228, 8282, 8284, 8483, 8632.

8284. 'You send out Your wrath' means the furious desires of the evil and their attempt to do violence. This is clear from the meaning of 'wrath', when attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, as the suppression and punishment of the attempts of those who, being opposed to the Divine, wish to do violence to those whom the Divine protects. This is seemingly anger and wrath on the side of the Divine, but in reality the anger and wrath reside with those opposed to Him, see 5798, 6071, 6997. Not only the anger and wrath but also every bad thing that happens is attributed to the Divine, when in reality those people themselves are responsible for it, 2447, 6071, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8223, 8227, 8228. A sphere of endeavours to do what is bad issues constantly from hell, but a sphere of endeavours to do what is good emanates constantly from heaven, 8209.