EDIT: this post is in response to Daryl's post.

Yes, but we need to stop apologing for God. The wrath of God is love. We will be shouting, Amen, when the wicked are destroyed. Check it out.

EW 295
Then I saw that Satan and all the wicked host were consumed, and the justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, "Amen!" {EW 294.2}

Concerning the seven last plagues, here's what the unfallen beings are saying:

Revelation
16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.

Why will the righteous be shouting "Amen!"

When your sister, or brother, or mother, or wife, or child is being destroyed, how loud will your shouts of "Amen" be? Do you think God loves your loved ones any less than you do? Do you think it's possible that God will actually be crying when His children are destroyed? Or we?

Tom, this thread is dealing with justification. God has been working for 6,000 (give or take) to justify destroying sin and sinners in the lake of fire, and yet you want us to believe sin and sinners will destroy themselves? The history of how God has dealt with sin and sinners in the past cannot allow such a conclusion. Yes, yes, yes, I know God has been working hard to save sinners, but it doesn't discount the other side of the same coin. We should probably discuss this in more detail on a different thread.

By the way, when David wept for the death of Absalom it was considered a sin against the people of God.

You can start another thread if you like, asking if God and the righteous will be glad to see their loved ones destroyed.

Sin does destroy, and everything God has done for 6,000 years testifies to His desire to bring sin to an end as quickly as possible. God hates sin because He loves us, and sin destroys us.

I don't know what other side of the coin you are referring to. The two sides I know about are 1) God is good, 2) Sin is bad.

The two sides of the coin I'm talking are: 1) The love of God saves, and 2) The love of God destroys. The wrath of God is love. God is in control, not sin, self, Satan, or death. God will receive the credit for eliminating sin and sinners in the lake of fire - not sin, self, Satan, or death.

"There is a cause and effect.

Man's disobedience resulted and still results in God's punishments."

Are the punishments arbitrary? That is, is the only reason sin is bad because God punishes it? If God didn't punishment it, would there be any negative consequences to sin?

Tom, if life comes from God, then how can death take it? If only God can give life, then only God take it. Death is an enemy, and the last enemy to be destroyed in the lake of fire is death and hell.

If death is the natural consequence of sin, then why don't we die the moment we sin? Why did God have to bar access to the tree of life? If God is able to circumvent the rule of sin and death, then how can you say death is the natural consequence of sin? If this were true, then the reason we die is because God “arbitrarily” withholds life saving measures.

I do not believe our first or second deaths are arbitrary. Our first death is the natural consequence of not eating the fruit of the tree of life. Again, not arbitrary, but by the decree of God. He placed an angel in the Garden of Eden to prevent us from gaining access to the tree of life, as a result, we gradually die. We sleep.

But then God resurrects us, and we are alive again. Why? If death is the natural result of sin, why bring us back to life? We stand in judgment before the Great White throne, admit our guilt, declare God’s justice, and then we are burned alive in the lake of fire, the result of God calling fire down from heaven above and from beneath the earth.

We, that is, mankind, don’t die a natural death, because each person burns up according to their sinfulness. There is nothing natural about it. Neither is there anything arbitrary about it. Our death in the lake of fire is calculated to serve a purpose, and that purpose is justice. It is punishment. Yes, punishment. The wrath of God is love.

RC 58
Before Christ's first advent, the sin of refusing to conform to God's law had become widespread. Apparently Satan's power was growing; his warfare against heaven was becoming more and more determined. A crisis had been reached. With an intense interest God's movements were watched by the heavenly angels. Would He come forth from His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity? Would He send fire or flood to destroy them? All heaven waited the bidding of their Commander to pour out the vials of wrath upon a rebellious world. One word from Him, one sign, and the world would have been destroyed. The worlds unfallen would have said, "Amen. Thou art righteous, O God, because Thou hast exterminated rebellion." {RC 58.4}

But "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God might have sent His Son to condemn, but He sent Him to save. Christ came as a Redeemer. No words can describe the effect of this movement on the heavenly angels. With wonder and admiration they could only exclaim, "Herein is love!" {RC 58.5}

TDG 152
The outlook in our world is indeed alarming. God is withdrawing His Spirit from the wicked cities, which have become as the cities of the antediluvian world, and as Sodom and Gomorrah. The inhabitants of these cities have been tested and tried. We have reached a time when God is about to punish the presumptuous wrongdoers, who refuse to keep His commandments and disregard His messages of warning. He who bears long with evildoers gives everyone an opportunity to seek Him and humble their hearts before Him. {TDG 152.1}

Matthew
25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

LDE 241
The plea may be made that a loving Father would not see His children suffering the punishment of God by fire while He had the power to relieve them. But God would, for the good of His subjects and for their safety, punish the transgressor. God does not work on the plan of man. He can do infinite justice that man has no right to do before his fellow man. Noah would have displeased God to have drowned one of the scoffers and mockers that harassed him, but God drowned the vast world. Lot would have had no right to inflict punishment on his sons-in-law, but God would do it in strict justice. {LDE 241.2}

Who will say God will not do what He says He will do?--12MR 207-209; 10MR 265 (1876). {LDE 241.3}

4T 370
But few realize the sinfulness of sin; they flatter themselves that God is too good to punish the offender. {4T 370.1}

5T 601
We are nearing the end. God has borne long with the perversity of mankind, but their punishment is no less certain. {5T 601.1}

1T 429
I saw that we are now in the shaking time. Satan is working with all his power to wrest souls from the hand of Christ and cause them to trample underfoot the Son of God. An angel slowly and emphatically repeated these words: "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" {1T 429.1}