I was shown that the judgments of God would not
come directly out from the Lord upon them, but in this
way: They place themselves beyond His protection.
He warns, corrects, reproves, and points out the only
path of safety; then, if those who have been the objects
of His special care will follow their own course, independent
of the Spirit of God, after repeated warnings,
if they choose their own way, then He does not
commission His angels to prevent Satan's decided
attacks upon them.
It is Satan's power that is at work at sea and on
land, bringing calamity and distress and sweeping off
multitudes to make sure of his prey.-- {14 MR 3}

Whoa! An offended God. Looks like Jesus was begging, pleading, opposing God to withhold His wrath. Now He has stepped aside. Let the killings begin.

Wait! You mean the restraint wasn't upon God?

Wow! Let's see.... The restraint was upon the people... The restraint was removed... Satan gets the control of man. Would that mean that mediating between man and God somehow puts a restraint upon man which keeps Satan from having full control?

Jesus leaves, restraint removed, Satan gets full control of man..... What should we conclude is the wrath of God?

Teresaq, yes, thanking for posting those quotes. Are you leaning toward the idea that the "withdraw and permit" principle accounts for all the places in the Bible and the SOP where God is credited with causing death and destruction? If so, do you see the following insight agreeing with this model:

A single angel destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians and filled the land with mourning. When David offended against God by numbering the people, one angel caused that terrible destruction by which his sin was punished. The same destructive power exercised by holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere. {GC 614.2}

The wrath of God is manifested in five different ways:

1. God personally causes death and destruction
2. God permits the forces of nature to cause death and destruction
3. God commands holy angels to cause death and destruction
4. God permits evil angels to cause death and destruction
5. God permits evil men to cause death and destruction

MM, you continually quote the same GC 614 quote without any context. If you look at what it says both immediately before and immediately after, you can see that it supports the point that kland has been making, in regards to God's withdrawing His protection.

Regarding your following post, I agree with your list, except item #1. Often in Scripture, God is presented as doing that which He permits. How do you decide if God is taking direct action or not? It appears to me that your logic is to simply assume God is taking direct action, unless there's some inspired statement somewhere else which says He didn't. Is this correct?

i just came across this. i think it is a good example of the "wrath of man".
Moses set about his work by trying to obtain the favor of his people by redressing their wrongs. He killed an Egyptian who was ill-treating an Israelite. In this he manifested the spirit of him who was a murderer from the beginning, and proved himself unfit to represent the God of mercy, love, and tenderness. He made a miserable failure of his first attempt. Like many another, he immediately lost confidence in God and turned, his back on his appointed work. He fled from the wrath of Pharaoh. He concluded that because of his mistake, his sin in taking the life of the Egyptian, God would not permit him to have any part in the work of delivering His people from their cruel bondage. But the Lord permitted him to make this mistake in order that He might be able to teach him the gentleness, goodness, longsuffering, that is necessary for every worker for the Lord to possess. {ST, July 12, 1905 par. 3}
A knowledge of the attributes of God's character can not be obtained by means of the highest education in the most scientific schools. From the great Teacher alone is this knowledge obtained. Only in the school of Christ are taught effectively the lessons of meekness, lowliness, and reverence for sacred things. {ST, July 12, 1905 par. 4}

Except in the end plagues.


MM, who killed Saul?

Good point, Teresa. Moses was doing just what MM says he did later. Why didn't God work with him then? Was it because there was no, "Simon says to kill the Egyptian"? Or is it because that was not God's character?

I agree. In particular it describes 3 and 4.

1. God personally causes death and destruction
2. God permits the forces of nature to cause death and destruction
3. God commands holy angels to cause death and destruction
4. God permits evil angels to cause death and destruction
5. God permits evil men to cause death and destruction


Actually, it doesn't matter if God causes or commands or permits death and destruction - the results are the same, namely, death and destruction. An example of God Himself causing something to happen, as opposed to commanding or permitting it, is when He turned dust into lice. Only God can create lice out of dirt. He cannot command or permit it.

Exodus
8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
8:17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

What kind of wrath is demonstrated in the following passage:

Exodus
15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Saul.