This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. He is "alienated from the life of God." Christ says, "All they that hate Me love death." Eph. 4:18; Prov. 8:36. God gives them existence for a time that they may develop their character and reveal their principles. This accomplished, they receive the results of their own choice. By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.

At the beginning of the great controversy, the angels did not understand this. Had Satan and his host then been left to reap the full result of their sin, they would have perished; but it would not have been apparent to heavenly beings that this was the inevitable result of sin. A doubt of God's goodness would have remained in their minds as evil seed, to produce its deadly fruit of sin and woe.

M: Tom, thank you for trying to explain how and why you believe sinners will suffer and die during the final judgment. But it's still not clear to me what you believe. Do you believe they will suffer when God reveals to them the truth about their sins? And, do you believe they will suffer when He reveals to them the truth about His righteous attributes of character? If so, how and why will it cause them to suffer? Also, how and why will they die? What will cause their heart to stop beating? What would a coroner say caused them to die?

T: MM, this is from DA 764: "This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. He is "alienated from the life of God." Christ says, "All they that hate Me love death." Eph. 4:18; Prov. 8:36. God gives them existence for a time that they may develop their character and reveal their principles. This accomplished, they receive the results of their own choice. By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.

At the beginning of the great controversy, the angels did not understand this. Had Satan and his host then been left to reap the full result of their sin, they would have perished; but it would not have been apparent to heavenly beings that this was the inevitable result of sin. A doubt of God's goodness would have remained in their minds as evil seed, to produce its deadly fruit of sin and woe."

This brings out that the wicked to not suffer and die as the result of an arbitrary act of power on the part of God. Instead, they die as the result of their own choice.

Had God *left* Satan to reap the full result of his sin, he would have perished. But God did not allow that, because it would not have been understood that death is the inevitable result of sin. It would have rather appeared that their death was due to an arbitrary act of power on the part of God.

It's no coincidence that these paragraphs, dealing with the destruction of the wicked, occur in the chapter whose purpose is to explain what the death of Christ accomplished. One of the things Christ's death accomplished was to help answer the very question you are asking: what causes the death of the wicked?

Studying what caused Christ's death should help in determining the answer to your question. What caused Christ's death?

1. I agree there is nothing arbitrary about the suffering and death of the wicked during the final judgment.

1 : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge)

In the same way there was nothing arbitrary about Moses stoning the Sabbath-breaker and the blasphemer to death, so too, there will be nothing arbitrary about Jesus punishing and destroying the wicked at the end of time. There is nothing arbitrary about capital punishment. The law requires it.

2. What caused the death of Jesus? Jesus laid down His own life. Nothing killed Him. He tasted, consumed, and conquered the second death. He was still very much alive when He "finished" drinking the cup of woe and wrath. "Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which He came to do, and with His parting breath He exclaimed, "It is finished." {DA 758.1} Do you think the wicked will survive the final judgment and then lay down their own life?

The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as man's substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God. (DA 753)

3. Now that I've addressed your questions it is right and reasonable to expect you to answer mine. Here they are again:

4. Do you believe they will suffer when God reveals to them the truth about their sins?

5. And, do you believe they will suffer when He reveals to them the truth about His righteous attributes of character?

6. If so, how and why will it cause them to suffer?

7. Also, how and why will they die? What will cause their heart to stop beating? What would a coroner say caused them to die?

MM, in case you didn't understand Tom's answer adequately, if God could have left Satan to reap the result, then why would he not be left to reap the result at the end rather than God changing and deciding to kill him?

God didn't drown people in the flood any more than He killed Saul.

Do you have an example of something God does that would be sinful for us to do? Do you disagree with asygo that acts themselves aren't immoral?

Tom, do you think capital punishment is arbitrary? Please explain your answer.

And, do you think second death will be the result of natural causes?

If so, please how and why. Also, you didn't answer my questions. Why? Do you believe Jesus died of a broken heart? If so, do you think the wicked will die of a broken heart?

1. Why do you think the results exclude capital punishment?

2. Why do you think the flood and King Saul's suicide have things in common?

3. Yes, the quote I posted gives two examples: the flood and S&G. She specifically says God destroyed them.

M: Tom, do you think capital punishment is arbitrary? Please explain your answer.

T: As the word is used in DA 764, the primary definition of "arbitrary," it is if the sentence is due to the individual discretion of a judge.

M: And, do you think second death will be the result of natural causes? If so, please how and why.

T: I think the second death is the natural consequence of choosing to live for self. Selfishness does not have the capability of doing other than producing suffering, misery and death.

M: Also, you didn't answer my questions. Why? Do you believe Jesus died of a broken heart? If so, do you think the wicked will die of a broken heart?

T: I answered your questions by suggesting that the death of Christ be studied. Yes, I think Jesus' heart gave out. That seems to be what the DA passage is saying. I think, in regards to the question of how the wicked die, we have DA 764 to look at, as well as the death of Christ. It doesn't appear to me that inspiration gives the specificity you are asking for.

M: Tom, do you think capital punishment is arbitrary? Please explain your answer.

T: As the word is used in DA 764, the primary definition of "arbitrary," it is if the sentence is due to the individual discretion of a judge.

M:I assume your answer to my question is, Yes.

Consequently, you do not believe the suffering or the death of wicked during the final judgment is the result of God's individual discretion. Instead, you believe they suffer and die because that is simply what happens when God withdraws His protection and permits them to experience real result of sinning. However, according to your definition of "arbitrary" (namely, punishing people to death as opposed to allowing them to die of natural causes) God is guilty of being arbitrary on two accounts: 1) preventing them from dying of natural causes, and 2) permitting them to die of natural causes.

Both happen as result of God's individual discretion. Do you see what I mean?

How does sin and selfishness cause resurrected sinners to suffer and to die the second death? I realize, of course, God must first cease protecting them, preventing them from dying of natural causes.

Okay. If, as you say, Jesus died of heart failure due to emotional anguish, it stands to reason you believe the wicked will die of heart failure due to emotional anguish. I realize you believe neither the Bible nor the SOP specifically say so, but is this what you believe?

You say we should study how and why Jesus suffered and died in order to understand how and why the wicked will suffer and die during the final judgment, so, besides believing Jesus died of heart failure due to emotional anguish, what else do you believe? And, how does it help us understand how and why the wicked will suffer and die?

PS - Do you believe Jesus died the second death?