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Before God brings His judgment to pass on a nation with the administration of His wrath and brings it to its destruction, He exposes the sins of the wicked. Often that is first addressed through exposing the fraud and failures of the civic leaders and the corruption flourishing among the common people.  This is because God is showing the "fruit of the tree" as it were that it has become corrupt, for so is the tree itself. However, as Peter said (and as noted in D. Adrien's post above), "Judgment must begin in the house of the Lord." That is because it is God's grace that He has restrained the wickedness of man, and that often through the prayers of His own people who answered the call to salt and light to the world. However, "if the salt loses it savor, it is good for nothing, not even the dunghill. But is to be thrown out and trodden under the feet of men." That above which has been interpreted as “losing its savor” comes from another Greek word meaning "to become foolish." Such foolishness comes when the church loses its perspective, that we are to be looking for and hastening the coming of the Lord, and become caught up in the cares and pleasures of this world, and become focus on our rights and prosperity instead of picking up our crosses and following Christ, and seeking first His righteousness to be established in our lives, bringing us to the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ. When we lose our focus, the singleness of our eye upon Jesus Christ, and living in harmony with His kingdom within our hearts, without this righteous vision, the people of God and all those with whom their lives should be affecting begin to cast off all restraint and become lawless, no longer living according to the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Thus, without salt and light, without faith, without a vision from God, the people perish. Yet the blood of the wicked who die in their sins is required at the hands of those who were required to be faithful stewards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

I agree and enjoyed your response Vine Abider...thank you... Joh 14:3 NASB  "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." He said this prior to His swiftly approaching crucifixion...so He is alive in the flesh yet. In "going to prepare a place"...the inference is that the place is "not yet" prepared...or perhaps it is better said...this crucifixion has to happen "prior" thereby enabling this "place" to become available on the earth to those in the flesh? This in the light of what you so aptly stated..."I John saw the holy city . . ." What do you Vine Abider...see this "place" as? It does pertain to this forum discussion as I see it. Tatwo...:)

From our standpoint it is being completed.  But I think one might say in eternity it is complete --> "I John saw the holy city . . ." There is most often a twofold perspectives related to spiritual things - the naturally limited view we have, and the view God sees.  I suppose it's also perhaps a little like Christ being formed in us: In one sense, like a baby in the womb, it is a complete and perfect human baby.  Yet, it is also not yet mature and grown, that is, it's not how it was meant to be when fully developed.

Greetings Vine Abider... Do you understand this to be complete...and yet...being completed? Tatwo...:)

I agree with some of your assessments. We cannot commit this unpardonable sin, as the people addressed witnessed the miracles and deity performed through the Holy Spirit and charged them as the work of Beelzebub, prince of devils. They called good and Holy evil. What do you think of my following thoughts? Leading back to the title of this thread, is there more than one unforgivable sin? Mark 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: Two examples: Parables do not include proper names in the Bible. The rich man died and found himself tormented in Hades, having all his facilities and senses intact. He fully understood where he was and why. Why did he not repent, pray, ask for forgiveness, and be pardoned (Salvation)? Revelation 14:9-10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: If someone excepts the M.O.B., then decides that was a mistake and fatal error, can anyone repent, ask for forgiveness and Salvation, and be forgiven? The above two examples are sins. Are any of these two examples eligible for forgiveness and Salvation? If not, it appears to me these are unpardonable-unforgivable sins, making them more than one. Am I looking at this in error? Undisputedly, D.N.A. and genetic tampering occur in food, animals, and humans. In humans, it is for transhumanism, super soldiers, and crossing the KIND barrier and modification. Human D.N.A. is closely matched with the animal kingdom. A top geneticist questioned how much of our D.N.A. can be altered before we cease to be human; her response was <1%. The Bible implies that barriers should not be breached or tampered with after their own KIND. Genesis 6:1-4, Peter and Jude give us an example of the chaos with tinkering with God’s creation. Did Jesus die on the cross for the angels that sinned or for anything less than fully human? Through D.N.A. splicing, if we obtain eyes like an eagle, hearing like an owl, endurance of a wolf, strength of a bear, require less food, rest, and sleep, what are we? Not human, a Heinz 57 potpourri.