The understanding of faith is a divine grace above and beyond fallen human intellect, DB.
Careful, DB. We are warned against condemning judgment:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV)
That only applies to somebodies salvation, as in 'never saved'. We are instructed to leave the Church is the sinners won't just so we aren't in line for the same punishment.
1Co:5:9-13:
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world,
or with the covetous,
or extortioners,
or with idolaters;
for then must ye needs go out of the world.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company,
if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator,
or covetous,
or an idolater,
or a railer,
or a drunkard,
or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?
do not ye judge them that are within?
But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
DB, bending at the waist would be a solution. Could you do it when everybody else is squatting down so their eyes remain capable of looking all around? God has a habit of stacking the deck in his favor. Palm and some refreshing water perhaps?
Re:21:6:
And he said unto me,
It is done.
I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end.
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Behind all doors is your own galaxy and an unlimited budget for redecorating but alas you have to do all the work yourself with the help of your new and improved glorified body that is capable of intergalactic flight after you have 100 children running around to look after things while you take some vacation time with the 'old men' as you take a look around to see what others have done with their places.
Need I say more as there is more? The pastures you speak into place are home for an unlimited number of eternal beings such as T-Rex with is wings back as being your own personal mobility scooter, of sorts. Make directing from the mountain tops with fire and thunder easier. You can still fall when mountain climbing and you still bounce all the way to the bottom and then the mountain still needs to be climbed. I'm not saying this is the 'dark sentence' that will be spoken but it should be close, 'Holy Christ would you look at that pasture that appeared almost out of thin air, . . . (add fine details as the forest comes first after the rocks and the rain)'.
What say you now?
I'm not sure you know just who is being referenced in Jude.
Jude:1:3-6:
Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation,
it was needful for me to write unto you,
and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares,
who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,
and denying the only Lord God,
and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you in remembrance,
though ye once knew this,
how that the Lord,
having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,
afterward destroyed them that believed not.
And the angels which kept not their first estate,
but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
That takes us back to before the flood. The area in Ge:2 was roped off by God as it was exclusive for 'men' and the rest of Eden was open to angelic beings. Angelic means immortal beings who are very strong but they lack leadership skills as they are 'servants'.
On earth they were to build cities for the children of Adam and Eve that would be inhabited during the time from end of the day of rest until the day of judgment. Eve's conception rate was increased in the Ge:3:15 determination so without sin entering the earth the number of children born would have been less. Some men would still be chosen to experience the 1,000 year reign and the lake thing would be done but if angels didn't sin either then all angels would enter the new heaven instead of 2/3 entering there and 1/3 entering the fiery lake. Both groups have what they were missing, charity for the ones in the new heaven and feelings such as thirst and hunger and sorrow for the ones sent to the fiery lake.
As we spread out into the new earth we should find many more empty cities. Angelic being might be many but they differ in that they never have children, they don't have to, they never cease to exist or experience anything like death. 4 angels could have done the Sphinx in one day, the 3 pyramids is a long-weekend, all without food, or water or rest. Those beings make a return. We are told each one is equal to 50M horsepower and there are 4 so that is 200M HP. A man and a horse is 1HP, Christ does in 3 hours what it takes them 3 years to do and Christ does more as well to show the different in power. Christ sends 5 fallen angels to the lake with a fire that covers Jerusalem and a short area, when God arrives His power is shown by the same fire but it covers the planet and not just 1 city. God likes to put things into ratios as putting it into numbers would have given up the unknown date.
