Category: End-times~ Amill and Postmill had a fight at the Pub.. Part II

Continued..

Pabst Blue Ribbon (Amillennial) beer said to Black Butte Porter (Postmillennial):

"But Hoekma said that Post-mill theology.."

"Ah.." Porter said, "have you ever read any postmill theologians?  Or do you get your understanding of postmill from amill guys?"

Pabst:  Uh... well no.  but I'm going to. 
Porter:  Good.

Porter:
Amill folks, I believe, will never have a satisfactory answer to texts like this:
Is. 65:20 ..."For the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed."  This is in a passage describing the new heavens and the new earth!  Death is still happening in an age when Isaiah describes it as after the creation of the new heavens and earth.  Notice those words, "new earth."  There is not going to be merely a perfect heaven but destroyed earth in the end, but new heavens and new earth joined in perfect new creation.  Death will obviously be completely abolished and destroyed in the end, at the final second coming.

You are familiar with the important categories of creation, fall, redemption, but that's not complete without the Bible's end goal-- new creation.  Creation to new creation.. That is as clear as it gets when you compare the garden imagery with Gen 1-3 and Rev 21,22.  A part of what that means is just as people lived very long in the early parts of history so people will reverse back to that by living longer in an advanced age of blessing on earth--ref above verse Is. 65:20.

Notice in Ezekiel 47:1-12 that the period of prosperity for the gospel is gradual..  Ezek. is a classic high symbolism Jewish theologian but don't get lost with it.  The water from the Temple is the blessing, the life bringing "irrigation" to the desert of the world.  First, the water reaches the ankles v.3.  Then, the knees v.4.  In v. 8 this water actually flows into the "sea," (a classic and broadly held metaphor for the gentiles) making them, "fresh."  There's even a verse on fishing v. 10--not a frequently used ref. for heaven, typically defined.  But this is a ref. to Jesus' making miracles with his large catches of fish in the gospels--John 21:6.  The inauguration of the kingdom came with this great Fisher of men.  Now, if you're skeptical--shame on you..  :)
Pabst:  But surely Ezekiel was talking about some blessing to come in the near Israelite future at that time..
Porter:  But it was said of Jesus when speaking to his disciples that, "beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures."  The OT texts find ultimate fulfillment in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.
Porter:  Look at v. 12 in Ezek. 47 which is a crystal clear referent for Rev. 22:2.  New life, new creation for the world, that came gradually through the Holy Spirit's work in and through the Temple--the Church.