What is the meaning of Isaiah 65:20? No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days “No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days” (Isaiah 65:20a) pictures the end of tragic early death. • In the coming kingdom God promises perfect care for the most vulnerable. Compare Isaiah 49:15 where He assures that a mother may forget, “yet I will not forget you.” • Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a transformed creation in which even animals cease to harm; here the same peace reaches human infancy. • Revelation 21:4 echoes the outcome: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” highlighting God’s heart to wipe away every tear. Or an old man fail to live out his years The verse continues, “or an old man fail to live out his years” (65:20b). • Full, satisfying longevity becomes the new normal. Psalm 91:16 promises, “With long life I will satisfy him,” a pledge now realized universally. • Zechariah 8:4 foresees “old men and women... each with staff in hand because of great age,” underscoring that age will no longer be a burden but a blessing. • Job 5:26 pictures the righteous “coming to the grave in full vigor,” reflecting the same certainty of completing one’s appointed days. For the youth will die at a hundred years “For the youth will die at a hundred years” (65:20c) reveals lifespans so extended that a centenarian is still considered young. • The days of Genesis 5, when patriarchs lived centuries, form the Old Testament backdrop; the kingdom restores something of that pre-flood vitality. • Psalm 90:10 sets current human expectation at “seventy years, or eighty,” highlighting the dramatic contrast. • Isaiah 65:22 later adds, “for as the days of a tree, so will be the days of My people,” reinforcing the literal, lengthy lifespans envisioned. And he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed “And he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (65:20d) means early death will be so rare it signals divine judgment. • Deuteronomy 30:19 frames life and death as covenant blessings and curses; here the principle still operates, though under vastly improved conditions. • Ezekiel 18:4 teaches, “The soul who sins shall die,” reminding that personal rebellion can still invite consequence even in a renewed world. • Revelation 20:7-10 shows that after the millennial peace, final rebellion erupts—proof that human choice remains, and accountability with it. summary Isaiah 65:20 promises a literal future on earth where God removes infant mortality, grants fulfilling longevity, and makes death at one hundred seem premature. The verse looks ahead to the messianic kingdom in which covenant blessing dominates, yet human responsibility and the possibility of judgment persist. The passage assures believers of God’s faithfulness to restore life to its intended fullness while underscoring the ongoing call to walk in His ways. |
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