Babies dying in Heaven? Isaiah 65:20

There is no doubt that heaven is meant in Isaiah 65. Revelation 21:1 has a mirror in Isaiah 65:17. “A new heaven and a new earth”.

This cannot be the exile or post-exile for what heaven was created by God after the exile?

The whole chapter reads easy and well expressed with heaven in mind and then comes verse 20 that has many in confusion, even at least one Adventist scholar who opted for the post-exilic reconstruction as meant here. All because of verse 20.

The best solution to verse 20 is as follows: 

  1. The chapter is comparing the end of the remnant with the end of the wicked.

  2. The remnant is heading for heaven and their positive future is to be found there. The wicked is on earth as is the remnant in history, sandwiched between eternity before and eternity after. History interrupted eternity.

  3. Verse 20 consists of four phrases of which the first two are negative with the heaven in mind where these earthly experiences of tears and pain will not be found any longer. The second part consists also of two phrases in which this time the earth is the zone and the wicked in mind that will not live longer than a hundred. In the Reformation period the lifespan of people were no longer than 40-60 years. So also in the 18th century. In our own people can reach 100.

  4.                           Verse 20a – negative – heaven as zone

                  Verse 20b – negative – heaven as zone

                       

                  Verse 20c – historical experience – earth as zone


                  Verse 20d – historical experience – earth as zone