Living Long in the New Creation: Isaiah 65:20 and the Fate of the Accursed

 Living Long in the New Creation: Isaiah 65:20 and the Fate of the Accursed


“Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” — Isaiah 65:20 (NIV)


Isaiah’s beautiful vision of a renewed world is often misunderstood as describing a physical utopia sometime in our future. In reality, it is describing the spiritual reality of the New Covenant that was inaugurated through Christ and fully manifested at the end of the old covenant age in 70 AD.


“Living Long” Means Remaining in God’s Presence


Isaiah 65 paints a picture of what life in God’s new creation looks like — marked by peace, joy, righteousness, and most importantly, eternal communion with God. The phrase “he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child” speaks to longevity in spiritual terms. It’s not about literal age, but about abiding in God’s eternal life — a life that cannot be touched by Sheol, death, or covenantal exile. To “live long” in the New Covenant is to live in God’s ongoing presence (John 17:3).


The Accursed Are Cut Off 


Isaiah makes a stark contrast: 


“the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” 


Not all souls are inherently immortal. Only those who are in union with Christ partake in immortality (1 Tim. 6:16, Romans 2:7). Those outside the covenant — the “accursed” — do not live forever. They are cut off and perish (John 3:16).


In Isaiah’s language, failing to live a full “lifespan” means being excluded from eternal life. The accursed cease to exist. Their story ends — not because God is cruel, but because He honors their free choice.


Death Doesn’t End Life — Covenant Does


Physical death is not the end. After 70 AD, believers no longer go to Sheol to await a future resurrection — they enter directly into God’s unbroken presence. Paul said, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).


This means that even when a saint dies physically, their life continues in God. Their covenant relationship doesn’t stop — it deepens. They are already raised with Christ (Col. 3:1), and that reality only becomes more evident beyond the veil.


Eternal Life vs. the Curse: The True Divide


Isaiah 65:20 doesn’t point to an era of people living to 1000 years biologically. It’s a prophetic metaphor. It speaks to the contrast between:

Those who abide in God’s eternal life, and

Those who are cut off.


The “long life” of the righteous is eternal life — a relationship that persists beyond physical death. The “early death” of the wicked represents their failure to have a relationship with God.


Conclusion


Isaiah’s vision is being fulfilled now in the New Covenant age. The new heavens and new earth are not future real estate — they are covenantal realities experienced in Christ. Today, you are either: Abiding in eternal life or accursed-ceasing to exist. But the door remains open. Jesus is still the Resurrection and the Life. Those who trust Him and walk with Him will “never die” (John 11:26) — not because their heart will never stop beating, but because their union with God will never be broken.



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