ANIMADVERSIONES Isaiah 65, 20: Centenarians or Millenarians? The focal point of the present paper is Isa 65,20 whose meaning has been disputed. Theologically, it has been questioned why sinners still exist after the inauguration of the new heavens and new earth. Linguistically, the verse is awkwardly phrased, leaving open the possibility that the sinner will die at the ripe old age of one hundred, paralleling the fate of the youth who also dies at a hundred years old. In order to resolve the difficulties presented by Isa 65,20 it is necessary to consider the context. * ** It is likely that Isaiah 65–66 is God’s response (1) to the accusation that he has hidden his face from his people and not listened to their pleas that he forget their sins, restore the tribes, Zion, Jerusalem and Temple. Many of these themes are addressed in Isaiah 65. In verses 1-15 God asserts that he will no longer treat the people as a corporate entity, rather as individuals who are accountable for their own actions and who will be punished or rewarded accordingly (2). In 65,13-15, which Smith (3) thinks is strongly influenced by Deut 28, 27-48, appear a series of contrasts about the future for the two groups (4), with God killing those who are not his servants. 65,16 is an enigmatic verse, which will be amplified later. (1) It has been suggested by a number of commentators that Isaiah 65–66 is a response to the plea for justice made in 63,7–64,12 but, whereas the latter block of material is an appeal for all Israel, Isaiah 65–66 is addressed to a divided community where only the righteous will be saved cf O.H. STECK, “Beobachtungen zur Anlange von Jes 65-66”, BN 38-39 (1987) 103-116 reprinted in Studien zu Tritojesaja (Berlin – New York 1991) 217- 228; M. SWEENEY, Isaiah 1–4 and the Post-Biblical Understanding of the Isaiah Tradition (Berlin 1988) 91 and D.M. CARR, “Reading Isaiah from Beginning (Isaiah 1) to End (Isaiah 65–66): Multiple Modern Possibilities”, New Visions of Isaiah (eds. R.F. MELEUGIN – M.A. SWEENEY) (JSOTSS 14; Sheffield 1996) 204-212. P.A. SMITH, Rhetoric and Redaction in Trito-Isaiah. The Structure, Growth and Authorship of Isaiah 56–66 (Leiden, 1995) 129, n. 9; B. SCHRAMM, The Opponents of Third Isaiah (JSOT Supp; Sheffield 1995) 154. (2) In the former category are those “who did not seek me” (65,1), “who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts” (65,2) and appear to be worshipping deities other than Yahweh (65,3-7.11). In the latter are his “servants” (65,9.13), who are identified as “a seed out of Jacob, an inheritor out of Judah ...my chosen ones” (65,9). They will inherit God’s mountains and dwell there (65,9). (3) SMITH, Rhetoric and Redaction, 143. (4) The servants will eat, the others will not; the servants will drink, the others will not; the servants will rejoice, the others will be ashamed; God’s servants “will sing for joy of heart” but the others “will howl for breaking of spirit”; God “will call his servants by another name” but the others will leave their name for an oath.