Isaiah 25

Verses 7 and 8 of Isaiah 25 present a very interesting picture of God. There he makes a promise of a future action he will complete from mount Zion. "On this mountain he will swallow up the shroud that is over all the people,". There is only one trait that is common to every person; death. The idea of the shroud could be associated with contemporary burial customs. But who had ever heard of someone consuming a burial cloth? The image of God swallowing the symbol of death is revolutionary, even today. Many would accuse God of introducing death to paradise as a penalty for our sins. But this promise from the pen of Isaiah is not more death because of more sin. It is the absence of death in spite of the persistent presence of our sinfulness. I recall the miraculous execution of two of Korah's comrades of rebellion; where the earth swallowed them whole taking them down to Sheol (Num 16:30-33).  And verse 8 makes it clear that this action is neither limited or temporary. It will permanently change the landscape of life. And in the process of eliminating death he will remove sorrow and disgrace. Imagine life without sorrow, disgrace, and the fear of death. Sounds like Heaven to me.
Stuart