What Isaiah 11: 6-8 mean?

[Ajay Parmar]

Isaiah 11:6-8 ASV — And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (7) And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (8 ) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

If great crowd will go to heaven to serve with Christ, how can, a child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

If man is not with lion on the earth what need lion shall eat straw like the ox?

[Anonymous]

lion eating the straw like the ox i take it to mean the lion will become like the ox and so it could be heaven. The Lion in other words won't prey on the ox, but they will become equals.

This could also be referring to the new creation, and most likely is.

[Kurieuo]

I believe one should think twice about taking this passage literally. Isaiah was a prophet, and prophets (especially the like of Isaiah) often make use of symbolic language. Therefore I see no reason why this passage must be interpreted in a literal sense.

Isaiah 65:25 also makes reference to the wolf and lamb. Its mention is within the context of God's people within the new kingdom. I believe that these references are used to reveal the peaceful fellowship enjoyed amongst "different kinds of people" within Christ's kingdom, and to illustrate that within such a kingdom there will no longer be conflict, pain or death.

Kurieuo.

[Ajay Parmar]

Thanks Kurieuo and vvart, i also know this anwser but can anyone give me any Bible proof? I left JW two months ago and now i have to fight against JW so i want a anwser.

Ajay

[Anonymous]

These verses refer to a time after the tribulation and the battle at Armageddon when Jesus returns Israel to their land.

Take a look at Isa 65. He explains more:

Isaiah 65
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (18)But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

--- HERE we can see that the topic of discussion is Jerusalem and the people of Jerusalem.

19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

--- HERE we can see that the LORD will increase lifespans to be similiar to before the flood.

21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
24And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

--- HERE we see the blessing that GOD plans to bestow upon Israel when He removes the current inhabitants and brings them into their land.

25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

--- HERE we see it will get more like before the flood when animals did not eat meat. However, man will still eat meat.

[Kurieuo]

Ajay,

There are many positions to do with end times theology. I'd perhaps recommend focusing on the crucial doctrine aspects, such as Christ's divinity and so forth (e.g., see http://discussions.godandscience.org/viewtopic.php?t=62).

Kurieuo.

[JBirdAngel]

I also get confused as to what is meant here, My real look was in Isaiah 65 when he talks about the new earth and new heaven, to me that seems to clearly refer to the new earth and new Heaven of revelations, our home for eternity, where i think that we will have animals and children and so on.

However the mention of death in the next verses does seem to show that atleast this part of the verses refers to Christ's 1000 year reign. Although couldnt the point be that death will not occur, perhaps it was too big of a concept for OT people to live forever? Im not much informed on the OT.

But wont Christ's reign put things even closer to how heaven will be, so the fact that there are still children and stuff supports still reproduction and the one flesh, and animals possibly eating together... which upon thinking since it talks about animals being lead by a child and such i would think the animals are actually meant to be animals, and that they will get along.

Aren't the children of God refered to as sheep and wolves mostly refered to as people who wont be saved? So i dont really think that those saved adn those not will sit down together, i mean they could, but it sounds like those not saved will be ruled harshly by Jesus, or am i mistaken? Thank you.

[Dale Tooley]

It is a pictorial vision of the coming New Covenant order that is given in Isaiah chapter 11, where we picture "wolves dwelling with lambs, leopards co-existing with goats, calves with lions, children putting their hands in the dens of snakes"

Further understanding of what this all means is in the prophet's later writings, such as in Isaiah 43:20 & 21.
The beast of the field will honour Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for myself; they shall declare my praise. The Holy Spirit in Isaiah was talking about New Creation (new birth) realities!
Whom I have created for my glory, I have formed him, yes, I have made him. (Isaiah 43:7)

Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea and Micah use almost identical pictorial language while describing the glories of the wonderful new order to be brought in through the New Covenant.

I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause the wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell in safety in the wilderness and sleep in the wood. I will make them and the places all around My hill (the mountain of the Lord, the new Kingdom) a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in the season; and there shall be showers of blessing . And they shall no longer be prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them, but they shall dwell in safety, and no one shall make them afraid. (Ezekiel 34:25-28)

In the absence of such spiritual blessings we are given an opposite picture using the same pictorial symbolism:
Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them, a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; a leopard shall watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there will be torn in pieces. (Jeremiah 5:6)

To the disobedient God says: "What good is the day of the Lord to you? .....It will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him; or as he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him". (Amos 5:18-19)

Joel's call for peace against swords and spears and war is mixed with Amos's call regarding lions , wolves , leopards and bears in Hosea's pictorial illustrations:
In that day I will make a covenant (the New Covenant) for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will scatter from the earth to make them lie down in safety. (Hosea 2:18)

But to disobedient Israel Hosea says: "Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea will be taken away." (Hosea 4:3)

What better way to describe the withdrawal of provision and protection?

[Dale Tooley]

Peace & reconciliation is all about peace with God ( through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ ) and with other Christians who also share that relationship. There are two keys we must bear in mind when interpreting Old Testament prophecy (1) It must agree with the interpretation put upon it by Christ and the Apostles - the true interpreters of what was originally given in mystery form (Romans 16:25,26. 1 Peter 1:10-12) and it must follow the principle, first the natural then the spiritual (Galatians 4:21-29). Old covenant prophecies were fulfilled naturally. New covenant prophecies are fulfilled spiritually and are always centred in Christ & His Church - the born-again Christians. See http://www.hastenthelight.org.nz/articles/1.htm

[Battlehelmet]

If anyone acknlowedges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

That is my current testimony at 10 pm.