“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6
May 9, 2023
Nature, red in tooth and claw. It is indeed. When Adam and Eve brought God’s curse upon the animal world, things became ugly as herbivores became carnivores. Lambs would have to be protected from predators, like the wolf. Chickens and cows were placed on the menu for hawks and lions. Watch on the internet as crocodiles snatch unsuspecting leopards and deer into the water for a meal. But one day nature will be set free from its groaning. A miraculous regeneration in the animal world will take place (Rom. 8:21). The prophet Isaiah describes the future millennium over which Jesus Christ will rule. Harmony in the whole creation will reign (Isa. 11:6-9). Natural enemies will become companions (e.g., the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear). Even little children will be able to play safely near copperheads and cobras. It is disappointing to read Bible interpreters make such a prophecy refer to Saul of Tarsus as the wolf, transformed by the gospel of Christ, who became a lamb. Suddenly, the kingdom-hope of Israel is replaced by the Church. It is best and most rewarding to look forward to the natural world becoming transformed. Paradise on earth. What wonders are to be experienced when nature sings its praises to Christ, the Creator.
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“Come, Lord Jesus, and put this disordered world into the order, harmony, and beauty for which it was designed.”