- 22. The Lion and the Lamb
Isaiah 11: 6-8 The wolf also 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. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 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.
God promises there will be a time when there will be no wild beasts, and all the animals and humans will get along with one another in perfect harmony and peace. This describes a Paradise that we can only dream of, and it reminds us of the original creation of Paradise of Eden when Adam knew all animals in a friendly way and named them all. What an amazing feat! All the animals were gathered to Noah before the Flood and they all lived together peacefully on the Ark for over a year. After Jesus was tempted by the devil He remained in the desert “with the wild beasts.”
All the animals that humans are naturally afraid of will play together in a friendly and peaceful way: wolf, leopard, lion, bear, and snakes. In the Kingdom of God all wild animals will become domesticated pets, and there will be no natural enemies in God’s newly created heaven and earth. The metaphorical picture is a part of the beauty and perfection of God’s Kingdom. Other Biblical pictures paint a fertile and verdant vegetarian landscape. Other Biblical pictures attempt to expand our imaginations to bring us some feel for what God has in store for us. The Lord stretches our imagination to create a yearning for such a kind of life that God has in mind for us.
The peaceful and thoroughly enjoyable environment is physically still in our future, and we are uplifted greatly when we meditate on the wonders of what is in store for us after this Age. But the more powerful point of the promise is that already now, today, in this Age, we spiritually enjoy the promised blessings by faith. Heaven lives in our hearts when we believe in Jesus, and God dwells there. All peoples have fantasized about some kind of utopia. The unbelievable promise is this: it is in our hearts right now; it is called eternal life, which we have now. In a Fallen World of Sin, Fear, and Death God gives a perfect life. Be bold enough to see it by faith even now; take hold of the promised paradise. Then fear nothing.