The Book Of Isaiah. Day 183, New Heavens And A New Earth, Part Three

In yesterday's study we found Isaiah depicting a future in which humans will be at peace with each other and with the animal kingdom. He also foresaw the animal kingdom being at peace with each other. This is how it was at the beginning of creation in the Garden of Eden and this is how it will be when creation is remade---when a "new heavens and a new earth" are produced by the Lord.

A better way to think of the new heavens and new earth might be to think of them as "recreated" or "restored". They will be swept clean of all sin and of the curse of sin, which can be compared to a form of pollution that corrupted everyone and everything. After Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, the earth brought forth thorns and briers that had to be fought in order to grow crops. Humans had to deal with things like devouring insects, blight, and drought to produce food from the earth. Disease and death began to strike humans and animals alike. Humans began to prey on animals and animals began to prey on each other. 

This will not be the case when the Lord restores the creation. There will be no sin and therefore no curse, as the Apostle John stated when he beheld the new heavens and the new earth: "No longer will there be any curse." (Revelation 22:3a) John was given a vision of the world returned to an Eden-like state with pure flowing waters and trees that bear fruit all twelve months of the year. Conditions will be perfect for sustaining eternal life and the Lord Jesus Christ will dwell on the earth, reigning from His throne at Jerusalem, forever and ever. That is when, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4) 

This is when Isaiah's prediction from yesterday's text will fully and completely come true: "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox." (Isaiah 65:25a) It appears from Isaiah's words, and also from what the Apostle John envisioned, that all animals and humans will be vegetarian. 

The Apostle Paul foresaw the eternal era in which the earth, the animals, and human beings would be set free from the curse that came into the world due to sin. Looking toward to that glorious forever-day, he said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:18-21)

It is clear that the "children of God" and the "creation" are being spoken of as two separate things in the verses above. The creation is waiting for the day when believing humans dwell on earth in immortal bodies like Christ's. The creation is waiting for the day when the world is cleansed of the pollution of sin. The creation is waiting for the day when disease and death and decay no longer exist. The creatures of the earth wait for this day because they, like humans, will be set free from disease and death and decay.

Does this mean that there will be animals during the eternal kingdom of Christ? I don't see why not! The Lord included animals in the first creation and I see no reason to think He will not include them in the recreation. As an animal lover I also hope that He will restore our beloved pets to us. Again, I see to reason to believe He cannot (for He can do all things) or that He will not, because even Solomon (the wisest man to ever walk the earth except for the Lord Jesus Christ), said he did not know whether animals had souls. (Ecclesiastes 3:21) As far as that goes, I am not sure that possessing a soul would be required for the Lord to bring our pets back to life. I believe He could bring them back in bodies that never die.

The Bible doesn't tell us everything we want to know about the eternal kingdom of our Lord. When the Apostle Paul was given a vision of the glory to come, he didn't even attempt to describe it in human words. No words can describe it! The human mind is not capable of picturing such glory, so Paul simply said that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no human mind has ever conceived the things God has prepared for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9)