We are continuing our meditation on the Millennium, the thousand-year reign of Jesus. When Christ comes, those who belong to the Lord will receive incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54), and at that time, God will transform the nature of the animal kingdom. Paul the Apostle wrote:
19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:19-22).
What was on Paul's mind when he wrote about the groaning of creation? I believe he was referring to humanity's mistreatment of the animal kingdom. Since the Fall of Man, the relationship between humanity and animals has deteriorated. Today, we witness the devastating effects of modern agriculture and livestock farming methods, which bring significant trauma to creation. This suffering is not what God intended, and the animal kingdom is in anguish alongside humanity. The inner longing and groaning of all animals reflect a desire for a change in their fear of humanity and one another. The prophet Isaiah also spoke about what it would be like for the animal kingdom when Christ, the root of Jesse, sits on the throne of the world:
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4but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked. 5Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 9They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious (Isaiah 11:4-10).
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Isaiah writes about the One who will usher in this time of change, a descendant of King David (Jesse was David’s father, v. 10), the Lord Jesus, the rightful heir to the throne of David, a King who will judge and transform the earth. Animals that typically prey on those less able to defend themselves will coexist harmoniously (vs. 6-7). The wolf and the sheep will lie together at night—living peacefully with one another. The lion, one of the most predatory creatures on the planet, will graze on straw like an ox (v. 7). Children will reach into the dens of vipers and play with venomous snakes (v. 8). When this prophecy was given 600 years before Christ, fierce animals were plentiful in Israel, but Isaiah prophesies a time when children will play with the animals, the earth will be at peace, and the knowledge of God will fill the earth. The Gentile nations will trust in Him, and His rest will be glorious (v. 10). It will be the Sabbath of a thousand-year rest. The prayer humanity seeks—peace on earth and goodwill toward men—will finally be fulfilled. God's presence and reign will bring this to pass. The Lord Jesus will defeat the wicked with the breath of His lips (v. 4), and all creation will ultimately dwell in peace. His rest for our souls will be glorious (v. 10). Keith Thomas
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Taken from the series Insights into Eternity. Click on study five or this link: The Millennium.
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