Animals Will Be at Peace with Mankind
The “dog eat dog” world of “nature red in tooth and claw” will no longer prevail… The vision of a world in which wolves and lambs, calves and lions all lie down together clearly moves beyond the possibilities of the present age. The description seems to partake of elements common to fables and fairy tales, but something else is at stake here… Judgment and promise, sin and grace are not only for humans, but their consequences, good and bad, are felt by the entire creation. – Anonymous, “The Peaceable Kingdom”
Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us, and for many, that means good food. Both my mother and wife are excellent cooks, and my daughter has all the makings of becoming a great culinarian as well. Just think of all that turkey smothered in gravy, thick slices of ham, and for those of you who like to swim against the tide, lemon-soaked broiled fish.
To get my mind (and stomach) off all these delectable images, I turn my thoughts to the coming of Jesus Christ and His Millennial Kingdom… and the food we will eat then. If food is so delectable now, what will it be like during that coming golden age?
The Noahic Covenant
Before we explore this question, let’s go back in time to the beginning of eating to remind ourselves what our ancestors ate. It may surprise you!
Shortly after Noah and his family had disembarked from their great seacraft and set foot upon the soggy plains, God established the first covenant with our great-great ancestor. He ordered Noah and his descendants to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1).
But the Flood had radically changed the earth’s environment, and mankind could no longer be sustained and thrive solely on a diet of fruits and vegetables. After centuries of vegetarianism, mankind would need to eat meat in order to survive the newly transformed world. And so, humanity was permitted to kill and eat animals.
The expected response from the animal kingdom quickly became apparent:
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. (Genesis 9:2-3)
God added His promise that He would never again destroy the earth by water. The Almighty then sealed this unconditional covenant with a beautiful reminder of his merciful peace—the rainbow. This promise is what we today call the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:1-17).
Nature Finally at Peace
While God will never again destroy the earth with water, He will nearly destroy it with His wrath during the Tribulation. As the earth teeters on the brink of extinction, the Prince of Peace will return triumphantly to restore peace to the earth. But that peace doesn’t just mean between the nations. One of the many glorious aspects we can anticipate concerning the Millennial Kingdom involves a radical change in our relationship with the animal kingdom. Nature will, at long last, be at peace with itself, as every animal will no longer live in fear of mankind, but in solidarity with us.
The prophet Isaiah described this idyllic scene:
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain. (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25)
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In considering this surprising passage, Professor John MacKay remarked, “An era is coming when the animal world, in its relations with itself and with mankind, will put aside cruelty and blood-thirstiness.” The terrible yet understandable fear animals have of mankind—that we will harm them for sport, or hunt them for food, or by our careless violence annihilate entire species—will after five long millennia have passed away.
And for us people, always keeping a wary eye on so many dangerous predators lurking about, we will find only fellowship with the animal kingdom. That enmity between mankind and the animals that had been imposed by God’s covenant with Noah will at long last be removed.
Even when it comes to our fear of snakes, that old curse set between humanity and the serpents will have been removed, so that even a child and the asp can live together without fear of death. I’m reminded of Edward Hicks’ painting “The Peaceable Kingdom” which portrays an arcadian scene of peace, safety, and security as a human child, predator, and prey lull together peaceably on a hillside. This will be the harmonious condition of life during the Millennial Kingdom.
A Return to Vegetarianism?
When it comes to eating, what will have changed in the Millennial Kingdom compared to the world of today?
Isaiah told us that all animals will adopt a vegetarian diet once more. The animals will no longer eat one another but will return to the old Garden of Eden condition when edibles consisted of plants alone. That means predators will no longer spend every waking hour in the hunt, and prey will no longer warily eat and drink in anticipation of a predator’s surprise attack. With no fear of aggression, predator and prey will dwell together at the watering hole without fear of one another.
This return to vegetarianism in the animal kingdom could well mean that the world’s most dangerous predator—mankind—will also put aside our hunting and meat-eating and join in the vegetarian lifestyle. After all, Adam and Eve and their descendants up until Noah had once enjoyed a meat-free diet, and so maybe we will once again. Just like the Flood radically transformed the living requirements for all species, the world’s restoration after the Tribulation could return life to what it was like before the Flood.
Whether Isaiah was merely intending to convey the idea that vegetarianism would become the lifestyle of the future or not is in much debate, as theologians such as Michael Jinkins questioned whether these texts are instead meant to depict not the future peaceable behavior of wild beasts, but rather represent a “deep human longing for peace, security, safety, and justice.”
In John Calvin’s commentary on Isaiah 65, he noted, “The lion shall eat harmlessly, and shall no longer seek his prey” and “the serpent, satisfied with his dust, shall wrap himself in it, and shall no longer hurt by his envenomed bite.” Calvin added, “All that is disordered or confused shall be restored to its proper order.”
Perhaps Isaiah then was presenting the ideal portrayal of creation brought together in harmony. It could be that Isaiah was offering a vision of the coming of the restoration of peace and gentleness, when innocence and trust will no longer be abused. For example, the holiness of a naive little child will grant him the power to rule over the fiercest of God’s creatures, for the child holds neither guile nor evil intent.
Seminarian Edward Wheeler took Isaiah’s vision even further down the speculative hole, concluding that Isaiah was prophesying the fulfillment of mankind’s millennia-old dream of a new golden age when conflict would cease; and the world freed from suffering, pain, and alienation would only know true peace. Such a dream serves as a gift from God, providing us with lasting hope. Author Michael Jinkins foresaw an additional gift given by the Almighty, whereby the “Creation restored to God’s original vision places humanity in a radical position of freedom in the presence of God.”
Literal Peace
I don’t find Isaiah’s description of the peace between mankind and animal-kind to be merely symbolic. After all, to truly create a condition of peace, safety, and security, the threat of harm and death at the hands of an attacker must be eliminated. Trust can only foment when no fear of harm is present. Therefore, using a literal interpretation (as always), I believe the prophet Isaiah was presenting the conditions necessary for such a peaceful world to exist—animals will no longer eat other animals, nor will they attack people. Isaiah clearly took this condition literally, and at the same time, he used this imagery to convey a world that will have at last found true peace.
There’s one grey area I ponder over concerning whether mankind will return to vegetarianism during the Kingdom. For one, the Bible doesn’t explicitly say that mankind will fully return to vegetarianism. It’s only inferred. And two, we must deal with what the Major Prophets described as animal sacrifices being performed in the Millennial Temple. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system, the priesthood lived on the meat sacrificed. Will the new Jewish priesthood do so during this coming age?
If vegetarianism is truly our destiny, I will truly miss a thick cut of steak smothered in onions, mushrooms, and A1 sauce. But will our glorified bodies even need such sustenance? Probably not. But then, the resurrected Jesus ate fish, and He’s our template for glorified living (Luke 24:42-43).
So, during the Millennial Kingdom, can we enjoy eating meat yet keep our peaceable condition with the animal kingdom? I don’t know. I can only conclude that some elements of the Davidic Kingdom, such as what we will eat, will remain shrouded in mystery until that age arrives.
In the meantime, as we await that glorious future—and the sumptuous Marriage Supper of the Lamb—enjoy eating your Thanksgiving Day turkey and Christmas goose, and be blessed!
SOURCE: LAMB AND LION MINISTRIES
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To learn more about what life will be like living in the Millennial Kingdom, check out Dr. Nathan Jones’ newest book, The Coming Millennial Kingdom, published by Harvest House Publishers in mid-2025!
