TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 65:17–25. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
If these promises were in part fulfilled when the Jews, after their return out of captivity, were settled in peace in their own land and brought as it were into a new world, yet they were to have their full accomplishment in the gospel church, militant first and at length triumphant. The Jerusalem that is from above is free and is the mother of us all. In the graces and comforts which believers have in and from Christ we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. It is in the gospel that old things have passed away and all things have become new, and by it that those who are in Christ are new creatures, Co2 5:17. It was a mighty and happy change that was described Isa 65:16, that the former troubles were forgotten; but here it rises much higher: even the former world shall be forgotten and shall no more come into mind. Those that were converted to the Christian faith were so transported with the comforts of it that all the comforts they were before acquainted with became as nothing to them; not only their foregoing griefs, but their foregoing joys, were lost and swallowed up in this. The glorified saints will therefore have forgotten this world, because they will be entirely taken up with the other: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. See how inexhaustible the divine power is; the same God that created one heaven and earth can create another. See how entire the happiness of the saints is; it shall be all of a piece; with the new heavens God will create them (if they have occasion for it to make them happy) a new earth too. The world is yours if you be Christ's, Co1 3:22. When God is reconciled to us, which gives us a new heaven, the creatures too are reconciled to us, which gives us a new earth. The future glory of the saints will be so entirely different from what they ever knew before that it may well be called new heavens and a new earth, Pe2 3:13. Behold, I make all things new, Rev 21:5.
I.There shall be new joys. For,
1.All the church's friends, and all that belong to her, shall rejoice (Isa 65:18): You shall be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The new things which God creates in and by his gospel are and shall be matter of everlasting joy to all believers. My servants shall rejoice (Isa 65:13), at last they shall, though now they mourn. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
2.The church shall be the matter of their joy, so pleasant, so prosperous, shall her condition be: I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. The church shall not only rejoice but be rejoiced in. Those that have sorrowed with the church shall rejoice with her.
3.The prosperity of the church shall be a rejoicing to God himself, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servants (Isa 65:19): I will rejoice in Jerusalem's joy, and will joy in my people; for in all their affliction he was afflicted. God will not only rejoice in the church's well-doing, but will himself rejoice to do her good and rest in his love to her, Zep 3:17. What God rejoices in it becomes us to rejoice in.
4.There shall be no allay of this joy, nor any alteration of this happy condition of the church: The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her. If this relate to any state of the church in this life, it means no more than that the former occasions of grief shall not return, but God's people shall long enjoy an uninterrupted tranquillity. But in heaven it shall have a full accomplishment, in respect both of the perfection and the perpetuity of the promised joy; there all tears shall be wiped away.
II.There shall be new life, Isa 65:20.
Untimely deaths by the sword or sickness shall be no more known as they have been, and by this means there shall be no more the voice of crying, Isa 65:19. When there shall be no more death there shall be no more sorrow, Rev 21:4. As death has reigned by sin, so life shall reign by righteousness, Rom 5:14, Rom 5:21.
1.Believers through Christ shall be satisfied with life, though it be ever so short on earth. If an infant end its days quickly, yet it shall not be reckoned to die untimely; for the shorter its life is the longer will its rest be. Though death reign over those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, yet they, dying in the arms of Christ, the second Adam, and belonging to his kingdom, are not to be called infants of days, but even the child shall be reckoned to die a hundred years old, for he shall rise again at full age, shall rise to eternal life. Some understand it of children who in their childhood are so eminent for wisdom and grace, and by death nipped in the blossom, that they may be said to die a hundred years old. And, as for old men, it is promised that they shall fill their days with the fruits of righteousness, which they shall still bring forth in old age, to show that the Lord is upright, and then it is a good old age. An old man who is wise, and good, and useful, may truly be said to have filled his days. Old men who have their hearts upon the world have never filled their days, never have enough of this world, but would still continue longer in it. But that man dies old, and satur dierum - full of days, who, with Simeon, having seen God's salvation, desires now to depart in peace.
2.Unbelievers shall be unsatisfied and unhappy in life, though it be ever so long. The sinner, though he live to a hundred years old, shall be accursed. His living so long shall be no token to him of the divine favour and blessing, nor shall it be any shelter to him from the divine wrath and curse. The sentence he lies under will certainly be executed, and his long life is but a long reprieve; nay, it is itself a curse to him, for the longer he lives the more wrath he treasures up against the day of wrath and the more sins he will have to answer for. So that the matter is not great whether our lives on earth be long or short, but whether we live the lives of saints or the lives of sinners.
III.There shall be a new enjoyment of the comforts of life.
Whereas before it was very uncertain and precarious, their enemies inhabited the houses which they built and ate the fruit of the trees which they planted, now it shall be otherwise; they shall build houses and inhabit them, shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22. Their intimates that the labour of their hands shall be blessed and be made to prosper; they shall gain what they aimed at, and what they have gained shall be preserved and secured to them; they shall enjoy it comfortably, and nothing shall embitter it to them, and they shall live to enjoy it long. Strangers shall not break in upon them, to expel them, and plant themselves in their room, as sometimes they have done: My elect shall wear out, or long enjoy, the work of their hands; it is honestly got, and it will wear well; it is the work of their hands, which they themselves have laboured for, and it is most comfortable to enjoy that, and not to eat the bread of idleness, or bread of deceit. If we have a heart to enjoy it, that is the gift of God's grace (Ecc 3:13); and, if we live to enjoy it long, it is the gift of God's providence, for that is here promised: As the days of a tree are the days of my people; as the days of an oak (Isa 6:13), whose substance is in it, though it cast its leaves; though it be stripped every winter, it recovers itself again, and lasts many ages; as the days of the tree of life; so the Septuagint. Christ is to them the tree of life, and in him believers enjoy all those spiritual comforts which are typified by the abundance of temporal blessings here promised; and it shall not be in the power of their enemies to deprive them of these blessings or disturb them in the enjoyment of them.
IV.There shall be a new generation rising up in their stead to inherit and enjoy these blessings (Isa 65:23):
They shall not labour in vain, for they shall not only enjoy the work of their hands themselves, but they shall leave it with satisfaction to those that shall come after them, and not with such a melancholy prospect as Solomon did, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:19. They shall not beget and bring forth children for trouble; for they are themselves the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and there is a blessing entailed upon them by descent from their ancestors which their offspring with them shall partake of, and shall be, as well as they, the seed of the blessed of the Lord. They shall not bring forth for trouble; for,
1.God will make their children that rise up comforts to them; they shall have the joy of seeing them walk in the truth.
2.He will make the times that come after comfortable to their children. As they shall be good, so it shall be well with them; they shall not be brought forth to days of trouble; nor shall it ever be said, Blessed is the womb that bore not. In the gospel church Christ's name shall be borne up by a succession. A seed shall serve him (Psa 22:30), the seed of the blessed of the Lord.
V.There shall be a good correspondence between them and their God (Isa 65:24):
Even before they call, I will answer. God will anticipate their prayers with the blessings of his goodness. David did but say, I will confess, and God forgave, Psa 32:5. The father of the prodigal met him in his return. While they are yet speaking, before they have finished their prayer, I will give them the thing they pray for, or the assurances and earnests of it. These are high expressions of God's readiness to hear prayer; and this appears much more in the grace of the gospel than it did under the law; we owe the comfort of it to the mediation of Christ as our advocate with the Father and are obliged in gratitude to give a ready ear to God's calls.
VI.There shall be a good correspondence between them and their neighbours (Isa 65:25):
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, as they did in Noah's ark. God's people, though they are as sheep in the midst of wolves, shall be safe and unhurt; for God will not so much break the power and tie the hands of their enemies as formerly, but he will turn their hearts, will alter their dispositions by his grace. When Paul, who had been a persecutor of the disciples (and who, being of the tribe of Benjamin, ravened as a wolf, Gen 49:27) joined himself to them and became one of them, then the wolf and the lamb fed together. So also when the enmity between Jews and Gentiles was slain, all hostilities ceased, and they fed together as one sheepfold under Christ the great Shepherd, Joh 10:16. The enemies of the church ceased to do the mischief they had done, and its members ceased to be so quarrelsome with and injurious to one another as they had been, so that there was none either from without or from within to hurt or destroy, none to disturb it, much less to ruin it, in all the holy mountain; as was promised, Isa 11:9. For,
1.Men shall be changed: The lion shall no more be a beast of prey, as perhaps he never would have been if sin had not entered, but shall eat straw like the bullock, shall know his owner, and his master's crib, as the ox does. When those that lived by spoil and rapine, and coveted to enrich themselves, right or wrong, are brought by the grace of God to accommodate themselves to their condition, to live by honest labour, and to be content with such things as they have - when those that stole steal no more, but work with their hands the thing that is good - then this is fulfilled, that the lion shall eat straw like the bullock.
2.Satan shall be chained, the dragon bound; for dust shall be the serpent's meat again. That great enemy, when he has been let loose, has glutted and regaled himself with the precious blood of saints, who by his instigation have been persecuted, and with the precious souls of sinners, who by his instigation have become persecutors and have ruined themselves for ever; but now he shall be confined to dust, according to the sentence, On thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat, Gen 3:14. All the enemies of God's church, that are subtle and venomous as serpents, shall be conquered and subdued, and be made to lick the dust, Christ shall reign as Zion's King till all the enemies of his kingdom be made his footstool, and theirs too. In the holy mountain above, and there only, shall this promise have its full accomplishment, that there shall be none to hurt nor destroy.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
The elders who saw John, the disciple of the Lord, related that they had heard from him how the Lord used to teach in regard to these times, and say: The days will come, in which vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five and twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, "I am a better cluster, take me; bless the Lord through me." In like manner [the Lord declared] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears, and that every ear should have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield ten pounds (quinque bilibres) of clear, pure, fine flour; and that all other fruit-bearing trees, and seeds and grass, would produce in similar proportions (secundum congruentiam iis consequentem); and that all animals feeding [only] on the productions of the earth, should [in those days] become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and be in perfect subjection to man... Now these things are credible to believers... When the traitor Judas did not give credit to them, and put the question, 'How then can things about to bring forth so abundantly be wrought by the Lord.' the Lord declared, 'They who shall come to these [times] shall see.'
The predicted blessing, therefore, belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom, when the righteous shall bear rule upon their rising from the dead; when also the creation, having been renovated and set free, shall fructify with an abundance of all kinds of food, from the dew of heaven, and from the fertility of the earth: as the elders who saw John, the disciple of the Lord, related that they had heard from him how the Lord used to teach in regard to these times, and say: The days will come, in which vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five and twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, "I am a better cluster, take me; bless the Lord through me." In like manner [the Lord declared] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears, and that every ear should have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield ten pounds (quinque bilibres) of clear, pure, fine flour; and that all other fruit-bearing trees, and seeds and grass, would produce in similar proportions (secundum congruentiam iis consequentem); and that all animals feeding [only] on the productions of the earth, should [in those days] become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and be in perfect subjection to man.
And these things are borne witness to in writing by Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book; for there were five books compiled (συντεταγμένα) by him. And he says in addition, "Now these things are credible to believers." And he says that, "when the traitor Judas did not give credit to them, and put the question, 'How then can things about to bring forth so abundantly be wrought by the Lord.' the Lord declared, 'They who shall come to these [times] shall see.' " When prophesying of these times, therefore, Esaias says: "The wolf also shall feed with the lamb, and the leopard shall take his rest with the kid; the calf also, and the bull, and the lion shall eat together; and a little boy shall lead them. The ox and the bear shall feed together, and their young ones shall agree together; and the lion shall eat straw as well as the ox. And the infant boy shall thrust his hand into the asp's den, into the nest also of the adder's brood; and they shall do no harm, nor have power to hurt anything in my holy mountain." And again he says, in recapitulation, "Wolves and lambs shall then browse together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the serpent earth as if it were bread; and they shall neither hurt nor annoy anything in my holy mountain, says the Lord." [Isaiah 40:6, etc.] I am quite aware that some persons endeavour to refer these words to the case of savage men, both of different nations and various habits, who come to believe, and when they have believed, act in harmony with the righteous. But although this is [true] now with regard to some men coming from various nations to the harmony of the faith, nevertheless in the resurrection of the just [the words shall also apply] to those animals mentioned. For God is rich in all things. And it is right that when the creation is restored, all the animals should obey and be in subjection to man, and revert to the food originally given by God (for they had been originally subjected in obedience to Adam), that is, the productions of the earth. But some other occasion, and not the present, is [to be sought] for showing that the lion shall [then] feed on straw. And this indicates the large size and rich quality of the fruits. For if that animal, the lion, feeds upon straw [at that period], of what a quality must the wheat itself be whose straw shall serve as suitable food for lions?
The earth will freely give its produce, and all evil will be removed, just as Isaiah said … for God has refashioned such a world in his kingdom just as it had been made in the beginning before the first-made human being ruined it, who after he had disobeyed the word of God all things were spoiled and ruined and cursed by God’s word: “the earth will be cursed in your works.” The former shape of this world will become the kingdom of the saints and the liberation of the creatures.
Through all of these events is demonstrated the change of evil beings into good, who will be innocent once their old violence has been laid aside. This does not happen outside the holy mountain of the Lord, but on it, that is, in the church and within the profession of the mountain of him by whom the king of Tyre was wounded. He who was cast down from the mountain without hands “grew into a great mountain and filled the world.” Let us inquire of the Jews about this passage, along with all Christians who still feed on the chaff of the Scriptures, which, once separated from the grain by the Lord’s winnowing fork, will be given over to wind and fire. Let us ask them: what blessedness should be attributed in the thousand-year reign to Mount Zion, Jerusalem, the city of the presiding Messiah? What blessedness to the most holy temple, where the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the cow, serpents and people will eat and dwell together? Are these the only creatures that are to be judged harmless to those who will dwell on the holy mountain of the Lord? Are we to understand from this, therefore, that everything outside of the mountain is to be killed and that all the earth will be denuded of wolves, lions, bears, panthers, serpents, with other animals, and of the immense forest and the desert of Egyptian solitude, which is fertile with poisonous animals? Are we to understand that the holy city is not only for the ultimate happiness of man, but also will be a home for beasts and serpents, such that, according to the prophecy above, “the wolf will dwell with the lamb and the leopard with the goat, and the bull and the lion and the cow and the bear will rest together, and a small child will rule them and an infant recently weaned will put his hand in the den of the asp.”
(Verse 23 onwards) For according to the days of a tree, the days of my people will be, and the work of their hands will grow old with my chosen. They will not labor in vain, nor bring forth children in trouble, for they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants will be with them. And before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They shall do no harm, neither shall they kill in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. LXX: For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people: and the works of their hands shall be multiplied. My chosen ones shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for a curse: for they are the seed blessed by the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer them: while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together: the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the serpent shall eat dust like bread. They will not harm or destroy on my holy mountain, says the Lord. The dwelling and plantation of the righteous will be eternal, so that the days of the life of my people may be compared to the days of the life of the tree, about which it is said in the Psalms: The righteous will flourish like a palm tree (Psalm 92:13), triumphing over their adversaries daily and displaying the emblem of victory. However, if we read it according to the Septuagint, we understand 'the days of the life of the tree,' which conveys more the meaning from the Hebrew rather than the words, and we understand it as the tree of life that was situated in paradise. So that Adam would not extend his hand to live, he was driven out of paradise (Genesis, III). In the custody of which, Cherubim, that is, a multitude of knowledge, and a fiery sword was placed to guard the way of the tree of life, so that Adam, who was in sin and not yet aware of his sins, would not eat from it and die from the death of impenitence, desperation, and pride. Solomon explains more clearly what this tree of life is, who, discussing the wisdom of God, says: The tree of life is for all who approach it, and who rely on it, as a firm foundation on the Lord (Proverbs III, 18); there is no doubt that it signifies the Word of God, who himself is the way and wisdom, and speaks of himself: I am the life (John XI, 25). And as the Prophet sings: You have made everything in wisdom: the earth is full of your creatures (Psalm 104:24); and the Apostle Paul: Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). The works of the people of God will also not grow old, but will be renewed daily, so that they do not walk in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit (Romans 7). Just as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man, many will be made righteous. Certainly, this must be said, that the works of those whose house is founded upon rock endure forever, and those who build upon the foundation of Christ with gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Corinthians 3): and on the contrary, the works of those whose house is founded upon sand perish in a sudden tempest; and those who build upon the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, and straw. Does it not seem to you that their works grow old every day, who, forgetting the past, extend into the future? Both the old and the new are called the Testament: not that the old one perishes, but that the new one does not succeed it. This can also be said in accordance with the Hebrew, that the works of the people and of those who believe in Christ are the fruits of the Apostles, that is, of the elect of God, and are stored in their treasuries. For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20). These people will not labor in vain, as the Jews once labored; but they will eat the labors of their hands. They will not generate in confusion or in curse, and, as is more expressly put in Hebrew, into non-existence, which in their language is called Labala ( Al. Labaala), that is, that they should cease to be and have an end to their substance: for which reason Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion interpreted it as hastening: so that they should not believe without reason, but imitate Nathanael, who was praised by the voice of the Lord, Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit (John 1:47), who sought Christ by the authority of the Scriptures and desired to know about the prophets, saying, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? And the meaning is: How do you bring the Messiah to me from Galilee and Nazareth, when I know that he was promised to come from Bethlehem in Judah? Therefore, the apostles and apostolic men will generate children in such a way that they instruct them from the Holy Scriptures, so that they do not imitate the curse of the Jews, but rather say with the Prophet: From your fear, Lord, we have conceived in the womb, and have given birth and brought forth (Isaiah 26:18). For it was said of them: Blessed shall be the offspring of your womb (Deuteronomy 28:4). These are the sons of Abraham, who do his works: and in the old history they are called the sons of the Prophets (John VIII): such as in the new Testament the apostles begot (Acts XVI), Paul begot Timothy, Luke, and Titus, and many others; Peter begot Mark the evangelist, and the others, whose blessed seed is, and thus far blessed, and the sons remain of their sons. Concerning whom the Prophet says: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, he will greatly desire his commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (Psalm 112:1-2) And elsewhere: Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. (Psalm 128:4-5) On the contrary, it is said of Judas, the traitor, and all who are like him, Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. Let his children wander and beg; let them be driven out of their ruined homes. (Psalm 109:9-10) For the end of a wicked generation is the worst. They conceive sorrow and give birth to iniquity. Concerning them it is written: Behold, he travailed with injustice, he has conceived sorrow, and has brought forth iniquity (Psalm 7:15). But if this is said of the wicked, how then did Samuel, a blessed and righteous man, beget wicked sons who did not walk in their father's ways (1 Samuel 8)? And David, from whose seed Christ was born, begot two sons, Amnon and Absalom, one of whom became the murderer of his brother and the other the murderer of his father (2 Samuel 13, 15, and 16)? From all these things we learn that sons and grandsons should be understood according to what we have said. Therefore, Paul also begets sons until Christ is formed in them, and Onesimus is begotten in chains (Gal. IV). When they cry out, they are immediately heard, and when they speak, the Lord will say, 'Here I am.' All these things we also see fulfilled according to the letter in the Acts of the Apostles. For all the nations could not have believed in such a short time unless their faith had been somehow forced out by the miracles of signs. For while the Apostles and apostolic men were speaking and shouting out, the Lord would respond with the greatness of signs, such as when Dorcas rose up at the prayers of Peter (Acts 9), when the father of Publius on the island of Melita, who was suffering from fevers and dysentery, which are diseases that are contrary to each other, was healed by the prayers of Paul (Acts 28), and when the whole world declared that gods were walking among men (Acts 28). At that time, the wolf and the lamb were grazing together, the persecutor Paul and the disciple Ananias (Acts 9). That wolf, of which it is written: Benjamin, a ravenous wolf, in the morning he will eat prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoils (Gen. XLIX, 27); or as it is said in Hebrew, he will divide the spoils. Whose teaching was the food of believers, and who triumphed over vanquished adversaries in the whole world. But all who believe are lambs, who follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Apoc. XIV), whom the Lord handed over to Peter to feed, saying: Feed my lambs (John XXI, 16). The lion also, like an ox, will eat straw, when the most eloquent men, once powerful in the world, submit themselves to rusticity, so that they may not feed on worldly eloquence, which trickles like honey from the lips of a harlot, but rather follow lowliness and straw in history until they earn the wheat of understanding with much labor and industry. Concerning these straw and wheat, Jeremiah speaks: 'What has straw to do with wheat?' says the Lord (Jeremiah 13:28). And it must be considered that it is not the ox that turns into madness, but the lion that is transformed into gentleness. The serpent that observed the heel of the man, and whose head was observed by the man, will by no means be nourished by the destruction of others, but will eat the earth, or rather dust, as bread (Genesis 3). Or certainly it must be understood that the devil, who previously fed on the deaths of men, will only devour those who are dust and earth: through which everything demonstrates the transformation of evils into good, those who are innocent will be, with the ancient ferocity abandoned: not outside, but on the holy mountain of the Lord, that is, in the Church, and in the confession of that mountain, from which the prince of Tyre was wounded, and having been cut from the mountain without hands, grew into a great mountain, and filled the world (Daniel 2). Let us ask in this place the Jews, and all those who still eat the chaff of the Scriptures under the name of Christian, which will be separated from the wheat in the Lord's winnowing fan and will be delivered to the wind and the flames, how the beatitude is to be estimated, namely in the thousand-year kingdom, on Mount Zion, the city of present Christ's Jerusalem; and in the most august Temple, will wolves and lambs, lions and oxen, serpents and humans eat together and live together in harmony? And will these (i.e. the holy ones) alone be harmless, who have dwelt on the holy mountain of the Lord? From which we understand that all who are outside the mountain are to be killed. Therefore, the entire world will be laid bare for wolves, lions, bears, leopards, and serpents, and all other beasts; and the vast forests, and the Egyptian wilderness, which is fertile with venomous animals, and the city of the holy ones will be a dwelling not only for humans, but also for beasts and serpents, as according to the earlier prophecy, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the goat, the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall all die together. And a little child shall lead them, and an infant shall put his hand into the hole of the asp, and shall destroy the brood of the reptile in its lair. (Isaiah 11) And the cause of such great happiness is because the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
This is a prediction Isaiah made previously after having announced the growth from the stem of Jesse. Now, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy as rulers and ruled, kings and servants, wise and foolish will share a common table—that is, the teaching of the Spirit. For he calls those who live in moderation lambs, whereas those with high ambitions are wolves. The lion is the one exalted to royal status, cattle are those worthy of the priesthood, and straw is the food of cattle. The lion will no longer be a carnivore but shall share the food of the cattle.
“And the serpent shall eat dust as bread.” This is the food that the righteous Judge has assigned to it from the beginning: “On your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat earth all the days of your life.” And so Isaiah calls the common enemy of humanity a serpent. He has subjected him to the ancient curse. This is similarly indicated in the passage that follows: “They shall not injure or destroy on my holy mountains, says the Lord.” All strength had been removed from him, not only from the fact that he crept on the ground but also that the saints had trampled him under foot and the wood of the cross crushed him.
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Summary
Isaiah 65:25 presents a breathtaking prophetic vision of the consummate peace and harmony that will characterize God's future kingdom. This verse climactically depicts a radical transformation of the natural order, where traditional adversaries such as the wolf and lamb, and the lion and bullock, coexist without conflict, their predatory instincts abolished. It serves as the capstone to a description of the "new heavens and a new earth," emphasizing the complete cessation of all harm and destruction within God's sacred domain, thereby signifying a profound and comprehensive restoration of creation to an Edenic state of tranquility, divine order, and secure flourishing, all guaranteed by the Lord's own authoritative declaration.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 65:25 serves as the powerful and definitive conclusion to a sweeping prophetic section (Isaiah 65:1-25) that transitions from God's lament over Israel's persistent rebellion and idolatry (Isaiah 65:1-7) to glorious promises of restoration for His faithful remnant. Specifically, verses 17-25 unveil a vivid portrait of the "new heavens and a new earth" that God will establish, a realm characterized by everlasting joy, extended lifespans, fruitful labor unmarred by futility, and the complete absence of sorrow, crying, or premature death. Within this grand vision of cosmic renewal, verse 25, with its striking imagery of transformed animal behavior, acts as the ultimate seal, underscoring the comprehensive nature of God's restorative work. It demonstrates that divine peace will permeate every facet of creation, extending even to the animal kingdom, and reinforcing the profound truth that God's manifest presence will utterly eradicate all forms of suffering, violence, and destruction from His perfectly renewed cosmos.
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah prophesied during a turbulent era for the Southern Kingdom of Judah, spanning the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (roughly 740-680 BC). This period was marked by significant political instability, including the looming threat of the Assyrian Empire, and profound spiritual decay within Judah, often leading to divine judgment. Against this backdrop of war, social injustice, and spiritual brokenness, Isaiah's prophecies of a future age of universal peace and divine order would have been profoundly counter-cultural and deeply comforting to a people yearning for deliverance. The imagery of predator and prey coexisting peacefully would have been particularly startling and revolutionary in an agrarian society where the constant threat of wild animals to livestock was a tangible and ever-present reality. Furthermore, the concept of "my holy mountain" (Mount Zion/Jerusalem) as the epicenter of God's righteous rule was foundational to Israelite theology, representing the place of God's dwelling and the source of His blessings, a vision that is here gloriously expanded to encompass an eschatological, globally transformed reality.
Key Themes
Isaiah 65:25 powerfully encapsulates several core themes that resonate throughout the book of Isaiah and the broader prophetic corpus. It vividly portrays Universal Peace and Harmony, depicting a world radically transformed from its current state of conflict and predation, echoing earlier Messianic prophecies of a peaceable kingdom found in Isaiah 11:6-9. This vision is intrinsically linked to the theme of Cosmic Restoration, signifying a comprehensive reversal of the curse of sin that impacted all creation, as initially described in Genesis 3:17-19. The specific mention of the serpent's diet ("dust [shall be] the serpent's meat") directly references the curse in Genesis 3:14, highlighting the ultimate Defeat of Evil and its pervasive influence, even as the serpent's power to "hurt nor destroy" is definitively removed. Finally, the concluding phrase "saith the LORD" underscores Divine Sovereignty and the Certainty of God's Promises, affirming that this future is not a mere utopian dream but a guaranteed reality brought about by the omnipotent and faithful God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root meaning "to be yellow," this term specifically denotes a wolf. In biblical imagery, the wolf is consistently portrayed as a fierce, predatory, and destructive animal, often symbolizing ruthless enemies, oppressive leaders, or false teachers (e.g., Ezekiel 22:27 or Matthew 7:15). Its inclusion here underscores the radical, almost unimaginable, nature of the peace, as its innate predatory instinct is completely nullified in the new creation.
This word refers to a young lamb, a creature universally associated with innocence, vulnerability, and sacrifice in biblical contexts. The image of the wolf and lamb feeding together is the epitome of the reversal of the natural order, where the most vulnerable is utterly safe and secure in the immediate presence of its former natural predator, symbolizing absolute peace, security, and the eradication of fear.
This term denotes a snake, specifically from its characteristic hiss. The serpent holds immense symbolic weight in Scripture, most notably as the instrument of temptation and the embodiment of evil and deception in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Its curse to eat dust is reiterated here, but with the added dimension that its capacity to "hurt nor destroy" is removed, signifying the ultimate subjugation, impotence, and containment of evil in God's holy domain.
Verse Breakdown
"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together"
This opening clause immediately establishes the central theme of radical transformation and profound peace. It presents a vivid, almost shocking, image of two animals that are natural enemies—one a fierce predator, the other its vulnerable prey—coexisting peacefully and sharing nourishment. This symbolizes the complete eradication of enmity, fear, and violence from the new creation, extending God's perfect peace beyond humanity to encompass the entire natural world.
"and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock"
This parallel clause powerfully reinforces the theme of transformed nature. The lion, the undisputed king of beasts and a powerful carnivore, is depicted as eating straw, which is the characteristic diet of a herbivorous bullock (ox). This further emphasizes the complete reversal of predatory instincts and the establishment of a non-violent, vegetarian order, reminiscent of the pre-Fall creation described in Genesis 1:30.
"and dust [shall be] the serpent's meat"
This phrase directly references the curse placed upon the serpent in Genesis 3:14, where it was condemned to crawl on its belly and eat dust. While the serpent's diet remains unchanged, its inclusion here serves a crucial symbolic purpose. It signifies that the original instigator of sin and cosmic disorder remains under judgment and humiliation, yet its power to inflict harm in God's new creation is utterly nullified and contained.
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."
This concluding declaration provides the overarching context and divine guarantee for the preceding imagery. "My holy mountain" refers metaphorically to God's restored kingdom, centered in Jerusalem (Mount Zion), but encompassing the entirety of His renewed creation. The emphatic statement that "they shall not hurt nor destroy" confirms the absolute absence of any form of violence, suffering, corruption, or malevolence. The concluding "saith the LORD" functions as a solemn divine oracle, stamping God's unchangeable authority, faithfulness, and omnipotence on this magnificent promise, assuring its certain and complete fulfillment.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 65:25 is exceptionally rich with Symbolism and vivid Imagery. The animals—the wolf, lamb, lion, bullock, and serpent—are not merely literal creatures but powerful symbols representing the full spectrum of creation, from the most violent predators to the most vulnerable prey, and even the embodiment of evil. Their radically transformed behavior vividly symbolizes a world where all enmity, fear, and suffering have ceased. The phrase "my holy mountain" functions as a key Metaphor, representing God's righteous, peaceful, and perfectly ordered kingdom, where His manifest presence ensures absolute shalom. The verse employs striking Parallelism in its structure, with the wolf-lamb pairing mirrored by the lion-bullock, reinforcing the comprehensive and universal nature of the peace. The entire passage is a prime example of Eschatological Prophecy, looking forward to a future, divinely inaugurated age of ultimate redemption. The concluding "saith the LORD" functions as a powerful Divine Oracle, lending irrefutable authority, certainty, and divine guarantee to the prophecy.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 65:25 stands as a profound theological statement on God's ultimate plan for creation, revealing His unwavering intention to fully redeem and restore not only humanity but also the very fabric of the natural world. It speaks to a future where the original harmony and perfection of Eden are not just recovered but perfected, utterly free from the blight of sin and its pervasive consequences. This vision underscores God's absolute sovereignty over all creation and His unshakeable faithfulness to His promises, assuring believers that the current groaning of creation under the weight of sin will one day give way to glorious liberty and profound peace. It paints a comprehensive picture of shalom, where even the most primal instincts of hostility and predation are overcome by divine grace, establishing a kingdom characterized by perfect justice, tranquility, and the manifest, all-encompassing presence of God.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 65:25 offers a breathtaking glimpse into God's ultimate design for creation—a world utterly transformed by His sovereign presence, where violence, fear, and destruction are completely abolished. This profound vision serves as an inexhaustible source of hope and comfort for believers living in a broken, often chaotic, and suffering world. It powerfully reminds us that suffering, injustice, and conflict are not God's final word, but rather temporary realities that will ultimately yield to His perfect and eternal peace. This prophecy encourages us to cultivate a deep and unwavering trust in God's faithfulness, knowing that if He can orchestrate such a radical and comprehensive transformation in the natural order, He is surely capable of fulfilling all His promises for our individual lives and for the world at large. While the full and literal realization of this cosmic peace awaits the new heavens and new earth, this vision also inspires and compels us to be active agents of peace, reconciliation, and healing in our present circumstances, reflecting the values of the coming kingdom and striving to bring glimpses of God's shalom into our communities, relationships, and spheres of influence, even now.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is the prophecy in Isaiah 65:25 meant to be interpreted literally or symbolically?
While the imagery of animals like wolves and lambs feeding together is undeniably rich with symbolism, representing a profound and radical reversal of the natural order and the eradication of enmity, the underlying promise of universal peace and the complete cessation of all harm is intended to be literally fulfilled. The Bible often employs vivid symbolic language to describe future realities that are beyond our current comprehension or experience. In this particular case, the literal truth conveyed is that in God's new creation, there will be no more violence, suffering, or destruction of any kind, and perfect harmony will extend to all aspects of existence, including the animal kingdom. This aligns seamlessly with the broader biblical narrative of creation's ultimate redemption from the curse of sin, moving towards a state of perfect and comprehensive shalom.
How does this prophecy relate to the Garden of Eden and the Fall?
Isaiah 65:25 directly relates to the Garden of Eden and the Fall by portraying a complete and glorious reversal of the curse introduced in Genesis 3. Before the Fall, creation lived in perfect harmony, and all animals, including humans, were herbivores (Genesis 1:30). The Fall introduced sin, death, disorder, and enmity into the world, leading to conflict between creatures and the subsequent "groaning" of creation (Romans 8:22). Isaiah's prophecy depicts a return to, and even an exceeding of, that original Edenic state of peace and harmony. The specific mention of the serpent's diet ("dust [shall be] the serpent's meat") is a direct and poignant echo of the curse placed upon the serpent in Genesis 3:14, signifying that while the serpent (representing evil and the instigator of sin) remains subdued and under judgment, its power to "hurt nor destroy" is utterly removed and rendered impotent in God's perfectly restored "holy mountain."
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 65:25 finds its ultimate and profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who is the promised Messiah and the divine agent of God's new creation. While the full, cosmic realization of this universal peace awaits His glorious return and the establishment of the new heavens and new earth, Christ's first advent inaugurated this new reality. He is the one through whom God was pleased to reconcile all things to Himself, "whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:20). Through His atoning sacrifice and victorious resurrection, Jesus began the profound process of reversing the curse of sin, not only for humanity but for all of creation, which "waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed" and "will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21). The peaceable kingdom envisioned by Isaiah is a direct and inevitable result of Christ's sovereign reign, where He, as the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), will ultimately bring a definitive and eternal end to all hurt, destruction, and discord, making "all things new" (Revelation 21:5). Thus, Isaiah 65:25 serves as a powerful prophetic blueprint for the comprehensive shalom that is secured by Christ's finished redemptive work and will be fully manifested in His eternal, glorious kingdom.