Advent Glimpses of our Future
The renewed earth will be a place of peace where no violence will be found; it will even be absent from the animal kingdom. Those of us who love animals see the marks of God on their feelings and behaviors. Elephants visit and grieve the bones of their dead clan members. Whales and dolphins of the sea show special feelings for each other. Consider the faithfulness of dogs to those they love. Other things could be listed that show God’s design in the animal kingdom. The food chain with its harshness of stronger eating weaker will be over. Why? All things will be renewed!!
“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9 (NRSV)
“The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.” Isaiah 65:25 (ESV)
