The Millennium Reign of Christ: How Creation and Animals Will Be Transformed

We continue our daily meditations on the Millennium, the thousand-year reign of Jesus. When Christ returns, His followers will receive incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54), and God will also transform 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).

The Groaning of Creation: Understanding Romans 8

What did Paul mean when he mentioned the groaning of creation? I believe he was pointing to how humans have mistreated animals. Since the Fall, the bond between humans and animals has weakened. Today, we see the harmful effects of modern farming practices that cause trauma to creation. This suffering is not God's plan, and animals suffer alongside us. Their groaning reveals their longing for safety and peace amid their fear of humanity and other animals that might prey on them.

 

The Restoration of the Animal Kingdom

Isaiah also described what it would be like when Christ, the root of Jesse, rules the earth:

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; emphasis added).

From Predators to Peace: Isaiah’s Vision of the Lion and the Lamb

Isaiah speaks of the one who will bring this era of change —a descendant of King David—Jesse, David’s father (v. 10)—namely, the Lord Jesus, the rightful heir to David’s throne. He will serve as a King who judges and transforms the earth. Predatory animals that usually prey on the defenseless will live in harmony (vs. 6-7). The wolf and the sheep will lie together at night, peacefully coexisting. The lion, a highly predatory creature, will graze on straw like an ox (v. 7). Children will play with venomous snakes, reaching into their dens (v. 8).

 

The Root of Jesse: Why Jesus is the Key to Earthly Peace

When Isaiah received this prophecy 600 years before Christ, Israel was filled with fierce animals, but he foretold a future in which children would play with animals, the earth would be peaceful, and God's knowledge would cover the earth.

 

A Future Without Fear: The End of Decay and Destruction

The Gentile nations will place their trust in Him, and His rest will be glorious (v. 10). This will be the Sabbath of a thousand years of peace. Humanity’s prayer for peace and goodwill on earth will finally be answered. God's presence and rule will bring this reality. The Lord Jesus will defeat the wicked by the breath of His lips (v. 4), and ultimately, all creation will live in peace. Christ’s rest for our souls will be glorious (v. 10). Keith Thomas

Continue Your Journey…

This devotional is part of our series, Insights into Eternity. If you want to dive deeper into what God has planned for your future, continue to the next lesson: What the 1000 Year Reign of Christ Will Be Like