You only have to glance at the news to know that world peace is far from reality. We all long for it, but we know it isn’t going to happen in our lifetime. God promised us peace on earth, so where is it?

When we started chapter 11 of Isaiah in 2020, we saw that from the remnants of the nation of Israel would come the Savior King, the perfect Judge, the Messiah. This pointed to Jesus Christ, who came to earth, died for our sins, and was raised to new life. This was the beginning of the process that will lead to true peace on earth. We see the beginnings of peace through Jesus Christ now, but the fulfillment will come with His return.

Pictures of Peace

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf 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 cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den” (vv. 6-8 ESV).

In Isaiah’s word from the Lord about the coming peace, we see predators and prey living together, carnivores converted to herbivores, and snakes that are no longer venomous. This is a return to the perfection of Eden where there was no death or destruction. (See Genesis 1:29-31.)

Why is this discussion of “zoological peace” in the middle of Isaiah’s train of thought? When God’s people were under the threat of war, this doesn’t seem like a high priority. However, this is a picture of complete safety. The most vulnerable—lambs, calves, and babies—live safely in the kingdom of God. There will be no further threats from any source—not cobras or wolves or enemy nations. God will set everything right.

These same images are repeated in Isaiah 65 where they are clearly tied to the end of time:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create… The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food” (65:17-18, 25).

We can look forward to that coming day of perfect peace.

Knowledge of God

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (v. 9).

It is because of the knowledge of the Lord that there will be no hurting or destruction. Mankind has accumulated vast knowledge and created all kinds of new technologies, but none of them have led to world peace. Many human inventions only make it easier to kill and destroy.

Knowledge of the Lord is the only true salvation. Only when every knee bows to Him and every tongue swears allegiance to Him (Isaiah 45:23) will there be true peace. The Apostle Peter drew on language from Isaiah when he stated, “But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). When all evil is eradicated there will be harmony between God and man and all of creation. Righteousness and peace are closely linked in God’s plan for His people.

In the meantime, there will be “wars and rumors of wars… famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matt. 24:6-7). What are we to do with the evidence of the lack of peace in the world?

• Let the news headlines be reminders of our need for God.
• Be spurred on to share the good news of peace with God through Jesus Christ.
• Remember that God is in control and cling to His promises.
• Let the history of God’s faithfulness bring comfort to today’s struggles.

The secular world thinks of peace as the calm between two wars, but that is just a poor imitation of true peace. We know that God is still on His throne and one day we will see all of creation subjected to His eternal rule and reign.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20-21).

Application Questions

1) What do other Scriptures teach about peace? E.g. Psalm 4:8, Psalm 34:14, Proverbs 12:20, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 10:34, John 14:27, Romans 5:1.

2) What places or images give you a sense of peace? How might those experiences reflect the perfection of God’s eternal kingdom?

3) How do you respond when you see the headline news each day? What helps you to keep everything in proper perspective in light of eternity?

4) How does knowing the “end of the story” give you peace and hope in the midst of life’s struggles? Have you shared that hope with others recently?