A little boy will lead them [i.e. the wolf...the leopard...the lion. Is. 11:6-9]

by Wonderment 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Wonderment

  Don't know if this subject has been touched on here before, but I have wondered at times, how much literalness can be applied to this Messianic prophecy within a paradise setting (assuming one probable interpretation of Is. 11:6-9 of various). The WT presents a mental image of complete harmony between animal and mankind.

  Does this biblical passage somehow indicate that existing wild beasts will feed on vegetation alone. Animals are not spoken of living forever in the Bible. It has been said that most wild animals do not die of old age, rather they die by being eaten alive by predators, or by other factors within their harsh environment. If so, how could their populations be practically contained, that is, if limitations common to their hostile environment are potentially removed in a restored paradise?

  What are we then to belief from this passage from Isaiah ? Will these animals stop being "wild" in paradise? Any comments are appreciated beforehand.
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  TD

  Two of the many times I've spoken on this topic:

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/187882/jw-science-quote-1-22

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/141006/jw-science-quote-day-8-28
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  Wonderment

  TD:

  Thank you, thank you for these posts! They are a fascinating read! I will read them again.

  On a different subject, I am assuming you know Greek, since you have variously posted material in Greek. If so, I would like to know where you picked it up. Again, I don't recall seeing any disclosure on the subject on your part.
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  joao

  Never bought that one either!
  
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  TD

  I would like to know where you picked it up.

  Ancient was part of a Classical Studies course at a local Community College.

  Modern (Which I highly recommend for pronunciation even though it's technically a different language) was with a private tutor.
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  Wonderment

  TD:

  Thanks for your response on the Greek!

  I find Classical Greek quite intimidating, and Modern Greek more appealing.

  Looking forward to your contributions here.
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  Phizzy

  Isaiah was not making a "Messianic prophecy" at all, he is talking of an incoming King in Israel at the time which he wrote.

  I have not made a definitive study of "Isaiah", but I think little can be construed as Messianic, without retro-fitting the idea, as the Gospel Writers did.

  Anything that may be vaguely Messianic would have been inserted by the Compilers of the Hebrew Bible, who worked after the Babylonian Exile, editing, redacting and generally altering the old Texts they did use, probably inventing whole chunks of new content themselves.
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  Wonderment

  Phizzy: "Isaiah was not making a 'Messianic prophecy' at all, he is talking of an incoming King in Israel at the time which he wrote."

  At least some do link this account with the future coming age of the Messiah, as shown below:

  NIV Study Bible: "11:1 shoot...stump... The Messiah will grow as a shoot from that stump of David's dynasty."
  
  11:6-9 The peace and safety of the Messianic age are reflected in the fact that little children will be unharmed as they play with formerly ferocious animals. Such conditions are a description of the future consummation of the Messianic kingdom See 2:2-4; 35:9; 65:20-25 and notes; Eze 34:25-29."
  
  NIV Zondervan Study Bible (Edited by D.A. Carson): "11:6-9 A description of the Messianic kingdom."
  
  The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Barker/Kohlenberger III): "The Davidic King and His Peaceful Reign (11:1-9) The Messianic theme reappears, having been out of sight since 9:7; it is taken up at precisely the point where it was left before, because the Davidic throne is implied in the reference to Jesse, David's father, and the effective zeal of the Lord Almighty in the richly empowering Spirit of the Lord."
  
  The IVP Bible Background Commentary: "11:1-16 The Future Davidic King and His Kingdom."
  
  The MacArthur Study Bible: "11:6-9 Such [conditions of peace] will characterize the future millennial kingdom in which the Prince of Peace (9:6) will reign."
  
  The New Oxford Annotated Bible: "11:6-9: The messianic king (compare 9:2-7)...The Messiah will manifest the characteristics of those who were great in Israel...)."
  
  The Jerusalem Bible: "A messianic poem describing in some detail the salient characteristics of the coming Messiah."

  There are, however, other interpretations to this passage that have been published.
  
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  waton

  wt has declared new light, that some of the Isaiah prophecies to apply not to the future, but the spiritual condition of the returned exiles hundreds of years before the start of our era.
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  luckynedpepper

  This was included in a part from the Friday afternoon session of the 2022 Regional broadcast.

  They have clearly "cooled" in saying that animals would eat literal straw or dust.