Archive for February, 2014

Isaiah 11:6-8 The Earth is Cursed, Still

Posted in Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 23, 2014 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 11:6-8 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.

The earth in its current status (February 2014) is still cursed. The curse finds its origin in the sin of Adam.

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

God wasted no time with the curse on the ground. The environment changed quickly. Finding food was clearly becoming an issue relative to the perfectly created Earth. From Adam to Noah in nine generations, the cursed ground was taking its toll. Man was having to work harder in order to eat. Genesis 5:29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.”

It is true, Noah (meaning rest or comfort) did provide humanity relief. If it were not for him building an ark, we would not be here. Conditions on Earth continued to become more difficult for growing food after the flood. Lot chose the lush and fertile Jordan valley near Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 13. This area is described as similar to the Garden of the Lord in Genesis 13:10 prior to its destruction. Today we know this area around the Dead Sea to be a barren, desert wasteland.

Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. Today, the creation continues to groan. We are still dealing with the effect of Adam’s choice. Prophecy tells us the growing conditions will get worse before it gets better. For now, we hold to the words of the Apostle Peter. 2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

God Himself comments in Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. This concept is noted in the Old and New Testaments. Revelation 21:5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

This earthly curse will be reversed.

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Isaiah 11:6, This Curse Is Not Reversed

Posted in Creation, Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2014 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 11:6-8 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.

What about the role of Satan, the serpent, in all of this? He is the one who enticed the woman in the Garden of Eden. He is the one who suggested to the woman to challenge God’s authority. He is the one who suggested disobedience to God. What does the future hold for Satan and future snakes? Let’s take a look back to the Garden. Satan was successful in the encouragement of the woman’s disobedience. Granted she and Adam made their own choices and are responsible for them.

Satan’s consequences are spelled out in Genesis 3:14, The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life… This is why we see snakes slither around on their belly.

…on your belly you go…The snake was reduced to the lowest of all animals. The snake is the most cursed (judged, condemned, harshly punished in the original Hebrew as noted per Strong’s Concordance) animal on the planet. There are some who conjecture the snake was originally created with the ability to maneuver upright prior to the fall. Notice the last part of the verse. The length of the sentence, punishment, and consequence is all the days of your life…

The context of Isaiah 65:25 is a time when there is peace in the animal kingdom. “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. Despite these changed and improved conditions, the snake is still cursed. Look at the living conditions of the cobra and viper. They are still in the ground on their bellies.

He wanted to exalt himself like the Most High. Micah 7:17 They will lick the dust like a serpent, like reptiles of the earth… His curse will not be reversed.

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Isaiah 11:6 The Curse is Reversed, Part 1

Posted in Creation, Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2014 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 11:6-8 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.

Is this a picture of the animal kingdom in today’s world, February 2014? Look at the pairs of animals: wolf and lamb; leopard and goat, lion and cow. Currently wolves, leopards, and lions are carnivores and predators. Lambs, goats, and cows are herbivores. They are also a meal and prey. I have seen the documentaries on the National Geographic cable channel, I know how these stories end.

Children of all ages, a nursing baby (ages 0-2), a weaned child (ages 2-4), and a small boy (ages 5 plus) are noted in the original Hebrew language. Young children of all ages are represented in these verses. In verse 6, the Hebrew term is na’ar. It means a boy, lad, or youth. In verse 8, the “nursing child” is the Hebrew term yanaq. It is as translated, a nursing infant. The “weaned child” in the Hebrew is gamal. (definitions per Strong’s Concordance). The text states these young children are safely playing around poisonous snake dens. The cobra and the viper are poisonous snakes. I have a nonpoisonous snake that lives under my front porch. I would love to kill it. Apparently, my current attitude would not exist in a future time.

Look at the living conditions. These animals are living together. Prey are living fearlessly with predators. Today, would a goat take a nap with a leopard? A 2-4 year old child is running around with these animals. Would parents allow their children to do this? The lion is described as an herbivore and eating grass, not exactly the image we have of a lion in February of 2014.

This is not the only place where these conditions are promised. Isaiah 65:25 verifies the same harmonious conditions. “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox…”

Imagine the impact on animal life with the curse removed. Reproduction in animal life will result in an explosion of population. Radical behavior changes are coming to the animal kingdom.

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