Isaiah 11 Future or Present

Articles

Derek Long
01/27/19 - The Kingdom

January 27. 2019
Isaiah 11 - Future or Present?
By Derek Long
Isaiah 11 makes some wonderful predictions. In studying Isaiah 11, it is natural to question whether these things
have already taken place or are still events to come in the future. Isaiah 11 is a passage often cited as proof for a utopian world filled with peace to come in the future. When reading Isaiah 11:6-9 some come to the conclusion that Christ will set up His kingdom at some point in the future from today and cause the situation described in these verses to exist. Isaiah 11:6-9 speaks of a time when, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
If one reads Isaiah 11:6-9 and knows anything about the nature of the animals mentioned in these verses, he understands the passage has not been fulfilled, if Isaiah is using literal language. God often has the prophets use figurative language to describe things as we might use figurative language today. We may speak about people fighting like “cats and dogs” but we do not mean they are literally cats and dogs. Instead, we know how “cats and dogs” have a reputation of not getting along and we use such as an illustration to speak of how two people do not get along well. Isaiah 11:6-9 seems to be using figurative language to describe the peace which will exist among those in God’s holy mountain.
Isaiah 11:1-2 says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” These verses speak of one who is a descendant of Jesse coming forth like a Rod or Branch. Jesus is a descendant of Jesse (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38). Jesus also receives the Spirit of the Lord upon Him (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32-34; Acts 10:38). Both of these statements about Jesus find fulfillment in His first coming to earth as recorded in the gospel accounts.
Isaiah 11:3-5 describes the reign of Jesus as being characterized by righteousness. It says, “His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” Jesus certainly fits the description of One who rules and reigns with righteousness, equity, etc. Hebrews 1:8 speaks of the Son, Jesus, having “a scepter of righteousness.”
Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a condition of peace and unity existing in all God’s holy mountain. Isaiah 11:10 begins by saying, “and in that day.” Therefore, the events of verses 6-9 take place at the same time as the event mentioned in verse 10. Paul quotes Isaiah 11:10 in Romans 15:12 to speak of how the Gentiles can now find salvation in Christ. If Isaiah 11:10 was already being fulfilled in Paul’s day and Isaiah 11:10 takes place at the same time as the events described in Isaiah 11:6-9, then the events of Isaiah 11:6-10 have already been fulfilled.
Isaiah 11:11-16 speaks of a time when God will recover His people from captivity. These events also are said to “come to pass in that day.” In the New Testament, God gathers together His remnant of people from all nations and gathers them in the church. Paul reminds us that there exists today a remnant of God’s people just as there was in the days of Elijah. He writes, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5).
A question many might have is: how can the situation described in Isaiah 11:6-9 exist in the world today where there is so much unrest and turmoil? The answer to the question is Isaiah 11:6-9 is not describing the condition of the whole world but the conditions “in all My holy mountain.” In the church, we find peace was to exist (Isaiah 2:1-4). Christ did bring peace to parties who were previously hostile toward each other in the church. An example would be the Jews and Gentiles who were previously enemies but have now been reconciled to God and one another in the church (Ephesians 2:11-22). Isaiah 11:6-9 is a wonderful description of the type of peace God desires among His people (John 17:20-23).