What does Isaiah say about the peaceful kingdom?
Isaiah describes the Millennial Kingdom as a time of universal peace, where wild and tame animals dwell together in safety, nations stream to the mountain of the Lord to learn His ways, and weapons of war are turned into farming tools so that nations no longer learn war.
Isaiah speaks of the coming kingdom as a place of complete safety and harmony in nature. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and young lion and fatling together, with a little child leading them. The cow and the bear shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and even a sucking child may play near the den of a serpent without harm, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah also tells of the nations turning to God and to peace among themselves. In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it, saying, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge among the nations and rebuke many people, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Alongside this peace, Isaiah describes a government of righteousness under the child born as Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, whose government and peace shall have no end, established with judgment and justice upon the throne of David for ever.
Isaiah further pictures the wilderness and solitary place rejoicing and blossoming, the eyes of the blind opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame leaping as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb singing. Waters break out in the wilderness, and a highway called the way of holiness is there, where no lion or ravenous beast shall be found, but the redeemed shall walk, and the ransomed of the Lord shall come to Zion with everlasting joy, sorrow and sighing having fled away.
The scriptures
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ 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. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
From the books
This answer is drawn from these passages in the Mary Banks Faith Library.