The animal kingdom will be peaceful, predator-prey relationships will end, and animals will return to a plant-based diet.
Scripture says the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the kid, and a little child will lead them. Les Feldick teaches that the lion will lose its carnivorous appetite and eat straw like the ox, and that the Kingdom will restore the pre-fall condition when nothing ate meat.
Isaiah 11:6-9 — Directly and specifically describes what the animal kingdom will be like in the Kingdom, including predator-prey peace, the lion eating straw, and the safety of children.
Romans 8:20-21 — Explains that creation itself is currently under the curse and will be delivered from corruption when the Kingdom comes.
The clearest scriptural description is Isaiah 11:6-9. There God says that "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." The same passage says "the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox." It also describes a child playing safely at the hole of an asp and the weaned child putting his hand on the cockatrice' den. The passage closes by saying "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain." Romans 8:20-21 also speaks of creation being made subject to vanity and not willingly, and it promises that "the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." This is the broader biblical promise that the decay and conflict we see in the natural world are not permanent.
Les Feldick treats the Isaiah 11 description literally. He says the animal kingdom will be completely different because the curse has been lifted. In the Kingdom, the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf, young lion, and fatling will be together, with a little child leading them. The cow and bear will feed together, and the lion, he says, will lose its carnivorous appetite and eat grass and berries just like other creatures. Les also uses this passage to answer practical questions. He says every animal will be a pet — wild animals will be just as tame as household pets — and he points out that the little child in the text comes from believing parents. He connects this scene to Genesis, teaching that before Adam fell nothing ate meat; everything ate the grass, herbs, nuts, and berries that grew naturally. When the curse is lifted in the Kingdom, creation will be restored to that original state, and all of creation is looking forward to that deliverance.
Yes. Isaiah 11:6 says the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling will be together. Verse 7 adds that the cow and the bear will feed in the same place and their young ones will lie down together. Les Feldick reads these words literally — he says you do not spiritualize prophecy into something else; you believe what it says. The presence of a little child in the middle of the animals shows how complete the peace will be, and Les comments that mamas will not have to worry about their kids in the midst of leopards and lions.
The Bible says the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and Les explains that the wolf will also eat grass and berries like other creatures. This is not a temporary adjustment; it is a return to the original creation. Les says that before Adam sinned nothing ate meat, and everything ate the grass, herbs, nuts, and berries that grew naturally. When the Kingdom is set up and the curse is lifted, the same plant-based diet will be restored.
The change comes because the curse is lifted. Les teaches that animals today live under pain and suffering, always aware of an enemy and often starving for lack of food. That is not how God first created them; the curse brought on the present ecology. Romans 8:21 says the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and Les connects this to Isaiah 11, where all animals cohabit peacefully. Wildlife will no longer fear other species or man, and the animal kingdom will be restored as it was before Adam fell.
Literal Reading of Isaiah 11
Les teaches that we should take prophetic passages like Isaiah 11 literally — if it says the wolf will dwell with the lamb, we should believe it as written rather than spiritualize it away.
Kingdom Animal Peace
Les walks through Isaiah 11:6-8 showing the wolf with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the calf and young lion together, a child leading them, and the lion eating straw like an ox.
Curse Lifted; Wolf Eats Grass
Les explains that after the curse is lifted the wolf will no longer kill the lamb because it will eat grass and berries like other creatures.
Safety for Children
Les points out that a little child will lead the animals and that mamas will not need to worry about their children in the middle of leopards and lions.
Every Animal a Pet
Les answers the question about pets in the Kingdom by saying every animal will be a pet — the wild animals will be just as tame as household pets.
Animals in Heaven/Kingdom
Les takes questions about animals and answers from Isaiah 11 that the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the little child will come from believing parents, and the lion will eat straw like the ox as it was before sin entered.
Creation Freed From Curse
Les describes how animals today live under the curse, always aware of enemies, and says when the curse is lifted all animals will cohabit peacefully.
Restoration Before the Fall
Les teaches that creation will be delivered from corruption and restored as it was before Adam fell, when nothing ate meat and everything lived on naturally growing vegetation.
Isaiah 11:6: 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.
This is the key verse describing peaceful coexistence of predator and prey in the Kingdom.
Isaiah 11:7: And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Shows herbivorous behavior restored and even the lion eating straw.
Isaiah 11:8: And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
Shows that even deadly snakes will no longer be a danger to children in the Kingdom.
Isaiah 11:9: 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.
Summarizes the absence of harm in the Kingdom.
Romans 8:21: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Connects the restoration of the animal kingdom to the lifting of the curse at the Kingdom.
Genesis 1:30: And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Reveals God's original design in which animals were vegetarian, which Les says will be restored.
No. Scripture says the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and Les teaches that the wolf will eat grass and berries like other creatures. The carnivorous appetite will be gone, and animals will return to eating natural vegetation as they did before sin entered.
Yes. Isaiah 11 says a little child shall lead them, and Les explains that mamas will not have to worry about their children in the middle of leopards and lions. The suckling child will play on the hole of the asp, so even venomous snakes are harmless.
Les says every animal will be a pet. The wild animals will be just as tame as household pets, answering the question he says people call in about.
Because the curse will be lifted. Romans 8:21 says creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and Les teaches that the animal kingdom will be restored to its condition before Adam fell, when nothing ate meat.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About the Millennial Kingdom