A powerful prophetic vision is conveyed in these words from the Bible: “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” (Isaiah 11:6).
The “little child” is associated with the advent of Christ, the expected Messiah, which was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. The Messiah, with his childlike nature, would reign, lead, and establish peace, as Isaiah symbolized by the harmonious relations between animals that would normally prey on or be preyed upon by each other. His prophetic vision depicts the disposition and character of the Messiah, which includes peacefulness, love, humility, meekness, receptivity, and trust in God—qualities seen in Jesus’ example and teachings.
Christ Jesus gave a list of what we need to do too, in order to be “peacemakers . . . called the children of God” (see Matthew 5). This includes loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us.
