A reader asked me, “The last part of Isaiah 11:9 says, ‘For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.’ Most of the things I’ve read focus on the first part of the verse, which says, ‘They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.’ What are your thoughts on this beautiful promise in Isaiah 11:9 and how it relates to the New Earth?”

Genesis uses the same word to refer to animals and humans. Though this does not mean that animals are equal to humans, Randy Alcorn explains that it does indicate that there is something special and unique that all living creatures share compared to the rest of creation - trees, rocks, etc. This is an important distinction in a culture that talks about "our cousin, tree." This video clip was excerpted from Randy's Eternity 101 DVD class.

Asking how rats and spiders and insects could possibly be on the New Earth is like asking how they possibly could have been in Eden. The point is, they were, and it didn’t diminish Eden, but somehow enhanced it.