Bible Question:

Is all the art authorized by the church false, which was created under the eye of the Pope and clergy of the Catholic Church? The current wording of Isaiah 11:6 is an alteration of our reality by CERN manipulation. This is known as the Mandela Effect.

Bible Answer:

All of the available evidence reveals that Isaiah 11:6 has never read as “the lion shall lie down with the lamb.” The current and historical reading of the text of Isaiah 11:6 is as follows:

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.  Isaiah 11:6 (NASB)

Historical Texts Of Isaiah 11:6 Have Not Changed

The Greek Septuagint was created in the period of 270 – 150 B.C and the Dead Sea Scrolls date from as early as 164 B.C. The book of Isaiah contained in the Septuagint translation[1] of the Hebrew Bible and in the Dead Sea manuscripts[2] found at Qumran all include the statement that the wolf and lamb would dwell or lie down together.

The early church fathers who refer to Isaiah 11:6 all refer to the wolf and lamb dwelling or lying down together. They never cite Isaiah 11:6 as including a lion and a lamb. The list and their quotes are as follows:[3]

– Chrysostom. Demonstration Against The Pagans. 6.8
– Chrysostom. Homilies Concerning The Statutes. 3.5
– Chrysostom. Homilies On The Gospel Of Matthew. 10.3
– Gregory The Great. Homilies On Ezekiel. 2.4.3
– Jerome. Letters. 130.8
– Jerome. Commentary on Isaiah. 4:11.6-9
– Jerome. Commentary On Hosea. 1.2.18
– Quodvultdeus. The Book of Promises and Predictions Of God. 3.39-46

Here are a few quotes from the above sources.

Hear how the prophet foretold the diversity of this flock when he said, “Then a wolf shall feed with a lamb.” Chrysostom. Demonstration Against The Pagans. 6.8.

That he said, “The wolves and the lambs shall feed together; and the leopard shall lie with the kid, and lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Chrysostom. Homilies Concerning The Statutes. 3.5.

Of this moment Isaiah also speaks, “The wolf will dwell with the lamb . . . ” Jerome. Commentary On Hosea. 1.2.18.

. . . through the prophet Isaiah about the promise of the church has been accomplished: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid.” Gregory The Great. Homilies On Ezekiel. 2.4.3.

 . . . according to the prophet Isaiah: “Then the wolf will dine with the lamb . . . ” Quodvultdeus. The Book of Promises and Predictions Of God. 3.39-46.

Consistent with the above paraphrases and quotes of Isaiah 11:6, the 1611 King James Bible refers to the wolf and lamb, not a lion and a lamb.[4]

The above data is cited from historically reliable manuscripts and ancient texts. The quotes can be verified by looking up the references below. They reveal that the text of Isaiah 11:6 has not changed from the earliest copies that we have of the verse which is about 270 B.C. There is no logical reason to conclude that Isaiah 11:6 once referred to the lion and the lamb.

Christ Said That Scripture Has Not and Will Not Change

Those who claim that the words of Isaiah 11:6 have changed have ignored almost 2,270 years of historical data and are contradicting Christ. In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus said that neither the smallest letter or stroke will pass away until the end of time.

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:17-18 (NASB)

Jesus’ message is that not even the smallest letter or stroke on a Hebrew word would disappear. In fact, the apostle Paul states that Scripture is accurate down to even the plural or single sense of a word. For more information about the meaning of Matthew 5:18 visit, “Teaching The Truth,” and “What is the meaning of ‘not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law’?”

Therefore, if the smallest letter or stroke will not disappear from the Hebrew word and Scripture is accurate even to the plurality of a word, then a single word or multiple words in Isaiah 11:6 will not disappear or change either. To conclude otherwise means the Jesus lied. It would mean that God was not powerful enough to protect the Word of God or sovereign enough to keep all of the words.

Conclusion:

This means that Jesus Christ, our God, has declared that Isaiah 11:6 could not have had such a radical change. Now a word of caution must be given. Jesus was not referring to the wide range of varying, modern English Bibles. He was referring to the Hebrew language in which the Old Testament was written in the original autographs. The real issue is not the accuracy of the Roman Catholic Church or past memories, but can we trust Christ and Scripture. Have the requirements for salvation changed?  The testimony and witness of Scripture is that every word is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and the Holy Spirit moved men to write (2 Peter 1:21). The Scriptures we have today are written by the Holy Spirit and since Jesus has promised that they are unchanged, that means Isaiah 11:6 has not changed either. It should be noted that the Roman Catholic Bible, the Douay-Rheims Bible, cites wolf and lamb and not lion and lamb.

For more information about the inspiration of Scripture and how God has protected its accuracy, visit the following studies: “What does it mean that the Bible is inspired?” and “Does the Bible contain errors, discrepancies, contradictions or mistakes?”  The Bible also teaches us that Jesus endorsed the Old Testament. For more information visit “What books belong in the Bible? – Canon of Scripture.”

 

References:

1. Sir Brenton. Isaiah. The Septuagint With Apocrypha: Greek and English. Hendrickson. 1986. p. 847.
2. Abegg et al. Isaiah. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible. harperSanFrancisco. 1999. p. 288
3. McKinion. Old Testament. Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture. InterVarsity Press. 2004. pp. 105-107.
4. 1611 King James Bible. Hendrickson Publishers. 2010. Isaiah 11:6.

Suggested Links:

Where in the Bible does it say that the lion will lie down with the lamb?
Teaching The Truth
What is the meaning of 'not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law'?
What does it mean that the Bible is inspired?
What books belong in the Bible? – Canon of Scripture
Does the Bible contain errors, discrepancies, contradictions or mistakes?