After I published this project, I received and email which took exception to my position on the Mandela Effect.  Normally, I do not respond to emails.  Good or bad, I typically don’t have the time.  However, every now and then I am led to read and respond.

Emails espousing differences of opinion are common, and come with the territory.  However, I was led to read and respond to this one for a different reason.  In one shot, it demonstrated perfectly the danger facing the Body of Christ today.  It was a tremendous example of how so many lean to their own understanding, and lack even basic skills of critical observation.

This email would provide the chance to give additional examples of the manipulation of the Mandela Effect – not of the Bible, but believers.  Furthermore, it provided solid examples of the mindset and train of thought behind those in deception, and what they are willing to embrace to maintain that deception.

I am leaving out the name of the individual that sent the email, for obvious reasons.  Here was the email, and my response:

~~~

Yes, the Bible has been changed. Here you find an Overview and you even find LOTS AND LOTS of proof for that Isaiah 11:6 changed – just click on the link there:

http://mandela-effect.bplaced.net/doku.php?id=changes_in_bible-translations_overview

Here you find more changes:

http://mandela-effect.bplaced.net/forum/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=6&

We even know WHY they are changing the Bible:

http://mandela-effect.bplaced.net/doku.php?id=why_the_bible_is_being_changed

PS: the Bible even predicted such things will happen – see Daniel 7:25 / 2 Thess2:11ff / Mt24 and also Amos 8:11-14
—-

Just check out the listing. For Isaiah 11:6 there’s probably the most proof available still. In the future the proof will also be gone so that the deception will be perfect, spoken of in 2Thess2,11ff
—-
Do your research and don’t deceive people

Greetings _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Here was my response:

Let’s start with this:

“Just check out the listing. For Isaiah 11:6 there’s probably the most proof available still. In the future the proof will also be gone so that the deception will be perfect, spoken of in 2Thess2,11ff”

I will include commentary on Isaiah 11:6 at the end of the project, from sources that have been around far longer than the Mandela Effect permits.  It is far too extensive to include before that point.

That said, I find it interesting to witness the mental gymnastics required to justify embracing something like the Mandela Effect.  It MUST be true, since there will be end times deceptions, and the Mandela Effect is the ONLY possible reason why!

That is effectively what you are saying.  This reminds me of the arguments for flat earth.  

One more thing before we continue.  As I reviewed the material and response you gave, I noticed a deeper motivation and pattern to what you believe, and what you present.  I will cover that in just a few moments.

I will be adding your email and this response to the project.  It is a perfect example of what I was talking about, and will be invaluable as an actual example of how deception works, and who it protects itself.

At any rate, let’s move forward.

Here are the scriptures you cite as “proof” for the Mandela Effect.  

Daniel 7:25 – He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.

First problem – this speaks of the Antichrist.  It is a very specific reference, dealing with a very specific set of actions – none of which deal with the Mandela Effect.

2 Thess. 2:11 – Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Second problem – this also speaks of the Antichrist, and those that follow him during the tribulation.  The context is found in the verses prior:

9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Here was the third set of scriptures:

Amos 8:11-14 – “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it.
13 “In that day the lovely virgins and the young men
shall faint for thirst.
14 Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria,
and say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,’
and, ‘As the Way of Beersheba lives,’
they shall fall, and never rise again.”

Third, and the biggest problem is this.

You are attempting to use very specific scriptures regarding the end times to justify a complete and utter lack of faith in the Lord.  There are reasons why this is, and I see a pattern emerging in what you believe, and why this appeals to you.  I will cover that in a moment.

That said.

I did what I always do on things like this.  I decided to take a couple of the given examples and see if they have merit.  Once I find three errors I file the rest in file 13.  It did not take long.  I started with the first link you provided.  If that link was garbage, then it stands to reason that they are all garbage, as they are being presented by you as proof.

Needless to say, all of it went into file 13.

Right off the bat I found the error with wine skins and bottles.  I cover that in the project, and perhaps you missed where I covered this.  In short, “bottles” is not a new word, nor does it only mean what we associate it with in modern times.  Our modern word of “bottle” comes from an ancient form meaning the same thing.  “Bottle” is an accurate translation, and the wine skins were known as “bottles”.

So, I picked another example:

grain fields The change affected the following passages: Mt12:1 / Mk2:23 / Mk4:28 / Lk6:1 / Joh12:24 3)

So, I took a look to see if grain fields have disappeared from the Bible.  No dice – grain fields can still be found in the Bible.  Now, if a person wants to have a discussion about translation changes and the best choices, then that is a separate discussion.  However, that is not what is being pushed in the Mandela Effect deception.  Rather, the the Word of God is literally changes on our coffee tables, through means that are beyond the power of God to stop.

Here are some of the translations and their choice of wording.

New International Version
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.

New Living Translation
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them.

English Standard Version
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Berean Study Bible
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

Berean Literal Bible
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbaths, and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat them.

New American Standard Bible
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

King James Bible
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain.

International Standard Version
At that time, Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.

NET Bible
At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat and eat them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
At that time Yeshua was walking on the Sabbath in the grainfields, and his disciples were hungry and they began plucking the ears of grain and they were eating.

GOD’S WORD® Translation
Then on a day of worship Jesus walked through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain to eat.

New American Standard 1977
At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

Jubilee Bible 2000
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the planted fields, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of grain and to eat.

King James 2000 Bible
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grain field; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of grain, and to eat.

American King James Version
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

American Standard Version
At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.

Douay-Rheims Bible
AT that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat.

Darby Bible Translation
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat.

English Revised Version
At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the cornfields; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck ears of corn, and to eat.

Webster’s Bible Translation
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

Weymouth New Testament
About that time Jesus passed on the Sabbath through the wheatfields; and His disciples became hungry, and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them.

World English Bible
At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Young’s Literal Translation
At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat,

So, the question becomes this – is corn wrong?  The answer is no.  Here is why.

Corn is a word that has more than just a modern meaning.  It is a very old word that has been applied in the modern sense to what we know as corn.  However, it is an accurate translation of the original word in the Greek.  Here are a few pieces of information for you:

corn (n.1) Look up corn at Dictionary.com

“grain,” Old English corn, from Proto-Germanic *kurnam “small seed” (source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon korn “grain,” Middle Dutch coren, German Korn, Old Norse korn, Gothic kaurn), from PIE root *gre-no- “grain” (source also of Old Church Slavonic zruno “grain,” Latin granum “seed,” Lithuanian žirnis “pea”). The sense of the Old English word was “grain with the seed still in” (as in barleycorn) rather than a particular plant.

Locally understood to denote the leading crop of a district. Restricted to the indigenous “maize” in America (c. 1600, originally Indian corn, but the adjective was dropped), usually wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland, while Korn means “rye” in parts of Germany. Maize was introduced to China by 1550, it thrived where rice did not grow well and was a significant factor in the 18th century population boom there. Cornflakes first recorded 1907. Corned beef so called for the “corns” or grains of salt with which it is preserved; from verb corn “to salt” (1560s).
corn (n.2) Look up corn at Dictionary.com

“hardening of skin,” early 15c., from Old French corne (13c.) “horn (of an animal),” later, “corn on the foot,” from Latin cornu “horn,” from PIE *ker- (1) “horn; head, uppermost part of the body” (see horn (n.)). ~~

Here are a couple lines that bear special interest on the conversation at hand:

“source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon korn “grain,” Middle Dutch coren, German Korn, Old Norse korn, Gothic kaurn”

“from PIE root *gre-no- “grain””

“The sense of the Old English word was “grain with the seed still in” (as in barleycorn) rather than a particular plant.”

In a side note, it is interesting that the reference here is to barley as the example, given to the bearing that it has in this particular conversation.  I found that truly fascinating.  

Here is the actually Greek for the word in question.

Strong’s Concordance
stachus: a head of grain
Original Word: στάχυς, υος, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: stachus
Phonetic Spelling: (stakh’-oos)
Short Definition: a head of grain
Definition: a head of grain.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4719: στάχυς

στάχυς, σταχυνος (cf. Buttmann, 14), ὁ (connected with the root, sta, ἵστημι; Curtius, p. 721), from Homer down, the Sept. for שִׁבֹּלֶת, an ear of corn (or growing grain): Matthew 12:1; Mark 2:23; Mark 4:28; Luke 6:1.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
ear of corn.
From the base of histemi; a head of grain (as standing out from the stalk) — ear (of corn).

see GREEK histemi

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a head of grain
NASB Translation
head (2), heads (2), heads of grain (1). ~~~~

This is not the only evidence.  However, it takes actual effort to do legitimate research.  It takes more time and patience than most are willing to invest.  The information above is still readily available in all of the older printed materials, as well as the newest sources.  Likewise, the etymology is also available in great depth and detail.  It provides the reasoning as to why we use certain words in certain scriptures, and different transliterations of those same words in other scriptures.  There are linguistic reasons why “grain” “corn” are used interchangeably in the Bible.

I found the commentary on “corn” particularly telling:

“Corn did not exist in this part of the world back then. Thus the Bible is now scientifically not accurate anymore…”

Sadly, this was an example of the logic and reasoning I found in all three of the links you provided.  Not only was there corn (in the actual, original meaning of the word) in that part of the world, back then – but declaring such proves the accuracy of the Bible!  It is statements like the one above that reflect very poorly on Christians. 

So far, everything I have seen in the links you have provided prove what I was presenting in the project.

Then there was the next example I looked at for Mark 3:10 –

“The difference between preaching and publishing becomes obvious, when one considers, that published things (such as books, videos, audio-recordings) can be changed by CERN/the Mandela-Effect, whereas our spiritual souls (of believers that are protected by God) seems to cannot be changed. Thus if you publish something it can be changed before it reaches the audience, but when you preach it, the information comes directly from your soul that cannot be tampered with and you can make sure that the audience really gets to hear what they need to hear. Thus, this change is major.”

Here were the differences pointed out:

“And the gospel must first be PREACHED among all nations.” (Mark 13,10; KJV)

“And the gospel must first be PUBLISHED among all nations.” (Mark 13,10; KJV)

This is yet ANOTHER example of what I presented in the project, and what I have presented here.  This will make five such examples that I have refuted, and can do this on all of the supposed changes.  

Did anybody even bother to look into the meaning of the words “preached” and “published” in the first place?  I am not talking about the modern definitions (which would not have helped your case, by the way), rather than simply going off what they THOUGHT the word meant?

Here is another bucket of evidence:

Strong’s Concordance
kérussó: to be a herald, proclaim
Original Word: κηρύσσω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kérussó
Phonetic Spelling: (kay-roos’-so)
Short Definition: I proclaim, herald, preach
Definition: I proclaim, herald, preach.

HELPS Word-studies
2784 kērýssō – properly, to herald (proclaim); to preach (announce) a message publicly and with conviction (persuasion).

2784 /kērýssō (“to herald”) refers to preaching the Gospel as the authoritative (binding) word of God, bringing eternal accountability to all who hear it.

[2784 (kērýssō) is “preaching by a herald sent from God” (BAGD, “declaration,” TDNT, 3:703). To “gospelize” (2097 /euaggelízō) stresses the victory of God’s Gospel-message in the totality of His “good news.”]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
to be a herald, proclaim
NASB Translation
made proclamation (1), preach (16), preached (10), preacher (1), preaches (2), preaching (11), proclaim (8), proclaimed (6), proclaiming (6).

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2784: κηρύσσω

κηρύσσω; imperfect ἐκήρυσσον; future κηρύξω; 1 aorist ἐκηρυξα (infinitive κηρύξαι R G Tr WH, κηρύξαι L T; cf. Lipsius, Gramm. Untersuch., p. 32ff; Tdf. Proleg., p. 101; Winer’s Grammar, § 6, 1 f. (see references under the word κῆρυξ)); passive, present κηρύσσομαι; 1 aorist ἐκηρυχθην; 1 future κηρυχθήσομαι; (κῆρυξ, which see); from Homer down; the Sept. for קָרָא; to be a herald; to officiate as herald; to proclaim after the manner of a herald; always with a suggestion of formality, gravity, and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed;
a. univ to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done, Mark 7:36; τόν λόγον, Mark 1:45 (here joined with διαφημίζειν); followed by indirect discourse, Mark 5:20; Luke 8:39; something which ought to be done, followed by the infinitive (cf. Winers Grammar, 322 (302); (Buttmann, § 141, 2)), Romans 2:21; Μωυσῆν, the authority and precepts of Moses, Acts 15:21; περιτομήν, the necessity of circumcision, Galatians 5:11.

b. specifically used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers: absolutely, Matthew 11:1; Mark 1:38; Mark 3:14; Mark 16:20; Romans 10:15; with the dative of the person to whom the proclamation is made, 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Peter 3:19; εἰς (R ἐν with the dative) τάς συναγωγάς (see εἰς, A. I. 5 b.; cf. Winer’s Grammar, 213 (200)), Mark 1:39; (Luke 4:44 T Tr text WH); (ὁ) κηρύσσων, Romans 10:14; κηρύσσειν, with the accusative of the thing, Matthew 10:27; Luke (); ; τίνι τί, Luke 4:18(); τό εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας, Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:14 (where G L brackets T Tr WH τό εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ); τό εὐαγγέλιον simply, Mark 16:15; Galatians 2:2; τό εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τινας (see above), 1 Thessalonians 2:9; passive, Matthew 24:14; Matthew 26:13; Colossians 1:23; with εἰς πάντα τά ἔθνη or εἰς ὅλον τόν κόσμον added, Mark 13:10; Mark 14:9; τόν λόγον, 2 Timothy 4:2; τό ῤῆμα τῆς πίστεως, Romans 10:8; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Luke 8:1; Luke 9:2; Acts 20:25 (here G L T Tr WH omit τοῦ Θεοῦ); ; βάπτισμα, the necessity of baptism, Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 10:37; μετάνοιαν καί ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, by public proclamation to exhort to repentance and promise the pardon of sins, Luke 24:47; ἵνα μετανοῶσιν (R G μετανοήσωσι) (see ἵνα, II. 2 b.; (Buttmann, 237 (204))), Mark 6:12. τινα τισί, to proclaim to persons one whom they are to become acquainted with in order to learn what they ought to do: Χριστόν, or τόν Ἰησοῦν, Acts 8:5; Acts 19:13; Philippians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 4:5 (where it is opposed to ἑαυτόν κηρύσσομεν, to proclaim one’s own excellence and authority); 2 Corinthians 11:4; passive, ὁ κηρυχθείς, 1 Timothy 3:16; with διά and the genitive of person added, 2 Corinthians 1:19; with the epexegetic addition, ὅτι οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 9:20; ὅτι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται, 1 Corinthians 15:12; τίνι followed by ὅτι, Acts 10:42; κηρύσσων followed by λέγων (Matthew 3:2), with direct discourse, Matt. ( L T WH); ; Mark 1:7; κηρύσσειν καί λέγειν followed by direct discourse, Matthew 3:1 (R G Tr brackets); ; κηρύσσοντα ἐν (omitted in Rec.) φωνή μεγάλη, followed by direct discourse (of an angel as God’s herald), Revelation 5:2; κηρύσσομεν with οὕτως added, 1 Corinthians 15:11. On this word see Zezschwitz, Petri apost. de Christi ad inferos descensu sententia. (Lipsius 1857), p. 31ff; (Campbell, Dissert. on the Gospels, diss. 6, pt. v. Compare: προκηρύσσω.)

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

preach, proclaim, publish.
Of uncertain affinity; to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel) — preacher(-er), proclaim, publish. ~~~

Here is the most interesting thing on “preach” and “publish” – BOTH words and actually used in the KJV, in the same conversation, recorded by two different authors!

Englishman’s Concordance

κηρυχθῆναι (kērychthēnai) — 2 Occurrences
Mark 13:10 V-ANP
GRK: πρῶτον δεῖ κηρυχθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον
NAS: first be preached to all
KJV: must first be published among all
INT: first must be proclaimed the gospel

Luke 24:47 V-ANP
GRK: καὶ κηρυχθῆναι ἐπὶ τῷ
NAS: of sins would be proclaimed in His name
KJV: of sins should be preached in
INT: and should be proclaimed in the

However, the best evidence against the commentary on the link is the actual commentary itself.

“The difference between preaching and publishing becomes obvious, when one considers, that published things (such as books, videos, audio-recordings) can be changed by CERN/the Mandela-Effect, whereas our spiritual souls (of believers that are protected by God) seems to cannot be changed.”

Yes, this was the actual defense given.

Never mind the entire litany of scriptures that make this statement utterly ridiculous.  If the person that wrote these words spent time in actual study, they would understand just what the written word of God truly is.  It is the fact that they attempt to make the argument itself the actual proof – OF THE ARGUMENT!

For the record, there is no such thing as a “spiritual soul”.  Also, there is nothing “obvious” as most of us know that the Mandela Effect is deception, and not a fact in any respect.

This is why there is such deception in the end times.  It is not because the Bible is being changed.  It is because the internet gives folks just enough information to be dangerous.  Simply looking up information does not make you a scholar.  True scholarship takes weeks, months and years of study on a particular subject, and an ability to make subtle yet critical observations.

Most importantly, it takes an ability to ask a simple, yet straight forward question:

“Is there a reason for this that I am not seeing?”  

“Is there any other possible solutions?”

That is the problem with what you have presented here as “evidence”.  You provided three links to sites where the “scholarship” goes no further than what people already think.  So, you get what we have here – folks making broad and damaging claims based on their own very limited understanding of the subject, and even more limited efforts to dig into the historical provisions of the subject at hand.  “Bottle” and “corn” are perfect examples of this.  In both cases, the “evidence” is nothing more than proclaiming errors based on modern understanding.

Clearly, “bottle” can only mean a beer “bottle”, and “corn” can only mean “corn on the cob”.

However, the greatest indication of what all this boils down to was found in another example on that first link.  In this resides the crux of what the Mandela Effect is all about, which believers are embracing it – and why.  I stated at the start that I saw a pattern emerge in what you were saying, and what you presented.  It turns out that the proof of this was right there in the first link.

It is direct proof of the reasoning I gave in the project for the Mandela Effect, and I did not even have to dig for it!  It was there, perfectly placed, and leaves no doubts as to what you believe, and why you need the Mandela Effect to be real.

This was the smoking gun, the reason why this is happening in the first place:

“(The “the” got added to the Verse) – Now with the “the” added, it sounds like 2 separate days, a great day and a terrible day – which would also fit the “Pre-Tribulation-Rapture”-Theology that is also being preached to the masses (also through Hollywood) – because according to the Pre-Tribulation-Theology first there’s the rapture and then on some day later there’s the judgement.”

All end times deception before the tribulation has at it’s heart a single goal – the denial of the soon return of the Lord.

That is why yourself, and others, are so willing to embrace this deception.  The evidence for the pre-trib rapture is so overwhelming – with the Lord revealing more of it each day – that the only defense that remains is to proclaim the very Bible itself is flawed!  Trib Rising alone documents more evidence of the pre-trib rapture than you will ever be able to refute.  The only chance you have is to deny the source of the work itself.

This is the reason why my work struck such a nerve with you.  It’s not that the project was wrong. . .

It’s that is was right, and it threatened the house of cards you have built to deny the pre-trib rapture.

What was it that you said when you closed your email?

“Do your research and don’t deceive people”

I think it’s fair to say that we have put to rest the notion that I don’t research the topic at hand.  However, it is equally as obvious where the lack of scholarship truly resides.

I will close my response with a small section from the project that bears directly on the rapture aspect we have just discussed:

“I guess it should be no surprise to see what corner of Christianity this is coming from. I see the folks that are promoting this the most. That should also be a warning flag, except we seem to have lost the ability to check simple sources. I don’t know how many times or ways I can say this. If you share something from somebody that you know is false, and promotes false doctrines, simply because they get one thing right – you are effectively green lighting what they preach elsewhere. How quickly we forget just how much Satan likes to mix in just enough truth to sell his lies.

As for the folks selling this bucket of lies, I would offer you this:

You better wake up and realize something. I don’t know how you expect to make it in the tribulation, standing for Christ at the expense of your life, when you have already taken all of His power and given it to Satan.

Seriously. You guys claim you can stand and deliver for Christ in the tribulation, yet you have already rendered Him powerless. How exactly do you intend to find the strength, when you have already written Christ off?

For those that are a bit confused, the crowd that is single-handedly pushing this nonsense is the same crowd that is hell bent on entering the tribulation. This is the same group that has single handedly decided that the pre-trib rapture is a doctrine straight from the pits of hell.

Yet, this is what they pass as “wisdom”?”

That just about sums all of this up.
In the name of our most blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here is the Isaiah commentary I mentioned earlier:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb . . .—It is significant of the prophet’s sympathy with the animal world that he thinks of that also as sharing in the blessings of redemption. Rapine and cruelty even there were to him signs of an imperfect order, or the consequences of a fall, even as to St. Paul they witnessed of a “bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:21). The very instincts of the brute creation should be changed in “the age to come,” and “the lion should eat straw like the ox.” Men have discussed the question whether and when the words shall receive a literal fulfilment, and the answer to that question lies behind the veil. It may be that what we call the laws of animal nature in these respects are tending to a final goal, of which the evolution that has tamed the dog, the bull, the horse, is as it were a pledge and earnest (Soph., Antig., 342-351). It may be, however, that each form of brute cruelty was to the prophet’s mind the symbol of a human evil, and the imagery admits, therefore, of an allegorical rather than a literal interpretation. The classical student will remember the striking parallelism of the fourth Eclogue of Virgil, which, in its turn, may have been a far-off echo of Isaiah’s thoughts, floating in the air or embodied in apocryphal Sibylline Oracles among the Jews of Alexandria and Rome.

Benson Commentary

Isaiah 11:6-8. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, &c. — “We have here the illustrious consequence of the economy of this divine kingdom, this kingdom of righteousness, equity, faith, and grace.” The expressions which describe it are metaphorical: they represent the subjects of it under the figure of a flock, lying down and feeding under the care of the Messiah, as the great and chief shepherd, in the utmost peace, harmony, and security. Men of fierce, cruel, and ungovernable dispositions shall be so transformed by the preaching of the gospel, and by the grace of Christ, that they shall become most humble, gentle, and tractable, and shall no more vex and persecute those meek and poor ones, mentioned Isaiah 11:4; but shall become such as they. Yea, the most inveterate enemies of the kingdom of God, such as the persecuting Saul, shall be brought into its communion, having laid down their cruelty, barbarity, and ferocity, their inclination to hurt, their craft and subtlety; and not only so, but this kingdom also shall be purged from all offences, from all evils and instruments of malice. For the people, being enlightened with truth, and renewed by grace, shall put off their barbarous and depraved manners; shall willingly subject themselves to the rule of the Messiah, with meekness and humility, and shall fulfil the law of brotherly love in all the offices of good-will. This is the sum of the present passage, divested of metaphor. For, it is evident, as Michaelis has observed, that a mystical sense is not intended to be assigned to each of these images, or figurative expressions, and a particular and partial truth to be deduced therefrom; but a general doctrine is to be learned from the whole, namely, that the kingdom of the Messiah is a kingdom of peace, as well as of righteousness; of happiness, as well as of holiness; and that the natural tendency of his religion is to produce meekness, gentleness, long- suffering, and the exercise of mutual benevolence among men, as well as piety in all its branches toward God. This indeed is declared in plain words in the next verse.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

11:1-9 The Messiah is called a Rod, and a Branch. The words signify a small, tender product; a shoot, such as is easily broken off. He comes forth out of the stem of Jesse; when the royal family was cut down and almost levelled with the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David was brought very low at the time of Christ’s birth. The Messiah thus gave early notice that his kingdom was not of this world. But the Holy Spirit, in all his gifts and graces, shall rest and abide upon him; he shall have the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, Col 1:19; 2:9. Many consider that seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are here mentioned. And the doctrine of the influences of the Holy Spirit is here clearly taught. The Messiah would be just and righteous in all his government. His threatening shall be executed by the working of his Spirit according to his word. There shall be great peace and quiet under his government. The gospel changes the nature, and makes those who trampled on the meek of the earth, meek like them, and kind to them. But it shall be more fully shown in the latter days. Also Christ, the great Shepherd, shall take care of his flock, that the nature of troubles, and of death itself, shall be so changed, that they shall not do any real hurt. God’s people shall be delivered, not only from evil, but from the fear of it. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? The better we know the God of love, the more shall we be changed into the same likeness, and the better disposed to all who have any likeness to him. This knowledge shall extend as the sea, so far shall it spread. And this blessed power there have been witnesses in every age of Christianity, though its most glorious time, here foretold, is not yet arrived. Meanwhile let us aim that our example and endeavours may help to promote the honour of Christ and his kingdom of peace.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

The wolf also – In this, and the following verses, the prophet describes the effect of his reign in producing peace and tranquility on the earth. The description is highly poetical, and is one that is common in ancient writings in describing a golden age. The two leading ideas are those of “peace” and “security.” The figure is taken from the condition of animals of all descriptions living in a state of harmony, where those which are by nature defenseless, and which are usually made the prey of the strong, are suffered to live in security. By nature the wolf preys upon the lamb, and the leopard upon the kid, and the adder is venomous, and the bear, and the cow, and the lion, and the ox, cannot live together. But if a state of things should arise, where all this hostility would cease; where the wild animals would lay aside their ferocity, and where the feeble and the gentle would be safe; where the adder would cease to be venomous, and where all would be so mild and harmless that a little child would be safe, and could lead even the most ferocious animals, that state would represent the reign of the Messiah. Under his dominion, such a change would be produced as that those who were by nature violent, severe, and oppressive; those whose disposition is illustrated by the ferocious and bloodthirsty propensities of the lion and the leopard, and by the poison of the adder, would be changed and subdued, and would be disposed to live in peace and harmony with others. This is the “general” idea of the passage. We are not to cut the interpretation to the quick, and to press the expressions to know what particular class of people are represented by the lion, the bear, or the adder. The “general” image that is before the prophet’s mind is that of peace and safety, “such as that would be” if a change were to be produced in wild animals, making them tame, and peaceful, and harmless.

This description of a golden age is one that is common in Oriental writers, where the wild beasts are represented as growing tame; where serpents are harmless; and where all is plenty, peace, and happiness. Thus Jones, in his commentary on Asiatic poetry, quotes from an Arabic poet, “Ibn Onein,” p. 380:

Justitia, a qua mansuetus fit lupus fame astrictus,

Esuriens, licet hinnulum candidurn videat –

‘Justice, by which the ravening wolf, driven by hunger, becomes tame, although he sees a white kid.’ Thus, also, Ferdusi, a Persian poet:

Rerum Dominus, Mahmud, rex. potens,

Ad cujus aquam potum veniunt simul agnus et lupus –

‘Mahmud, mighty king, lord of events, to whose fountain the lamb and the wolf come to drink.’ Thus Virgil, Eclogue iv. 21:

Ipsae lactae domum referent distenta capellae

Ubera; nec magnos metuent armenta leones –

Home their full udders, goats, unurged shall bear,

Nor shall the herd the lordly lion fear.

And immediately after:

Occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni

continued…

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. wolf … lamb—Each animal is coupled with that one which is its natural prey. A fit state of things under the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 65:25; Eze 34:25; Ho 2:18). These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters (Eze 22:27; 38:13; Jer 5:6; 13:23; Mt 7:15; Lu 10:3). Still a literal change in the relations of animals to man and each other, restoring the state in Eden, is a more likely interpretation. Compare Ge 2:19, 20, with Ps 8:6-8, which describes the restoration to man, in the person of “the Son of man,” of the lost dominion over the animal kingdom of which he had been designed to be the merciful vicegerent under God, for the good of his animal subjects (Ro 8:19-22).

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, & c.; the creatures shall be restored to that state of innocency in which they were before the fall of man. But this is not to be understood literally, which is a gross and vain conceit of some Jews; but spiritually and metaphorically, as is evident. And the sense of the metaphor is this, Men of fierce, and cruel, and ungovernable dispositions, shall be so transformed by the preaching of the gospel, and by the grace of Christ, that they shall become most humble, and gentle, and tractable, and shall no more vex and persecute those meek and poor ones mentioned Isaiah 11:4, but shall become such as they; of which we have instances in Saul being made a Paul, and in the rugged jailer, Ac 16, and in innumerable others. But how can this be applied to Hezekiah with any colour?

A little child shall lead them; they will submit their proud and rebellious wills to the conduct and command of the meanest persons that speak to them in Christ’s name.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,…. This, and the three following verses Isaiah 11:7, describe the peaceableness of the Messiah’s kingdom; and which the Targum introduces in this manner,
“in the days of the Messiah of Israel, peace shall be multiplied in the earth.”

The wild and tame creatures shall agree together, and the former shall become the latter; which is not to be understood literally of the savage creatures, as if they should lose their nature, and be restored, as it is said, to their paradisiacal estate, which is supposed to be the time of the restitution of all things; but figuratively of men, comparable to wild creatures, who through the power of divine grace, accompanying the word preached, shall become tame, mild, meek, and humble; such who have been as ravenous wolves, have worried Christ’s sheep, made havoc of them, breathing out slaughter and threatenings against them, as did Saul, through converting grace, become as gentle and harmless as lambs, and take up their residence in Christ’s fold, and dwell with, yea, some of them even feed, Christ’s lambs and sheep, as the above mentioned person:

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; such who are like the leopard, for the fierceness of his nature, and the variety of his spots; who can no more change their hearts and their actions, than that creature can change its nature and its spots; are so wrought upon by the power of divine grace, as to drop their rage against the saints, alter their course of life, and attend on the word and ordinances, lie down beside the shepherds’ tents, where the church feeds her kids, or young converts:

and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; either dwell and feed together, or lie down together, or walk together, since it follows:

and a little child shall lead them; become through the grace of God so tractable, that they shall be led, guided, and governed by the ministers of the Gospel, Christ’s babes and sucklings, to whom he reveals the great things of his Gospel, and out of whose mouths he ordains praise. Bohlius (a) interprets this little child of Christ himself, by whom they should be led and directed, see Isaiah 9:6 and the following passages are referred to the times of the Messiah by the Jewish writers (b); and Maimonides (c) in particular observes, that they are not to be understood literally, as if the custom and order of things in the world would cease, or that things would be renewed as at the creation, but in a parabolical and enigmatical sense; and interprets them of the Israelites dwelling safely among the wicked of the nations of the world, comparable to the wild beasts of the field.

(This verse may apply to the future state when all things will be restored to their original state before man fell. By Adam’s sin, death and bloodshed were introduced into the creation. Romans 5:12. In the final state these will be removed and the wild nature of animals become tame. Editor.)

(a) Comment. Bibl. Rab. in Thesaur. Dissert. Philolog. par. 1. p. 752. (b) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 25. 3. Baal Hatturim in Deuteronomy 11. 25. (c) Hilchot Melachim, c. 12. sect. 1. & Moreh Nevochim, par 3. c. 11. p. 354.

Geneva Study Bible

The {c} 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.

(c) Men because of their wicked affections are named by the names of beasts, in which the same affections reign: but Christ by his Spirit will reform them, and work in them such mutual charity, that they will be like lambs, favouring and loving one another and cast off all their cruel affections, Isa 65:25.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6–8. This remarkable prophecy of the idyllic state of the brute creation is imitated in the Sibylline Oracles (3:766 ff.) and more faintly echoed in the Fourth and Fifth Eclogues of Vergil. Similarly, an Arabic poet (Ibn Onein, quoted by Ges.) speaks of “a righteousness, through which the hungry wolf becomes tame.”—The description is not to be interpreted allegorically, as if the wild beasts were merely symbols for cruel and rapacious men. Neither perhaps is it to be taken quite literally. It is rather a poetic presentation of the truth that the regeneration of human society is to be accompanied by a restoration of the harmony of creation (cf. Romans 8:19-22). The fact that tame and wild animals are regularly bracketed together shews that the main idea is the establishment of peace between man and the animals (Hosea 2:20); the animals that are now wild shall no longer prey on those that are domesticated for the service of man. But the striking feature of the prophecy is that the predatory beasts are not conceived as extirpated (as Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 34:28) but as having their habits and instincts changed.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 6-9. – Messiah’s kingdom, when fully realized, shall be one of perfect peace. “They shall neither hurt nor destroy in all his holy mountain.” Primarily, no doubt, the passage is figurative, and points to harmony among men, who, in Messiah’s kingdom, shall no longer prey one upon another (see especially ver. 9). But, from the highest spiritual standpoint, the figure itself becomes a reality, and it is seen that, if in the “new heavens and new earth” there is an animal creation, it will be fitting that there harmony should equally prevail among the inferior creation. Human sin may not have introduced rapine and violence among the beasts – at least, geologists tell us that animals preyed one upon another long before the earth was the habitation of man – but still man’s influence may prevail to eradicate the beasts’ natural impulses and educate them to something higher. Already domestication produces an accord and harmony that is in a certain sense against nature. May not this be carried further in the course of ages, and Isaiah’s picture have a literal fulfillment? Jerome’s scorn of the notion as a poetic dream has about it something harsh and untender. Will not God realize all, and more than all, of love and happiness that poets’ dreams can reach to? Verse 6. – The wolf… the leopard… the young lion… the bear are the only ferocious animals of Palestine, where the tiger, the crocodile, the alligator, and the jaguar are unknown. That the Palestinian bear was carnivorous, and a danger to man, appears by Lamentations 3:10; Daniel 7:5; Amos 5:19. A little child shall lead them. Man’s superiority over the brute creation shall continue, and even be augmented. The most powerful beasts shall submit to the control of a child.

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
Professor Schegg travelled by this very route to Jerusalem (cf., p. 560, Anm. 2): From Gifneh he went direct to Tayibeh (which he imagined to be the ancient Ai), and then southwards through Muchmas, Geba, Hizmeh, ‘Anata, and el-Isawiye to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 10:28Aesthetically considered, the description is one of the most magnificent that human poetry has ever produced. “He comes upon Ayyath, passes through Migron; in Michmash he leaves his baggage. They go through the pass: let Geba be our quarters for the night! Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. Scream aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Only listen, O Laysha! Poor Anathoth! Madmenah hurries away; the inhabitants of Gebim rescue. He still halts in Nob today; swings his hand over the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, lops down the branches with terrific force; and those of towering growth are hewn down, and the lofty are humbled. And He fells the thickets of the forest with iron; and Lebanon, it falls by a Majestic One.” When the Assyrian came upon Ayyath ( equals Ayyah, 1 Chronicles 7:28 (?), Nehemiah 11:31, generally hâ-‛ai, or ‘Ai), about thirty miles to the north-east of Jerusalem, he trod for the first time upon Benjaminitish territory, which was under the sway of Judaea. The name of this ‘Ai, which signifies “stone-heap,” tallies, as Knobel observes, with the name of the Tell el-hagar, which is situated about three-quarters of an hour to the south-east of Beitn, i.e., Bethel. But there are tombs, reservoirs, and ruins to be seen about an hour to the south-east of Beitin; and these Robinson associates with Ai. From Ai, however, the army will not proceed towards Jerusalem by the ordinary route, viz., the great north road (or “Nablus road”); but, in order to surprise Jerusalem, it takes a different route, in which it will have to cross three deep and difficult valleys. From Ai they pass to Migron, the name of which has apparently been preserved in the ruins of Burg Magrun, situated about eight minutes’ walk from Beitn.

(Note: I also find the name written Magrum (read Magrun), which is probably taken from a more correct hearsay than the Machrn of Robinson (ii.127).)

Michmash is still to be found in the form of a deserted village with ruins, under the name of Muchms, on the eastern side of the valley of Migron. Here they deposit their baggage (hiphkid, Jeremiah 36:20), so far as they are able to dispense with it – either to leave it lying there, or to have it conveyed after them by an easier route. For they proceed thence through the pass of Michmash, a deep and precipitous ravine about forty-eight minutes in breadth, the present Wady Suweinit. “The pass” (ma‛bârâh) is the defile of Michmash, with two prominent rocky cliffs, where Jonathan had his adventure with the garrison of the Philistines. One of these cliffs was called Seneh (1 Samuel 14:4), a name which suggests es-Suweinit. Through this defile they pass, encouraging one another, as they proceed along the difficult march, by the prospect of passing the night in Geba, which is close at hand. It is still disputed whether this Geba is the same place as the following Gibeah of Saul or not. There is at the present time a village called Geba’ below Muchms, situated upon an eminence. The almost universal opinion now is, that this is not Gibeah of Saul, but that the latter is to be seen in the prominent Tell (Tuleil) el-Fl, which is situated farther south. This is possibly correct.

(Note: This is supported by Robinson in his Later Biblical Researches in Palestine (1857), by Valentiner (pastor at Jerusalem), and by Keil in the Commentary on Joshua, Judges, etc. (Joshua 18:21-28), where all the more recent writings on this topographical question are given.)

For there can be no doubt that this mountain, the name of which signifies “Bean-hill,” would be a very strong position, and one very suitable for Gibeah of Saul; and the supposition that there were two places in Benjamin named Geba, Gibeah, or Gibeath, is favoured at any rate by Joshua 18:21-28, where Geba and Gibeath are distinguished from one another. And this mountain, which is situated to the south of er-Rm – that is to say, between the ancient Ramah and Anathoth – tallies very well with the route of the Assyrian as here described; whilst it is very improbable that Isaiah has designated the very same place first of all Geba, and then (for what reason no one can tell) Gibeah of Saul. We therefore adopt the view, that the Assyrian army took up its quarters for the night at Geba, which still bears this name, spreading terror in all directions, both east and west, and still more towards the south. Starting in the morning from the deep valley between Michmash and Geba, they pass on one side of Rama (the present er-Rm), situated half an hour to the west of Geba, which trembles as it sees them go by; and the inhabitants of Gibeath of Saul, upon the “Bean-hill,” a height that commands the whole of the surrounding country, take to flight when they pass by. Every halting-place on their route brings them nearer to Jerusalem. The prophet goes in spirit through it all. It is so objectively real to him, that it produces the utmost anxiety and pain. The cities and villages of the district are lost.

He appeals to the daughter, i.e., the population, of Gallim, to raise a far-sounding yell of lamentation with their voice (Ges. 138, 1, Anm. 3), and calls out in deep sympathy to Laysha, which was close by (on the two places, both of which have vanished now, see 1 Samuel 25:44 and Judges 18:29), “only listen,” the enemy is coming nearer and nearer; and then for Anathoth (‛Anâtâ, still to be seen about an hour and a quarter to the north of Jerusalem) he utters this lamentation (taking the name as an omen of its fate): O poor Anathoth! There is no necessity for any alteration of the text; ‛anniyâh is an appeal, or rather an exclamation, as in Isaiah 54:11; and ‛anâthoth follows, according to the same verbal order as in Isaiah 23:12, unless indeed we take it at once as an adjective written before the noun – an arrangement of the words which may possibly have been admissible in such interjectional sentences. The catastrophe so much to be dreaded by Jerusalem draws nearer and nearer. Madmenah (dung-hill, see Comm. on Job, at Job 9:11-15) flees in anxious haste: the inhabitants of Gebim (water-pits) carry off their possessions (הּעיז, from עוּז, to flee, related to chush, hence to carry off in flight, to bring in haste to a place of security, Exodus 9:19, cf., Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:1; synonymous with hēnı̄s, Exodus 9:20; Judges 6:11; different from ‛âzaz, to be firm, strong, defiant, from which mâ‛oz, a fortress, is derived – in distinction from the Arabic ma‛âdh, a place of refuge: comp. Isaiah 30:2, to flee to Pharaoh’s shelter). There are no traces left of either place. The passage is generally understood as implying that the army rested another day in Nob. But this would be altogether at variance with the design – to take Jerusalem by surprise by the suddenness of the destructive blow. We therefore render it, “Even to-day he will halt in Nob” (in eo est ut subsistat, Ges. 132, Anm. 1) – namely, to gather up fresh strength there in front of the city which was doomed to destruction, and to arrange the plan of attack. The supposition that Nob was the village of el-‘Isawiye, which is still inhabited, and lies to the south-west of Ant, fifty-five minutes to the north of Jerusalem, is at variance with the situation, as correctly described by Jerome, when he says: “Stans in oppidulo Nob et procul urbem conspiciens Jerusalem.” A far more appropriate situation is to be found in the hill which rises to the north of Jerusalem, and which is called Sadr, from its breast-like projection or roundness – a name which is related in meaning to nob, nâb, to rise. From this eminence the way leads down into the valley of Kidron; and as you descend, the city spreads out before you at a very little distance off. It may have been here, in the prophet’s view, that the Assyrians halted.

(Note: This is the opinion of Valentiner, who also regards the march of the Assyrians as an “execution-march” in two columns, one of which took the road through the difficult ground to the east, whilst the other inflicted punishment upon the places that stood near the road. The text does not require this, however, but describes a march, which spread alarm both right and left as it went along.)

It was not long, however (as the yenōphēph which follows ἀσυνδέτως implies), before his hand was drawn out to strike (Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 19:16), and swing over the mountain of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1), over the city of the holy hill. But what would Jehovah do, who was the only One who could save His threatened dwelling-place in the face of such an army? As far as Isaiah 10:32, the prophet’s address moved on at a hurried, stormy pace; it then halted, and seemed, as it were, panting with anxiety; it now breaks forth in a dactylic movement, like a long rolling thunder. The hostile army stands in front of Jerusalem, like a broad dense forest. But it is soon manifest that Jerusalem has a God who cannot be defied with impunity, and who will not leave His city in the lurch at the decisive moment, like the gods of Carchemish and Calno. Jehovah is the Lord, the God of both spiritual and starry hosts. He smites down the branches of this forest of an army: sē‛ēph is a so-called piel privativum, to lop (lit. to take the branches in hand; cf., sikkēl, Isaiah 5:2); and pu’rah equals pe’urah (in Ezekiel pō’rah) is used like the Latin frons, to include both branches and foliage – in other words, the leafy branches as the ornament of the tree, or the branches as adorned with leaves. The instrument He employs is ma‛arâtzâh, his terrifying and crushing power (compare the verb in Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21). And even the lofty trunks of the forest thus cleared of branches and leaves do not remain; they lie hewn down, and the lofty ones must fall. It is just the same with the trunks, i.e., the leaders, as with the branches and the foliage, i.e., with the great crowded masses. The whole of the forest thicket (as in Isaiah 9:17) he hews down (nikkaph, third pers. piel, though it may also be niphal); and Lebanon, i.e., the army of Asshur which is now standing opposite to Mount Zion, like Lebanon with its forest of cedars, falls down through a Majestic One (‘addı̄r), i.e., through Jehovah (Isaiah 33:21, cf., Psalm 76:5; Psalm 93:4). In the account of the fulfilment (Isaiah 37:36) it is the angel of the Lord (mal’ach Jehovah), who is represented as destroying the hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp in a single night. The angel of Jehovah is not a messenger of God sent from afar, but the chosen organ of the ever-present divine power.