"With Jesus at our head, we all descended from the city down to this earth, on a great and mighty mountain, which could not bear Jesus up, and it parted asunder, and there was a mighty plain. Then we looked up and saw the great city, with twelve foundations, and twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate. We all cried out: 'The city, the great city, it's coming, it's coming down from God out of heaven,' and it came and settled on the place where we stood."--Early Writings, pgs. 17,18 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts--the lion, the lamb, the leopard, and the wolf, all together in perfect union. We passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after."--Early Writings, pg. 18:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly, to the top of the mountains and pluck the never-fading flowers."--Early Writings, pg. 19:0 (bold emphasis added).

In Sis. E.G. White's vision of the new earth, she not only saw a mountain part asunder and become a plain for the Holy City to rest on; but she also saw the peaceable animals and the "little ones." Some have thought that these "little ones" are children; but is that the truth? If not, then there must be more truth to understand that would identify who they are?

ISAIAH'S PROPHECY OF THE PEACEABLE ANIMALS

"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 (bold emphasis added).

It has been thought by some that because Sis. White had a vision of peaceable animals and the "little ones" (E.W. 18,19) in the new earth, then Isaiah's prophecy must also refer in its entirety to the new earth, because it mentions a "little child" who is leading the peaceable animals (Isa. 11:6). This conclusion, however, cannot be correct, because Isaiah speaks of Gentiles (Isa. 11:10) there who are gathered from Assyria and Egypt (Isa. 11:11,16), which cannot take place in the new earth. Neither will there be a gathering of Israel and Judah (Isa. 11:12) who will "fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines" (Isa. 11:14). These facts prove irrefutably that the eleventh chapter of Isaiah must have a double application: First, it primarily applies to the latter days when Israel and Judah, also the Gentiles, will be gathered into God's kingdom (Dan. 2:28, 44); and there the animals will be peaceable with a "little child" leading them. Second, it also applies to the new earth where there will be peaceable animals and the "little ones," but no gathering of Judah, Israel, and the Gentiles. These two applications, however, does not mean that the "little child" and the "little ones" are the same, as some might think. This can be understood by noting the time of Christ's second advent and the time during the one thousand years.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead {saints} shall be raised incorruptible, and we {the living saints} shall be changed."--1 Corinthians 15:52 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"All {the dead saints} come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered the tomb. Adam, who stands among the risen throng, is of lofty height and majestic form, in stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a marked contrast to the people of later generations; in this one respect is shown the great degeneracy of the race. But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth."--Great Controversy, pg. 644:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers' arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God."--Great Controversy, pg. 645:3 (bold emphasis added).

Who are these little children put in their mother's arms? Well, in the days of Jesus there was Herod who tried to kill Him when He was a child, but he failed. Instead, he killed many little children in Bethlehem from two years and younger.

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the {little} children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."--Matthew 2:16 (bold emphasis, braces added).

And there have been many other little children who were killed during the history of this world, and they will be put into the arms of their faithful mothers who were saved and resurrected at Christ's second advent and taken to heaven. But some Christians think that there will be other little children in heaven besides these, because they say there will be marriages and births of little children in heaven and the new earth.

NO MARRIAGES OR BIRTHS IN HEAVEN OR THE NEW EARTH

"There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births {of little children} in the new earth; but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that {little} children will be born in {heaven or in} the new earth is not a part of the "sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:19). The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births {of little children} in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead {and taken to heaven before the new earth}, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death {and taken to heaven before the new earth}, will marry or be given in marriage {and give birth to little children}. They will be as the angels of God {in heaven and the new earth}, members of the royal family."--1 Selected Messages, pgs. 172, 173 (bold emphasis, braces added).

So what is going to happen to all of these little children that were resurrected and placed into their mother's arms? The same thing that happens to all the little children born here on the earth before Christ's second advent--they will grow up in heaven to adulthood! And that is because the Lord said so by His prophet Malachi:

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye {little children} shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."--Malachai 4:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

This information about the little children who were resurrected and taken to heaven in their mother's arms (not born in heaven since there are no marriages and births in heaven), is necessary so that we can go back to Isaiah's prophecy. The reason why is because it has been assumed by some that Isaiah's entire eleventh chapter is about events in the new earth, because of the peaceable animals (E.W. 18:1). But this chapter cannot be applied strictly to the new earth because of the "sucking child"!

"And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den."--Isaiah 11:8 (bold emphasis added).

HOW DID THE SUCKING CHILD GET INTO THE NEW EARTH?

If a sucking child is put in his mother's arms at the second advent and grows up (Mal. 4:2) during the millennium, and if there are no marriages and births of children in heaven and the new earth, then how can there be a sucking child (Isa. 11:8) to play with a poisonous snake (the asp) in the new earth? How can the entire eleventh chapter of Isaiah be applied to the new earth and have sucking children there? Where did these little children come from? According to the assumption of those who say that Isaiah 11 must be strictly applied to the new earth, they can have only one presumptious answer, as noted in the next paragraph:

Their assumption presupposes (knowingly or unknowingly) that these sucking children will be put into their mother's arms, and instead of growing up to adulthood, the mothers will change their diapers and nurse them for a thousand years! And then at the end of the one thousand years these sucking children will be in the new earth!

That answer, of course, is illogical, unBiblical, and downright cruel! What mother would submit, no matter how much she loves her sucking child, to the cruelty of nursing him for one thousand years? Besides this, she must suffer the discomfort of changing his diapers for one thousand years! And what cruelty to the child to force him to wear diapers for one thousand years?

Question: Why must these mothers and their sucking children be raised from the dead to suffer this cruelty for one thousand years?

Answer: Because some Christians would inflict this cruelty (knowingly or unknowingly) upon these once happy mothers who had their resurrected children put in their arms at Christ's second advent, and then make them both unhappy for one thousand years, so that they can teach that Isaiah's prophecy of the peaceable animals (Isa. 11:6,7) and the "sucking child" (Isa. 11:8) is to occur strictly in the new earth!

The truth is, those resurrected little children put in their mother's arms will "grow up" (Mal. 4:2) normally (as they do now on this sin-cursed earth) long before the end of the one thousand years. And since there will be no marriages or births of little children by those who are resurrected and translated, because in heaven the saints will "be as the angels of God" (1 S.M. 173:0); then this irrefutable fact proves that there will be no little children, much less sucking children, in the new earth! What a shocking surprise is this fact to those Christians who must have little children in the new earth. This indisputable fact, however, proposes a gigantic question, which needs to be answered: If there are no little children in the new earth, then who are the "little ones" which Sis. White saw in her vision?

THE LITTLE ONES PLUCK THE FLOWERS

"Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly, to the top of the mountains and pluck the never-fading flowers."--Early Writings, pg. 19:0 (bold emphasis added).

Those Christians who teach that there will be little children in the new earth, say that the "little ones" who pluck the flowers are little children. Since, however, the little children who are resurrected will grow up, and since the saints will be "as the angels" (1 S.M. 173:0) and cannot give birth to children, then the "little ones" cannot be children. So who are they?

THE LITTLE ONES ARE HUMBLE SAINTS NOT CHILDREN

"No act of kindness shown in His name will fail to be recognized and rewarded. And in the same tender recognition Christ includes even the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God. 'Whosoever shall give to drink,' He says, 'unto one of these little ones'--those {adults} who are as children in their faith and their knowledge of Christ--'a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.' Matthew 10:40, 42."--Prophets and Kings, pg. 132:2.

"The little ones here referred to who believe in Christ, are not simply those who are young in years {babies}, but little children {Christian saints} in Christ. There is a warning contained in these words lest we shall selfishly neglect or hold in contempt our weak brethren {little ones}: lest we shall be unforgiving and exacting and judge and condemn others, and thus discourage them."--Review and Herald, April 16, 1895 (5 Bible Commentary, pg. 1096:3) (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They {Christians} are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties."--Desire of Ages. pg. 327:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:...But whoso shall offend one of these little ones {Christians in faith} which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."--Matthew 18:3,6 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"But do not forget that in coming to God as a father, you {a grown up adult} acknowledge your relation to Him as a child {Christian saints--little ones}." Mount of Blessings, pg. 191. (bold emphasis, braces added).

"By 'little ones' Christ does not mean babies. Those to whom He refers are 'little ones {Christians} which believe in Me'--those who have not gained an experience in following Him, those who need to be led like children, as it were, in seeking the things of the kingdom of heaven."--Manuscript 60, 1904; Evangelism, pg. 341:1.

"We {grown up adult Christians} are God's little children, and we ask Him to help us to live, not to please ourselves and to have our own way, but to please and glorify Him."--Letter 252, 1903; Evangelism, pg. 103:0.

"Moreover, He {Christ} was anointed to preach to the meek {the little ones}, to those who are not self-sufficient, not high-minded, but humble and teachable; the other class could not be taught."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 41, pgs. 24,25.

"[Having taken away the men that have been exalting themselves, and thus having freed His people, the Lord puts children and babes, so to speak, humble ones {who are the little ones} to rule over His people.] And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them {Isa. 2:4}."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 5, pg. 16:5 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Says the Scripture, 'The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.' Psalm 25:9. The meek {little ones} are guided by the Lord, because they are teachable {humble}, willing to be instructed."--Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 384:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

ISAIAH ELEVEN HAS A DOUBLE APPLICATION

According to the facts noted in the foregoing references, it is obvious that the "little ones" who plucked the flowers, which Sis. White saw in her vision of the new earth, are not little children or babies. They have been described as the "feeblests and lowest" (P.K. 132:2), the "weak brethren" (5 B.C. 1096:3), the "orphans" (D.A. 327:2), the "humble and teachable" (1 T.G. 41:25:0), the "meek" (P.P. 384:2), and the "children in faith" (P.K. 132:2). Therefore, since the "little ones" in the new earth are the humble adult saints, then they cannot be the little children in Isaiah eleven. These irrefutable facts prove that Isaiah eleven has a double application:

PEACEABLE ANIMALS AND CHILDREN IN THE LATTER-DAY KINGDOM

First, Isaiah eleven applies to the kingdom of God (Dan. 2:44) in the latter days (Dan. 2:28), when the "little child" (Isa. 11:6) will lead the peaceable animals (Isa. 11:7); and while the "sucking child" plays with the asp (Isa. 11:8). During this time the "Gentiles" (Isa. 11:10) from "Assyria and from Egypt" (Isa. 11:11), and the "outcasts of Israel" and the "dispersed of Judah" (Isa. 11:12) will be gathered together into that kingdom.

PEACEABLE ANIMALS BUT NO CHILDREN IN THE NEW EARTH

Second, Isaiah eleven also applies to the new earth when the peaceable animals will follow the saints (E.W. 18:1); while the "little ones" (the humble saints in the faith) will pluck the flowers. During this time, there will be no "little children" or the "sucking child;" and neither will the Gentiles, or Israel and Judah be gathered together.

WHAT TRUTH DOES THE TWO APPLICATIONS REVEAL?

Let's suppose that you are one of the readers who has read this far and asks, "So, what's your point?" The answer to that question is twofold:

Point 1--Isaiah eleven is God's prediction that He will restore the lost tribes of Judah and Israel to make up His kingdom in the latter days (Dan. 2:28,44), when He gathers (Isa. 11:12) them back to the Holy Land, to which the "Gentiles will seek" (Isa. 11:10). And since Isaiah's prophecy has never yet been fulfilled to this very day--even the latter days, and since God is not a liar (Num. 23:19), then His prediction of the setting up of that kingdom is imminent. And when it is restored, the animals will be peaceable and a "little child" shall lead them (Isa. 11:6). Those Christians who do not accept these irrefutable facts in Isaiah's prophecy are calling God a liar, and they cannot say that they believe God's Word in His Holy Bible!

Point 2--It is very important that the truth of this latter-day kingdom in Isaiah eleven about the peaceable animals should not be lost sight of or ignored, just because Sis. White saw in her vision the peaceable animals in the new earth. To teach that her vision (E.W. 18:1) is placing the entire prophecy of Isaiah eleven to the new earth, because she and Isaiah both mention the peaceable animals, is totally unscriptural, and is an attempt (knowingly or unknowingly) to make Sis. White contradict the Bible! To some members of the Seventh-day Adventist church this false teaching may appear to be tenable. But to honest Christians outside the church who compare the Bible (Isa. 11) with Sis. White's writings (E.W. 18:1), this false teaching would mislead them to think that she was wrong; obviously because these outsiders would recognize the fact that the Bible teaches a kingdom is being set up when Judah, Israel, and the Gentiles are gathered into it. And though these outsiders would acknowledge the fact that there will be peaceable animals in that kingdom, which will also be in the new earth, they would know that there is no such gathering of Judah, Israel, and the Gentiles in the new earth! This irrefutable fact would convince the honest Christian outsiders that the entire chapter of Isaiah eleven does not apply to the new earth as some may teach. Therefore, should not every honest Seventh-day Adventist also accept and believe the same truths which the honest outsiders would accept and believe?