What Does it Mean “Dust Shall be the Serpent’s Meat?

A Discussion That “here a little, there a little” builds the answer to this spiritual question.

Hello,

I have a question about Isaiah 65 and could use your help in answering it.

Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

What does it mean spiritually that dust shall be the serpent’s meat?

Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

S____

Hi S____,

Everything will indeed be accomplished when God is all in all. But “My holy mountain” is God’s kingdom, and that ‘mountain’ or ‘kingdom’ is within us even now.

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come [when Isa 65 would be fulfilled], he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Therefore when we read of the New Heavens and New Earth in Isaiah 3 or Isaiah 65, they also have a very present application in down payment form.

I hope this is of some help.
Your brother in Christ.
Mike

Mike, thank you for what you’ve added to my understanding on Isaiah 65. I really see more clearly the present “is” application of what I believe this prophecy is showing us today.

Seated with Christ now in the heavens, we are able, through Christ who strengthens us, to have all of our tears and many tribulations understood (1Pe 4:12) and not thought of as strange as He increases and we decrease.

The “is” part of the ‘is, was and will be’ nature of God’s word in each joint supplies an effectual work which makes increase of Christ’s body as we edify each other with Godly love now.

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

That suffering I perceive to be nothing compared to the glory that is going to be revealed as God continues to heal us and wipe away all our tears which He causes as we grow in our realization of His goodness which leads us to repentance.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Your grateful brother in Christ,
Tony

Hi S____,

I believe the serpent in this situation of Isaiah 65 is the elect during the millennium prior to the great white throne judgement, and they are ruling with a rod of iron over the dust, which is a symbol of the yet unconverted first Adam. (ie: no one is converted during the millennium, there can be no overcoming without an adversary, who is bound at this time.) These symbols can be both negative and positive, and in this case we can easily think that a serpent is Satan when in fact the serpent represents the elect seraphim of Isaiah 6, and the lion is the Lion of the tribe of Judah within us as He rules as the King of kings and Lord of lords during the millennium.

Speaking of Moses and Aaron: Exo 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Consider the rod (rod of iron) as being a serpent for a moment. The magician’s rod which was turned to a serpent was swallowed up by Moses’ (Aaron’s) rod. This tells us that the law (Moses represents the law) will overtake the camp (The magicians of Egypt, the world – Exo 7:12).

Exo 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

The next stage is for the rod of Moses to be engulfed by Christ (Christ is the end of the law… Rom 10:4), and this is symbolically shown in the wilderness where the new rod (Christ and His Christ) is raised in the wilderness to symbolize the dominion that God will give the world one day over sin (where is your sting… 1Co 15:55-57) The raised Christ (seraphim – Elect) in the wilderness do not convert the people who are being stung by serpents, that ultimate victory will only come later. Notice he is in the wilderness, and this is a type of where mankind will be during the millennium. Man’s heart is not converted during this time, and therefore he is in the wilderness, or the kingdoms of this world (Rev 11:15) as God’s seraphim ruling with a rod of iron over the nations of this world (Rev 2:27).

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

The lamb (Christ in us) and the wolf of Isaiah 65 will dwell together in harmony as long as the devil is bound (Rev 20:2), but as soon as God allows Satan to be released (Rev 20:3) from the pit or abussos, the wolf in sheep’s clothing will be revealed for what its true nature is. Gog and Magog symbolize this time as well (Rev 20:8-9).

Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

The resurrected elect are represented by the lion who have the lion of the tribe of Judah within them, and they have dominion over the straw just like Pharoah had dominion over Israel when they were using straw to make their bricks, only later to have the straw taken away (Exo 5:18). This is a time of prosperity physically, and spiritually the world is as the Laodicean church (Rev 3:17) increased with spiritual riches which have not been tried in the fire. There is no adversary effecting humanity (humanity is being fattened for slaughter, ie: lake of fire), and there is ease in the sense that there is straw to make bricks, or a world that does not have the influence of Satan who has been bound for a symbolic thousand years (Rev 20:3). When the straw is taken away in type and shadow then Israel’s greater judgment, ie: the great white throne judgment will occur (lake of fire).

Exo 5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

So the lamb co-exists with the wolf = (elect and unconverted world during millennium) just as in Christ’s walk on this earth with the unconverted which He did not convert, and as He is so are we. 1Jn 4:17)

Serpent (Elect – seraphim of Isaiah 6) has dominion over dust (humanity – Gen 3:19, 14) as stated in Isaiah 65, which shows us the positive use of this concept, seeing we know that Satan once had all of humanity for his meal of dust, which is the negative use of this concept.

Isa 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Finally, the lion will be nourished (Caleb and Joshua – Num 14:9) by the unbelief of those who are yet unconverted during this time prior to the great white throne judgment which is why they are straw. This straw which the lion eats of Isaiah 65 is a good training ground for God’s elect, as it gets eaten by the elect in preparation of the great white throne judgment. This great white throne experience is when the symbolic straw is taken away (burned up) from Israel, the fiery trial of the lake of fire will consume everything that can be burned until all the world is comfortable in that fire (1Co 3:12-13, Isa 33:14, 1Co 15:22, 28).

Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

I pray this helps answer this question about Isaiah 65, as I try to be a helper of your joy as you are of mine.

Your brother in Christ,
Tony

Hi Tony,

Thank you both for this opportunity to discuss this subject of the fulfilling of Isaiah 3 and Isaiah 65 relating to the kingdom of God, and its progressive, “like unto leaven” spread throughout each of us first, and then “through [our] mercy”, all of mankind.

Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

As Isaiah 33:14-15 demonstrates, God’s elect will, via the fire of the lake of fire, which is of course, God’s word within them, judge the devil’s angels and messengers “till the whole is leavened” or until the kingdom of God ‘becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth’:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

When Christ, the king of that kingdom, is in all men, then He will submit himself to His Father and God will be all in all.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the [harvest at the] end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Your fellow laborer to that end,

Mike

Hi S____,

I think Mike helped me see a fuller view of God’s word with the email he sent to you. If we consider the ‘is, was and will’ be nature of God’s word, then it is true that this prophecy in Isaiah 65 does apply to the time after the great white throne judgment as well as to the life of the elect in this age or generation that Christ is within (in earnest), as well as the millennium period (in shadow).

God’s word is eternal and is fulfilled in each generation, but not always in earnest as it is within the elect. If we break this into two groups, those who have God’s spirit now and are living out these prophecies in earnest (Eph 1:14) and those who don’t have God’s spirit within them and are living out the shadows which serve us who now believe with the holy spirit within us (1Pe 1:12), it remains true that the time frame when those tears are wiped away permanently is in the lake of fire, and until then we are either experiencing these prophetic words in earnest (spirit within) or in shadow like ancient Israel, and the world during the millennium.

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The tears we wipe away during the millennium are worldly sorrow and not godly sorrow (2Co 7:10). We know that the nature of man has not changed, and there never really was godly sorrow because when Satan is loosed for a season, then the world turns into Judas over night and needs to go and encompass the camp of the saints to destroy them.

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Just like the manna which was a shadow of the true bread of life Jesus Christ (Joh 6:32), sorrow of the world which the elect are dealing with during the millennium is only a shadow of the Godly repentance that will lead to eternal life in the lake of fire.

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

The same thing could be said of Jerusalem, because we know that for us today Jerusalem is above, and we rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice because of this, but that does not mean that we have the fullness of that rejoicing either, seeing we still have tears and much tribulation.

The fullness of our rejoicing will be when we see Him face to face, and the shadow of that rejoicing will be experienced during the millennium for the world, just like the manna providing temporary sustenance or the woman at the well that Christ says if she had asked Him for she would never thirst again because He would have given her living waters.

I love the question, and I hope it does help get us closer to the sum of His word on the matter.

ybic,
Tony