Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 5.33

For this reason he came to his passion: to preach the gospel to Abraham and those with him, opening the inheritance. Having given thanks, he took the cup, drank from it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new Testament, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:27-28). I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom (Matt 26:29). Indeed, he himself will renew the inheritance of the earth and restore the mystery of the glorification of the sons; just as David says: "Who promised to drink of the fruit of the vine with his disciples," showing both the inheritance of the earth in which the new fruit of the vine is drunk, and the bodily resurrection of the disciples (Ps 110:1; Acts 2:30-31). For the new flesh that rises is the very flesh that also receives the drink from the vine; it is proper to the flesh, not the spirit, to receive what comes from the vine. Neither can it be understood that he drinks the fruit of the vine up in a super-celestial place, seated there with his disciples; nor again are those who drink it without flesh, for it belongs to the flesh, not the spirit, to receive drink from the vine.

And for this reason the Lord said: "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite the rich, nor your friends, brothers, or relatives, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But invite the lame, the blind, the poor, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:12-14). And again he says: "Whoever leaves fields, or houses, or parents, or brothers, or children for my sake will receive a hundredfold in this age, and in the age to come" (Matt 19:29; Mark 10:30). For in this age there are a hundredfold — meals given to the poor, and suppers that are returned. These belong to the times of the Kingdom, that is, the seventh day, which is sanctified, in which God rested from all the works he made (Gen 2:2-3) — which is truly the Sabbath of the just, in which they will not do every work for God, while he feeds them with every delight.

Just as Isaac contains the blessing by which he blessed the younger Jacob: "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a full field, which God has blessed" (Gen 27:27). The field is the world, and therefore he added: "May God give you the dew of heaven, and the richness of the earth; may peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you" (Gen 27:28-29). If anyone does not receive these things according to the appointed times of the Kingdom, they will fall into great contradiction and contrariety, just as the Jews fall into every difficulty. For not only in this life did the nations not serve this Jacob; but after the blessing he went and served his uncle Laban the Syrian for twenty years (Gen 29-31). And not only was he not made lord over his brother, but Esau bowed down to his brother when he returned from Mesopotamia to his father, and offered him many gifts (Gen 33:3-11). How then did he inherit a multitude of wheat and wine, he who, because of the famine in the land where he lived, migrated to Egypt, subject to Pharaoh who then reigned in Egypt (Gen 46-47)? Therefore the aforementioned blessing pertains to the times of the Kingdom without contradiction, when the just, rising from the dead, will reign: when also the creation, renewed and set free, will produce an abundance of fruit from the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth (Rom 8:21). Just as the presbyters remembered, those who saw John the disciple of the Lord and heard from him how he taught about those times, saying: "Days will come when vines will grow, each having ten thousand branches, and on one branch ten thousand shoots, and on one shoot ten thousand clusters, and on each cluster ten thousand grapes, and each grape pressed will give twenty-five measures of wine. And when one of the saints takes hold of a cluster, another will cry out: 'I am a better cluster; take me, and through me bless the Lord.' Likewise a grain of wheat will produce ten thousand ears, and each ear will have ten thousand grains, and each grain will yield five pounds of the purest flour; and the rest of the fruits, seeds, and herbs will follow in like proportion. And all animals, feeding on these foods taken from the earth, will become peaceful and harmonious with one another, subject to humans in all subjection."

Papias, hearer of John and companion of Polycarp, an old man, bears witness in writing in the fourth of his five books. He adds: "These things are credible to those who believe. And Judas," he says, "the betrayer, not believing, asked: 'How then will the Lord accomplish such harvests?' The Lord said: 'Those who come into those times will see.'" Therefore Isaiah prophesies about these times: "The wolf will feed with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child will lead them" (Isaiah 11:6). "The cow and the bear will graze together; their young will lie down together; the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain" (Isaiah 11:7-8). And again, recapitulating, he says: "Then the wolf and the lamb will feed together, the lion will eat straw like the ox, and the serpent will eat dust like bread. They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord" (Isaiah 65:25). I am not unaware that some, believing these things to refer to wild beasts and diverse nations and various works, and having believed, consenting with the just, try to transfer them. Although this may happen now in some people, from diverse nations coming into one faith, nevertheless in the resurrection of the just, over these animals, as has been said — for God is rich in all things — it is necessary, the condition having been restored, that all animals obey and be subject to humans, and return to the first food given by God, just as they were subject to Adam in obedience, the fruit of the earth. But it is also shown now that the lion eats straw. This signifies the greatness and richness of the fruits. For if the lion, an animal, eats straw, what kind of wheat will it be, whose straw will be suitable food for lions?