Hosea 2:18

"And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the sword, and the bow, and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely."

This is figurative language for the peaceful prosperity for the entire world as intended by the Advent of Jesus Christ, of whom the angels sang, "Peace on earth to men of good will." As far as our knowledge of this goes, it appears to be hyperbolic, since this has never been fully achieved, Jesus himself declaring that "there shall be wars and rumors of wars" throughout the dispensation. Nevertheless, the application is definitely to the kingdom of God, the church as God intended it to be. In the spiritual sector, this universal peace is fully achieved in the possession of that "peace which passeth all understanding."

"And in that day will I make a covenant for them ..." This language is strongly suggestive of Jeremiah 31:31-25 and is undoubtedly a reference to the "new covenant" which God promised to make "with the house of Israel." The great significance of this is that the triple betrothal mentioned in the next verse is thus related to the "new Israel," and not to the "old Israel." Any interpretation that leaves this out of view is totally inadequate. Hailey accurately presented the meaning thus:

"A New Covenant would restore the relationship between God and his people, and a spirit of peace would characterize them. In the New Covenant, the animal nature of men would be brought under subjection to the Spirit of God."[49]