Peter's Vision-Can We Now Eat All Things?
Many people believe that Peter is documented proof that the Father changed His dietary laws from Leviticus 11 and all foods were now made clean and suitable to eat. Despite the fact that Malachi 3: 6 states the Father never changes. It's hard to imagine that He would make a pig or catfish suddenly clean for no apparent reason. It would make better sense that our heavenly Father, in all His wisdom would simply have made them clean from the beginning. It is quite surprising that many Christians get more upset about having restrictions placed on them regarding eating pork than almost anything. As we carefully read Acts 10 and Peter's vision, it is quite simple to understand that the Father is not telling Peter to eat unclean.
In Acts 10 we are told that a centurian (Roman military officer) named Cornelius had a vision from an angel, to send men to Joppa, to get Peter...
Act 10:8-28 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Yahuah; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What Yahuah hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth Yahuah, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from Yahuah by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but Yahuah hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Why was Peter so perplexed at what the vision meant? And why would Yahway command Peter to do something against His word? Had he changed the dietary laws? If the dietary laws had been changed with the Messiah, would Peter not have known this? The Messiah died 10 years before this vision...Peter would have been eating anything for 10 yrs, but he wasn't. In Acts 11, Peter met up with apostles and brethren and told them the story of the vision, and they glorified the Father. None of them argued with Peter that he should have eaten unclean. Also, had he been explaining to them that it was now ok to eat unclean, the other apostles would have been shocked at this. They knew the vision was not about food.
Peter saw the vision 3 times---V 19 tells us 3 men were seeking Peter; V 28 explains that Peter should not call any man common or unclean. At the time, it was unlawful for Jews to "keep company" with Gentiles- The vision was not about food, it was about not calling Gentiles unclean.
In Galatians 2 we read further about Peter eating with Gentiles in Antioch. When James and his men came Peter withdrew and separated himself from the Gentiles, because he feared them which were of the circumcision (the Jews). Paul called him out on it publicly "because he was to be blamed." He didn't call him out for eating with the Gentiles, he called him out because he separated himself when the Jews came. And others disassembled themselves as well, even Barnabas, Paul was telling them they were trying to live by the law when they got caught. But he goes on to say, this is about faith, the law can't save you. Galatians 2: 21 says do not frustrate the grace of Yahway: for if righteousness come by the law, then Yahushua is dead in vain.
Many times there is a hidden message in visions, dreams and prophesies that go beyond things look like on the surface. Such is the case with Peter's vision. The vision had nothing to do with food, but simply the message of the Father sharing with Peter to go to the Gentile nation and make no difference between men.
Many people believe that Peter is documented proof that the Father changed His dietary laws from Leviticus 11 and all foods were now made clean and suitable to eat. Despite the fact that Malachi 3: 6 states the Father never changes. It's hard to imagine that He would make a pig or catfish suddenly clean for no apparent reason. It would make better sense that our heavenly Father, in all His wisdom would simply have made them clean from the beginning. It is quite surprising that many Christians get more upset about having restrictions placed on them regarding eating pork than almost anything. As we carefully read Acts 10 and Peter's vision, it is quite simple to understand that the Father is not telling Peter to eat unclean.
In Acts 10 we are told that a centurian (Roman military officer) named Cornelius had a vision from an angel, to send men to Joppa, to get Peter...
Act 10:8-28 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Yahuah; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What Yahuah hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth Yahuah, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from Yahuah by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but Yahuah hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Why was Peter so perplexed at what the vision meant? And why would Yahway command Peter to do something against His word? Had he changed the dietary laws? If the dietary laws had been changed with the Messiah, would Peter not have known this? The Messiah died 10 years before this vision...Peter would have been eating anything for 10 yrs, but he wasn't. In Acts 11, Peter met up with apostles and brethren and told them the story of the vision, and they glorified the Father. None of them argued with Peter that he should have eaten unclean. Also, had he been explaining to them that it was now ok to eat unclean, the other apostles would have been shocked at this. They knew the vision was not about food.
Peter saw the vision 3 times---V 19 tells us 3 men were seeking Peter; V 28 explains that Peter should not call any man common or unclean. At the time, it was unlawful for Jews to "keep company" with Gentiles- The vision was not about food, it was about not calling Gentiles unclean.
In Galatians 2 we read further about Peter eating with Gentiles in Antioch. When James and his men came Peter withdrew and separated himself from the Gentiles, because he feared them which were of the circumcision (the Jews). Paul called him out on it publicly "because he was to be blamed." He didn't call him out for eating with the Gentiles, he called him out because he separated himself when the Jews came. And others disassembled themselves as well, even Barnabas, Paul was telling them they were trying to live by the law when they got caught. But he goes on to say, this is about faith, the law can't save you. Galatians 2: 21 says do not frustrate the grace of Yahway: for if righteousness come by the law, then Yahushua is dead in vain.
Many times there is a hidden message in visions, dreams and prophesies that go beyond things look like on the surface. Such is the case with Peter's vision. The vision had nothing to do with food, but simply the message of the Father sharing with Peter to go to the Gentile nation and make no difference between men.