Rise, Peter, Kill and Eat!

Peter’s dream of the sheet full of animals (Acts 10) is sometimes cited in an attempt to sidestep the Bible’s dietary guidelines. Actually, the dream wasn’t about food at all.

The vision occurs in the context of the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles. At that time all the Christians were Jews. They viewed the Gentiles as beyond the reach of the grace of God. God wanted to break down that wall of prejudice, and used this strange dream to do it.

While messengers were on their way from Cornelius to get him, Peter, on a housetop, fell into a trance. He saw a large sheet let down before him “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, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.”

If God was indeed instructing Peter to add all those creatures to his diet, then it would be our Christian obligation to eat skunks and mice and snakes. But the purpose of the vision was not to change Peter’s intake, but his outlook. It was not to alter his meals, but his mission.

Beasts in symbolic visions represent nations. Just as in Revelation 10, John in vision was asked to eat a book, here Peter in vision was asked to eat beasts. These beasts, being unclean, represented the uncircumcised nations. Peter represented the church, as would John in Revelation 10. Eating a thing symbolized receiving it. God was graphically illustrating to Peter that the church was to receive “every nation” (verse 35) into it.

The words spoken to Peter were, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” While Peter still wondered what God was referring to, the messengers from Cornelius reached the house where Peter was staying. Then “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.”

Peter then began to understand the meaning of the dream. When he arrived at Cornelius’ house he found a large group of Gentiles assembled, waiting to hear the gospel of Jesus.

Peter said, “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 God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for.” “Of a truth,” He concluded, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”