Hebrews 13:9 “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
IN THE BEGINNING
Genesis 1:29-30 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”
Λ [NOTICE: these two verses sum up the entire doctrine of meats for the whole world until chapter nine of Genesis.]
QUESTION: What did the lions and tigers eat in the garden? (You’ll know the answer by implication from Revelation.)
AFTER THE FALL (of man)
9:1-3 “. . . all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”
Λ [NOTICE: the doctrine of meats has just changed!]
(v. 4 “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.”)
Λ [These four verses sum up the entire doctrine of meats for the whole world until the book of Leviticus.]
AFTER THE LORD DELIVERS ISRAEL FROM EGYPT (He separated his people from the world in more ways than one!)
Leviticus 11:1-47 (46-47) “This is the law . . . to make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.”
Λ [NOTICE: the doctrine of meats has just changed again!]
(Compare this with Genesis 9:3 again.)
11:4 “Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.”
v. 5 “And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.”
v. 6 “And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.”
v. 7 “And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.”
v. 8 “Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.”
Λ Important Points in Summation:
(1) Certain “things” were unclean to Israel because the Lord SAID they were unclean to Israel.
(2) The Lord wasn’t dealing with everybody, just for the people for whom the Lord SAID they were unclean, that is, everybody who belonged to the Lord at the time, Israel.
(3) Although certain meats were declared to be unclean for Israel, at no time was Israel given to be “vegetarian.”
17:10-11,14 “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood. . . .”)
Λ [The prohibition against blood never comes to an end.]
Λ [The elaborate doctrine given in Leviticus through Deuteronomy, concerning meats, continues for Israel until the new testament comes. (“Orthodox Judaism” does not accept the new testament, but, of course, most “new testament Christians” don’t accept the new testament either!)]
AFTER THE VAIL IS RENT IN TWAIN AND THE GOSPEL HAS GONE OUT TO THE GENTILES
Acts chapters 10-11 “. . . 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 any thing 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. . . .”
Λ [NOTICE: the doctrine of meats has just changed again! (It is again exactly as it was after the fall of Adam.]
Λ [NOTICE: this makes perfect sense: there is no distinction any more between Jew and Gentile concerning the flesh. The Jews have made themselves no better than Gentiles and the Lord has offered salvation to the Gentiles, raising them up to the level of the Jews. A distinction between the two serves no purpose, which distinction was the sole purpose of “clean” and “unclean” meats in the first place.]
COMPARE:
Leviticus 11:43 “Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.”
Mark 7:14-23 “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him. . . .”
Λ [NOTICE: The Lord made both of the above statements.]
QUESTION: Can you imagine what a shock that statement in Mark would have been at that time it was stated?
Romans 1414 “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”
QUESTION: Why did the Lord establish things as unclean in the first place?
ANSWER: Leviticus 11:47 (again)
[The concept of “uncleanness” was a “schoolmaster”, or a “tutor” to teach separation (of Jew from Gentile).]
(Galatians 3:24-25 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”)
(4:1-5 (2) “But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”)
(“Orthodox Christianity” uses these verses to claim that, “The commandments are done away with.”)
Colossians 2:20-22 “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?”
QUESTION: A Seventh Day Adventist says asks me, “You wouldn’t eat unclean meat would you?”
ANSWER: “There are no unclean meats.” (The question is absurd and displays the ignorance of the questioner.)
1st Corinthians 10:25-27 “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.”
Titus 1:15 “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
QUESTION: What is this verse talking about?
ANSWER: The verse deals with “things”, generally. Things are not unclean of themselves! (as in Romans 14:14)
(Adultery is not pure, but adultery is not a thing: it is an act.)
QUESTION: Who is this verse speaking against?
ANSWER: “Seventh Day Adventists” and everybody else who holds similar doctrine concerning meats.
1st Timothy 4:1-6 “. . . some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils . . . commanding to abstain from meats. . . . For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. . . .”
FOR EXAMPLE:
Λ [Adventists do this! They command to abstain from particular meats as unclean, and also commonly command to abstain from all meat.]
Λ [Catholicism commands to “abstain from meat on Friday”!]
Romans 14:2 “For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.” [vegetarian!]
Luke 24:33-43 “And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat. . . .”
AFTER THE RESURRECTION, IN THE NEW EARTH
Revelation 21:1-4 “ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . . And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death . . . for the former things are passed away.”
Λ [NOTICE: the doctrine of meats has just changed again! (It is exactly as it was before the fall of Adam. (See above.)).]
Isaiah 65:17-25 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. . . . 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.”
(In other words, when the Lord restores all things, the “new earth” will be just like it was in the garden of Eden: everyone will be eating herbs again.)
Λ [NOTICE: it will come to pass in the fullest sense, that saying in Proverbs 15:17:]
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”
Revelation 21:5 “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
Praise and glory to the Lord Jesus!