Stick with me on this one, its going to be good. I know that some people are probably tired of me writing about Peter's vision regarding the Gentiles and their inclusion in Salvation. To those people I would say "But I found something else that its cool that pertains to the subject." It used to be that every time I tried to read the book of Daniel, I would quite literally pass right out. For whatever reason I couldn't read more than a chapter without passing out and taking a nap. I wondered if there was some sort of spiritual significance of that, but here I am years later reading through it and staying awake. As I'm reading through it I'm seeing more in the parallel of God calling those who refuse Him and His commands- beasts. I know we always start off with Peters vision and the sheet of all kinds of beasts and the voice telling Peter "Don't call unclean what I have called clean."
Acts 10:10-17
But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate
You know this story. You know that many people are told that this is our Unchanging God who established what is and isn't food, and kicked us out of the garden for eating something that He commanded us not to eat- suddenly changed His mind, not about any of the many sins but just the one about eating pigs and lobsters. Now even though that interpretation doesn't make sense with MANY many many scriptures that show that God didn't do this very thing, people still believe it. For more on Peter, the Vision and Sheep see that post.
What is happening in Acts 10 is that a Gentile is being accepted by God. Peter was refusing to accept Gentiles and eat with them. God gives Peter a Vision regarding Gentiles. Why beasts? Why was Peter shown wild beasts? To lay the framework for that, there are some things that I have to show to give context to the matter. God made Adam in Genesis. From Adam, all nations came to be. They spread out all over the world and settled and started tribes. When God said in the garden the promise that the Savior would crush the head of the serpent - that was a promise of Christ and that message was for all humanity that believed. Yet, as people spread out across the world, many rejected God and decided to engage in paganism and idol worship. Does that mean that God abandoned the promise that whomever should believe should be saved? Not at all.
Adam was neither Jew or Gentile, and neither was Abraham
Genesis 11:31
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there
From Abraham is the promise of the line of Messiah that would come through Abraham's great grandson Judah. Abraham also had other sons after the death of his first wife.
Genesis 25:1-3
1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.
One of these descendants of Abraham was Midian, who fathered the Midianites and the men of the east. Job is a descendant of Abraham and Job is a gentile. This isn't about Job, this is about gentiles and the picture that arises in these parallels. Abrahams grandson had sons that became the tribes of Israel.
Why does this matter? Because from one man came all men, and as men spread out and became proud and walked contrary to the ways of God and forgot God two things happened. 1. God humbles them 2. God keeps referring to them as wild beasts because they reason and act like animals. Through Christ, He calls these Gentiles BACK to Him in repentance. They go from people, to animals to people again once repentant.
Daniel 4:24-26
24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. 26 And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.
The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is a Gentile who has knowledge of God through interactions with the Prophet Daniel of Judah. This king looks over his empire and decided that he himself, not God has made everything he has established. This is the mindset of the gentiles that exclude God in pride, that they,not God have produced everything.
Daniel 4:30-32
30 The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’
He is cut off and driven away from mankind, lives like a wild beast- like cattle, until the recognition that the Most High is the ruler over all. The kingdom will be given back to him once this gentile that has been excluded repents and returns to God's headship. He will go from being a wild beast, BACK to being a person in the kingdom.
Daniel 5:20-21
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21 He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.
His heart was lifted up, he was proud in spirit, behaved arrogantly. It wasn't until he was humbled and acknowledge God that he was restored.
Daniel 4:37
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Ecclesiastes makes mention of this pride, and men being wild beasts just like we have been looking at in Nebuchadnezzar's case
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21
18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.” 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
Sons of men is an idiom meaning fleshly led, carnal reasoning rather than the idiomatic sons of God which is reference to obedience Spirit led men who walk in the honor and submission to God.
God has never called Gentiles unclean. They went their way, they have been driven out from "mankind". They have walked in the pride of their heart, but God never called them unclean,
God does call them wild beasts, and tells them to return to Him.
Isaiah 56:6-9
6 “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant; 7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” 8 The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.” 9 All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.
NOW lets look at the story of the Prodigal son and how it relates to the Peter/ Gentile dynamic. I'm going to split the story into 2 parts as it pertains to Peter.
Luke 15:11-32
11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Is that not the parallel of Babylonian king? Is this not about the Gentiles who have returned God? Is this not Cornelius of the Italian Cohort who is recognized by God for his generosity and his fear of the Lord? These wild beasts have returned from being driven out and become men again. This is spoken of by the Prophet Hosea
Hosea 2:14-20“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Bring her into the wilderness And speak kindly to her. 15 “Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 16 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “That you will call Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali. 17 “For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will be mentioned by their names no more. 18 “In that day I will also make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, The birds of the sky And the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, And will make them lie down in safety. 19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, 20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.
Luke 15:25-32 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”
The older brother, the established Jewish order, refuses to enter the house where the "gentile brother" is rejoicing having returned to the Father. The passage in Isaiah 56 that is referring to God calling the Gentile beasts back home also parallels the ones who are supposed to be tending to the flock.
Isaiah 56:10-12
10 His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber; 11 And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one. 12 “Come,” they say, “let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
Peter was being carried away with the Pharisees and becoming one of the hypocritical brothers that cared more about the opinions of others than the restoration of the lost brother from the dead. This is why Paul rebuked him to his face.
Galatians 2:11-14
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Peter was given the vision to not call gentiles unclean because he had forgotten the call that Christ had commissioned him.
John 21:15-17
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Three times after Peter is restored Christ tells him to "Feed His sheep." Who are these sheep?
John 10:14-16
4 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
These sheep are both Jews and Gentiles, that are to be gathered together into one flock: Israel
Matthew 15:24
24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Acts 10:27-29
As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”
Acts 10:34-35
34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.
The vision is ENTIRELY about Gentiles.
Acts 11:1
Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Peter explained what God has showed them about salvation for the gentiles
Acts 11When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
For more information on the entire Judaizer Controversy, you can read this chapter for free of my book on The Dominion of God vs the Dominance of Man
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