The bible is literal yet it is often expressed abstractly in the form of idioms, metaphors, or symbols used in dreams and visions. One of my favorite examples is expressed through the story of Joseph while he was in captivity. At the time, the Pharaoh of Egypt was plagued by what were essentially nightmares; they were recurring dreams. In one dream, the Pharaoh saw 7 well-fed and healthy cows and 7 lean cows that were sickly and near death. There was a second dream using different imagery, it contained 7 strong and healthy ears of corn, and 7 thin weak stalks. In each case, the weak or sick devoured the strong and healthy. Being unable to determine what these things meant, Joseph was brought in from jail as an interpreter as Joseph had accurately interpreted dreams of other men who had also been in prison.
The Pharaoh relived his dreams for Joseph, who took a moment and interpreted the dreams. Do understand, the dreams were literal even though they were expressed behind the symbolism of the cows and corn. The literal interpretation that Joseph gave was the 7 fat cows and 7 strong stalks of corn were showing Pharaoh what God was about to do, they indicated 7 years of plenty, 7 years of great harvest, an abundance of food. The 7 lean cows and weak stalks on the other hand, were indicating 7 years of bad harvests, a scarcity of food, famine! Joseph was able, through this interpretation, to warn Pharaoh and help to create a way that not only Egypt survived the 7 bad years, but ultimately his estranged family survived and even prospered as well.
My point in choosing this story is that it’s one that is easy to see. If we just took the dream literally, then what is the message? Never leave healthy cows near sick cows because the sick cows will eat them? Unhealthy corn stalks will consume healthy corn stalks? No, it doesn’t work that way so we can plainly see the use of the abstract in order to deliver a literal message. Keep that in mind as you are reading Revelation, Daniel, or any other area of Scripture that presents prophecy.
Understanding how God uses symbolism in dreams and visions, let’s take a look at Peter’s vision which we find in the verses below:
Acts 10:9 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: (10) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, (11) 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: (12) Wherein were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. (13) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. (14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. (15)And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. (16) This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. (17) 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, (18) And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. (19) While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. (20) Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
For better context, you need to read the first 8 verses that lead up to where I picked it up above. I will paraphrase and abridge those 8 verses now by saying that a man named Cornelius, who was a captain in the Italian Army and obviously a Gentile and a believer, was visited by an angel. The angel told Cornelius to send men to Peter and ask him to come to him. What you might not realize, is that anyone who was not a Jew was considered unclean by Jews. To eat with a gentile, to sleep at a gentile’s home, to hang out with gentiles in public places, this was simply not something a Jew did, not even a Yeshua following Jew. Reading all of chapters 10 and 11 will make this clear to you.
Peter does go with the men, and Cornelius comes out to meet them as they arrive. Now watch closely what Peter says to him:
Acts 10:28 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 God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
The obvious question would be when and how did God show Peter that he shouldn’t call any man common or unclean? Could it have been the vision? Keep in mind, Acts 10:16 says that great sheet with the animals on it descended 3 times before Peter, and when he awoke, 3 gentile men were at his door. Moving on, we see that Peter stays with Cornelius for a time, preaches the Good News to them, and watches God work Spirit filled miracles through them. He baptizes them, and a few days’ later leaves and heads back to Jerusalem. Once there, Peter is approached by the other apostles and brethren in Messiah. (Chapter 11) The Jews then contended with Peter saying:
Acts 11:3 Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
Peter, knowing this was coming, retold his entire vision concerning unclean animals. He told them how when he was finished, gentiles were all but waiting at the door, sent by an angel of God to take him to Cornelius. He told them of the works they did, how the Spirit of God fell on those gentiles just as it had the Jews in the beginning. When Peter finished his defense as to why he was “hanging out” with unclean men, did the Jews who contended with him say “Peter, you dupe, that vision said we can eat all foods because they are all clean now”? No, of course not, Peter shared with them how the vision, which used unclean animals as symbols, was indeed declaring that those MEN whom God had made clean should not be called unclean. So instead, when Peter finishes sharing his experience and vision, those Jews responded in this manner:
Acts 11:18 when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
So like Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, or like the many other dreams and visions within scripture which used symbols to deliver a literal message, Peter’s vision likewise used symbols, in this case unclean animals, to declare a literal message. What was God’s message to Peter and to us? That when we come to Messiah regardless of our racial, cultural, or ethnic background, we are clean through messiah and should not be called anything less. Peter’s vision should not be used to declare all foods to be clean. His vision had nothing at all to do with biblical dietary laws. In fact, it should be noted that Peter said “no” directly to God three times without rebuke. He walked with Messiah, and if Messiah’s work made all foods clean, why did he tell God “no” when God told him to eat? This wasn’t about food, this dream/vision was about people, unclean people.
As a side note, there may be something of a “Jonah connection” to Peter’s vision. Remember when Jonah would not go to the Ninevites and preach and wouldn’t because of “who” the Ninevites were. He instead ran to Joppa in order to run from God and climbed aboard a ship and fled. Peter was staying at a seaside home in Joppa (Acts 10:5-6) when the gentile Cornelius sent his men to find Peter. So there was Peter in the same place Jonah fled the Lord from, and for similar reasons. I wonder if Peter caught the irony of this?
