02/17/2025
What does God think about eating pork/swines flesh???
Please read the entire post all the way to the end or you may miss some very important points.
I will address both viewpoints... and include the corresponding verses in the right context because all scripture works in perfect harmony when correctly understood.
So, to start with, here are some of the foundational verses that we should live by everyday, in all areas of our life:
Psalms 119:89
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
II Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
1 Peter 4:18
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword."
Proverbs 3:12
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Now, regarding what we eat and don't eat, we look in Leviticus chapter 11 and it lists basically all animals to see which animals are considered to be food, whether or not they should be eaten. The verse that talks about pork is verse 7.
Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
The action of chewing the cud helps in proper- healthy digestion for the cows, along with their multiple stomachs. It takes 24 hours for complete digestion, whereas the swine only takes 4 hours, allowing the toxins to go into the fat, and people ingest a lot of lard which is laced with disease.
There are a lot more animals mentioned and most things listed people already do not eat (like dogs, horses, mice, etc.)
Also, it lists the acceptable meat:
Leviticus 11: 9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
The clean and unclean beasts began at creation. God created certain beasts to be eaten and others to be useful. Horses are great for riding, but I wouldn't want to eat one. Lol
Because he is the creator of each animal, God fully understands the makeup of each animal and His intended purpose of all His creation including what is good for the human body and what is harmful. So for our good, a loving God gave us a user guide of things that we can and cannot eat, found in Leviticus 11.
I'll start from the beginning.
The very first sin in the Bible was Adam and Eve disobeying God by eating the forbidden fruit.
And Noah (who was way before the birth of Abraham's Jewish nation or Moses' law,) was commanded to take clean beasts by sevens and unclean beasts by twos into the ark. (The purpose to take in more clean beasts than unclean beasts evidently was because they used the clean beasts more to start the new world for eating and sacrificing. (God would not accept an unclean beast as a sacrifice.)
Moses' law was good as he is the one who was given the 10 Commandments. The law did not Spiritually cleanse us though (through daily sacrifices). It was a physical work that could not perfect us. And of course we don't have to do sacrifices now, because Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach) came to be a sacrifice once and for all for us.... That through His Name we might be saved.
The following verses are not meant to take away your faith. We are saved by faith and without it - it's impossible to please God.
I Timothy 4:
"1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
These verses are used a lot to argue for eating pork, but the key word here is "created to be received" - he created all clean animals to be received and it is sanctified by the word of God.)
Another chapter to tie into this is Isaiah 65 & 66. (which is a book of prophecy)
Read especially Isaiah 66:15-17 and 66:22-24.This is talking about the end of time and judgment. God uses the word abomination to describe eating of the unclean things. He also puts pork in the same category as the mouse! (yuk!)
Isaiah 65:2 - 7
2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
And then to continue the same “end time prophesy theme, the end of the chapter says:
Isaiah 66:
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Also another controversy that arises is the 10th chapter of Acts. In Peter's vision, where God showed him all manner of beasts, both clean and unclean. Peter was told to rise, slay, and eat. He refused saying that nothing common or unclean had ever entered into his mouth. Later, he realized that God was showing him unclean beasts to represent the calling of man unclean.
(Acts 10:28 says,
"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.")
He still did not eat the unclean beast, nor were the unclean beasts cleansed, but the Gentiles were cleansed who believed on Jesus Christ. (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach)
Another passage commonly used to try to prove this wrong is Mark chapter 7. Chapter 7 is not talking about unclean beasts, it is talking about eating with unwashed hands. (verse 3 & 4)
Also Matthew 15 is talking about dirty hands. Romans 14 is talking about vegetarians instead of eating unclean flesh.
I Corinthians chapter 8 and chapter 10 are talking about eating food that was previously offered up to idols.
Actually, most of these verses were talking to the Jews at the time, which was the first church. But these people already did not eat unclean animals! They were not trying to get them to eat or to not eat unclean animals. It simply was not the issue.
If God would have cleansed pork, then it would not have the unhealthy neurocysticercosis problems and so many other diseases today. God has never cleansed the unclean animal.
Scavenger (flesh-eating ) animals have their purpose and they are wonderful creations. Buzzards and opossums keep the earth cleaned up and shrimp and catfish clean up the pollution in waters. A lot of unclean animals have intelligence to be able to hunt for their food and scavenge. ( It is commonly said that pigs are as smart as dogs) Basically, unclean animals eat unclean things and other animals, while clean animals eat grass, grain and vegetation.
Clean animals such as the lamb are gentle and passive.
(Isaiah 53:7)
"He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
God gave us a new and better sacrificial Lamb - Jesus Christ - to take away and cleanse our sins from us. We no longer have to sacrifice an animal that never took away our sins. We will not necessarily be immediately punished for sins, although sometimes our sins get us into a lot of trouble in this life. We can still be forgiven, but we sometimes have to pay an earthly penalty.
We are under grace that gives us time to repent of our sins. Grace is not license to sin, it is a freedom from sin:
Romans 6 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid"
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
When we have the Spirit within, the Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth. The Spirit will not lead us to sin.
Aside from the Biblical references, scientific studies will tell everyone- Jew as well as Gentile, saint and sinner that pork products, blood and fat are unhealthy. My parents and grandparents liked their pork chops, pickled pigs feet, ham and bacon- as a matter of fact, I think my grandpa had just butchered a hog when he was shown to give up unclean meats. It was not something that he wanted to do, but he felt he had to obey the Lord.
If for no other reason, I want to eat healthy to present my body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.
As I read in our daily readings, God commanded very strongly to abstain from fat and blood also. I think most of the unnecessary cholesterol comes from eating rare-fatty meat.
Leviticus 3:
17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
Acts 15:
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
I think it is obvious that most agree that there are clean and unclean animals in the Bible. I think one of the big questions is whether or not when we pray over it, if it is cleansed. I do not intentionally eat pork, lard, etc. but occasionally it is probably in some food products and I don't know about. That is where the prayer comes in. We read labels all the time checking for ingredients of lard, fat and gelatin from animals.
We should use our faith to abide within the will of God. We should not use our faith to try to include and justify things that we know are bad for us. Anything God has told us to do, or not to do is for our good. All his commandments are good and holy. He wants to give us the best abundant life possible, health-wise, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially, etc.
The laws and the ten Commandments are still in effect today.
But didn't Jesus come to destroy the law so we could commit sin? NO!
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Some points in conclusion:
1. God didn't change what is considered "sin" from the Old Testament to the New Testament
2. God "created" some animals to not be eaten...they were created to be a useful animal such as the horse, dog, pig, etc.
3. God wants our vessels to be clean, presented as a Spiritual sacrifice unto Him. (Swine was never a part of the sacrificial law/guidelines. A swine offered as a sacrifice was an abomination, so we shouldn't want swine in our flesh while offering ourselves as a sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God.)
4. The end time prophecies speak of forbidding to eat swine flesh, so it is carried over all the way unto the end of time.
5. Animals perceived to be unclean in the Bible are still to this day, NOT HEALTHY. If God would have cleansed them, then they would be healthy.
6. All the verses commonly used in the New Testament to discredit the doctrine of not eating pork are talking about something else, such as eating with dirty hands, eating sacrificial animals, etc. Each verse needs to be taken in correct context. The Bible does not contradict itself.
7. We should only eat the animals that God Created to be received with Thanksgiving. Amen.
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