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We may eat the meat of every clean sanctified creature of God. God never sanctified the flesh of unclean creatures as ‘food’ or ‘meat.’ We therefore cannot sanctify through prayer that which is not sanctified as food or meat by the word of God. This article will discuss 1 Timothy 4 and the practice of prayer over food.

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5:
Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 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. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Many cite the 1 Timothy 4:1-5 verses as proof that the Scriptures have no restrictions on eating unclean meats and twist these verses to say that they refer to Messianics and Christians who teach against eating unclean creatures. The misguided desire of some people to eat unclean creatures is so strong, that they actually accuse people who refer to God’s Dietary Commandments, as recorded in Scripture, as “doctrines of devils” and those who adhere to them as persons who have “departed from the faith!”

1 Timothy 4:1-5 is a prophetic verse that was written concerning the “latter times.” The Catholic Church and many of her sister churches that follow her lead have fulfilled this prophecy. They have departed from true Messianic Christian faith and have instituted their own doctrines including, but not limited to, imposing celibacy on their priests and nuns (forbidding to marry) and commanding to abstain from eating meat on Fridays and throughout their traditional Lent season (commanding to abstain from meats) [1]. “Speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared with a hot iron,” is a reference to pedophile priests and those who have lied and covered up for their crimes within the Catholic Church system.

Those who “believe and know the truth” know that God does not impose celibacy upon those who preach His message (1 Corinthians 9:5; Timothy 3:1-5, 8-13) and also know that God does not require abstaining from meats on certain days, holidays, or any other traditional Christian period. The imposition of celibacy and commandments to abstain from meats are not doctrines of God, but are in fact the doctrines of devils.

“Every creature of God is good and not to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving.” Since God did not sanctify unclean creatures to be eaten with thanksgiving, this verse refers to every clean creature. Unclean creatures are not considered food. The creatures that are to be received, having been “sanctified by the word of God,” can be found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. YHWH (the Lord) instructs us to sanctify ourselves and to not defile ourselves by eating that which is unclean (Leviticus 11:44).

Here is a clearer (interpretation / translation) of 1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5:

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5 [WITH INTERPRETATION]:
Now the Spirit spoke expressly [THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHO SPOKE CLEARLY TO THE APOSTLE PAUL], that in the latter times [THE END TIMES] some shall depart from the faith [CATHOLICS, HER DAUGHTER PROTESTANT CHURCHES AND OTHER FORMER FAITH-BASED CHRISTIANS], giving heed to seducing spirits [OBEYING / WORSHIPING APPARITIONS OF MARY – WHICH ARE DEMONIC SPIRITS IN DISGUISE], and doctrines of devils [MAN- MADE CATHOLIC / PROTESTANT DOCTRINES]; Speaking lies in hypocrisy [COVERING UP SEX SCANDALS WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES WHILE HYPOCRITICALLY PREACHING AGAINST SEXUAL SINS]; having their conscience seared with a hot iron [COMMITTING ABOMINABLE SEXUAL ABUSE ACTS OF HOMOSEXUAL PEDOPHILIA WITHOUT ANY GUILTY CONSCIENCE AT ALL]; Forbidding to marry [CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND NUNS ARE FORBIDDEN TO MARRY], and commanding to abstain from meats [MEATLESS FRIDAYS AND LENT DOCTRINES], which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth [TRUE KNOWLEDGEABLE MESSIANICS, CHRISTIANS, AND OTHERS WHO DON’T PRACTICE FALSE PIETY BY ONLY EATING FISH ON FRIDAYS AND ABSTAINING FROM MEAT DURING LENT. CATHOLICS AND CHRISTIANS WHO ENGAGE IN SUCH PRACTICES AS ‘MEATLESS FRIDAYS’ AND ‘FASTING OF MEATS’ AS SELF-IMPOSED SACRIFICES FOR MESSIAH, ARE AN INSULT TO MESSIAH. MESSIAH PAID THE PENALTY FOR ALL SINS FOR ALL TIME. ALL SELF-IMPOSED SACRIFICES ARE IN VAIN]. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer [THE WORD OF GOD, LEVITICUS 11 AND DEUTERONOMY 14, SANCTIFIES CERTAIN CREATURES AS CLEAN FOR FOOD AND DISTINGUISHES OTHERS AS BEING UNCLEAN FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION].

Some people believe they can miraculously transform (or sanctify) unclean creatures and make them clean by praying over them. Can prayer sanctify unclean creatures? Can we pray over unclean meats, miraculously sanctify them, and then eat them? If a person does this, he or she is mocking God and is putting God to the test. They break the command, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7). Scripture specifically warns against practicing such foolish behavior.

PROVERBS 28:9:
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Those who turn their ears from hearing God’s dietary laws, their prayers to sanctify unclean creatures (before consuming them) are an abomination. This is similarly true of many Christians who have abolished God’s dietary laws in their hearts and minds, and then pray to God for healing after acquiring diseases due to consuming unclean creatures.

God often does answer the prayers of sick Christians, and blesses them with miraculous healings. Many other Christians are not always so fortunate as they acquire illnesses, suffer, and die prematurely.

ISAIAH 66:17:
They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says (YHWH) the Lord.

Isaiah 66:17’s warning is directed at those who think they can sanctify, purify, and then consume swine’s flesh, the abomination (scale-less fish, shellfish, and other unclean sea creatures), and mice. There are misguided Christians who believe they have the power to pray, purify, and sanctify unclean creatures before eating them.

In Isaiah 66:17, the word ‘mouse’ is translated from the original Hebrew text meaning the ‘dormouse’ or the ‘glis’ – a small field mouse. Wealthy Romans, before the plagues of Europe, did eat mice as a delicacy. These mice were bred in captivity and kept in large jars, like goldfish, where they were fattened up on walnuts, figs, chestnuts, etc. When the mice were ready to be eaten, they were roasted and glazed with honey and sometimes poppy-seed.

People still eat mice today in some impoverished nations in Africa and Europe. Mouse meat can be found in several dishes in China and Korea, where mice are put on skewers along with lizards, scorpions, and snakes.

During these modern times it may be hard to imagine that people once consumed mice, and still do, in light of the history of the Black Death plague that devastated Europe in the 1300’s. Wealthy Romans were once accustomed to eating mice, and people in parts of Africa, Europe, China, and Korea still do. In the future, some may look back on our time period and wonder how people could have regularly consumed pork and shellfish also. Eating pork, shellfish, and other unclean creatures is the primary cause of acquiring consuming diseases and plagues of our modern era.

Isaiah 66:17 specifically says that people who eat swine’s flesh, abominable things (scale- less fish, shellfish, and other unclean sea creatures) and mice will be consumed. This verse does not mean that people eating unclean creatures will be ‘consumed by the Lord’ when He returns. When people acquire diseases and plagues, they are literally consumed by them. To be consumed means to be eaten as food or destroyed, ravaged or wasted away. For example, cancer consumes a person’s body. Cancer cells multiply and consume healthy cells. Many of the world’s consuming diseases can be avoided by following God’s dietary commandments. YHWH (the Lord) commands us to not eat unclean creatures and warns that those who do consume unclean creatures will themselves be consumed (by disease) as a result of eating them.

Cover art illustration: 119 Ministries <http://119ministries.com/can-we-eat-all-things-1-timothy-4>.

1. Peter R. Kraemer- Catholic Church Extension Society (1975), Chicago, Illinois: “We frankly say, yes, the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages and a thousand other laws.”