Acts 10:9-23

Peter's Vision

On the next day at noon, while the emissaries were on their way, Peter went to the top of Simon's house to pray. He became very hungry while preparations for the noon meal were being made and fell into a trance. He saw something like a sheet being let down out of heaven full of all types of unclean animals and heard a voice telling him to kill and eat. Peter refused the instructions of the heavenly voice because he did not want to defile himself, as a Jew. The voice, in full agreement with the Lord's teachings in Mark 7:14-19, told Peter that nothing God had made should be described by man as common or unclean. The same vision was repeated three times and the sheet taken out of the apostle's sight.

As Peter thought about the vision, the men from Cornelius arrived at the house and began to inquire about him. The Holy Spirit told him to go with the three men who were looking for him because they were sent by the Spirit. Peter went down and told the men he was the man for whom they were looking. They told Peter that Cornelius had been told by God, through the agency of an angel, to send for Peter so that he could hear him preach. Realizing this message was from God, Peter invited them in to spend the night, apparently eating the very meal with them which had been being prepared while he saw the vision. The next morning, Peter and some other brethren set out for Caesarea (Acts 10:19-23).