Peter’s Vision; Acts 10:9 – 23 – Part 2

Church History: Peter went to the house-top to pray, about noon, about the sixth hour, according to David's example, who, not only morning and evening, but at noon, addressed himself to God by prayer, (Psalms 55:17). He prayed upon the house-top; where he retired for privacy, where he could neither hear nor be heard, and so might avoid both distraction and ostentation. There, upon the roof of the house, he had a full view of the heavens, which might assist his pious adoration of the God he prayed to; and there he had also a full view of the city and country, which might assist his pious compassion of the people he prayed for. He had this vision immediately after he had prayed, as an answer to his prayer for the spreading of the gospel, and because the ascent of the heart to God in prayer is an excellent preparative to receive the discoveries of the divine grace and favor. He became very hungry, and was waiting for his dinner. Now this hunger was a proper inlet to the vision about meats, as Christ's hunger in the wilderness was to Satan's temptation to turn stones into bread.
The vision itself was not as plain as the one given to Cornelius, but more figurative and enigmatical, to make a deeper impression. He fell into a trance or ecstasy, not of terror, but of contemplation. He saw heaven opened, that he might be sure that his authority to go to Cornelius was indeed from heaven, that it was a divine light which altered his sentiments, and a divine power which gave him his commission. The opening of the heavens signified the opening of a mystery that had been hidden, (Romans 16:25). He saw a great sheet full of all manner of living creatures, which descended from heaven, and was let down to him to the earth, that is, to the roof of the house where he now was. Here were not only beasts of the earth, but fowls of the air, which might have flown away, laid at his feet; and not only tame beasts, but wild. There were no fishes of the sea, because there were none of them in particular unclean, but whatever had fins and scales was allowed to be eaten. Some interpret this sheet, to represent the church of Christ. It comes down from heaven, from heaven opened, not only to send it down (Revelation 21:2), but to receive souls sent up from it. It is knit at the four corners, to receive those from all parts of the world that are willing to be added to it; and to retain and keep those safe that are taken into it, that they may not fall out; and in this we find some of all countries, nations, and languages, without any distinction of Greek or Jew, or any disadvantage put upon Barbarian or Scythian, (Colossians 3:11).