You Say the Bible Doesn't Support Vegetarianism?!
Created 04/23/2008; Updated 05/05/2008: Text added and some corrections made in blue! Link added below to Bible Readings for the Home! It is one of the most comprehensive exposes of Adventist doctrine. Updated 11/15/2008: Text added in blue.
ATTENTION:
To the Reader: Special consideration is given to people who cannot secure a vegetarian diet. There are special cases, even in different countries where that cannot be done except through extreme attempts. Just so long as the reason is not personal preference or the taste, no one need worry who cannot comply.
"Those who are in a position where it is possible to secure a vegetarian diet, but who choose to follow their own preferences in this matter, eating and drinking as they please, will gradually grow careless of the instruction the Lord has given regarding other phases of the present truth and will lose their perception of what is truth; they will surely reap as they have sown." -- Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, pgs. 156, 157
This will be because they have learned to rationalize and not to give their very best for the Lord because of and based upon their own taste. They therefore will also not do that when they will be required to give all for the Master.
People were attacking Seventh-day Adventism and Ellen G. White based upon her statements that God's people for the last days will become vegetarians. One particular person recently on the newsgroups posted that by this, Ellen White was bringing "a different gospel." That person then quoted scripture against "different gospels."
Dear Readers:
The bible says...
Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
This was before the flood of Noah. At that time God made men to know that their food were the fruits, nuts, vegetables and grains. After the Flood came and there were no visible plant life, but merely seeds, a change took place...
Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
That's the way it has always been. God's people and the prophets all ate meat. But then, towards the last days, especially with some dangerous circumstances that are about to get much worse, a change has taken place based upon the following scripture:
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
This is more like the days of Noah than what people realize. One such aspect is the withdrawal of the permission to eat flesh-based food, not only because of health, and the filth and the genetic engineering, but because of some tragic and planned disasters to come in the future that will be orchestrated by people who want to genocide most of the global population.
Therefore, viewing that the last days have arrived and that they will be like the days of Noah, the following was penned by Ellen G. White:
God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His original design [original design when?? Back to the days before the flood!]--that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord meat eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view and endeavor to work steadily toward it.-- Counsels on Health 450 (1890).
One person quoted that same situation in the words of Jesus using the scripture in Luke and claimed that our position on vegetarianism was invalid because the scripture there also claimed that the last days would be as it was in the days of Lot. Lot and God's people of that day ate meat.
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the
days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives,
they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and
the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did
eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of
man is revealed.
We brought out that different aspects of the last days were brought out in two examples. The example of the days before the flood, WAS A GLOBAL SITUATION. Judgment there didn't come on a single city after the Flood like as Sodom where Lot was living. It came upon the entire world. God gave the entire world fruits, grains and nuts to eat before the flood. After the flood, God gave the entire world permission to eat meat. We are here talking about a global aspect where God is commanding His people to come off from it. He is not saying that we must keep this knowledge or restriction upon merely ourselves. We are instructed to warn the world about this, because horrible calamities will come. The issue here is not merely better health. Horrible global calamities in just the near future, WILL COME!
We have already witnessed cases of food-borne diseases in meat where viruses literally ate out the brains of people. In a number of reports, we witnessed a virus that was horribly fast. It was a flesh-eating virus. The report stated there was no cure for it. In a matter of days it horribly kills its victims by eating the flesh of their bodies or limbs. We are telling you that these dangerous viruses will be DELIBERATELY distributed against the global population!
Like everything else, we do not say that the mere act of being a vegetarian--OR ANYTHING--is a requirement for salvation. If all of a sudden all pancakes became unhealthy or poisonous, God's people would avoid it and warn others against eating it. It doesn't mean they are presenting a "NEW GOSPEL." Enemies of truth are used to perverting the issues like this in ways that will always cause harm. We are saved by faith through Christ. He gives the gift of salvation to any He pleases to give it to. Where it always looks like we claim that actions are a requirement for salvation comes from the fact that the Bible tells us specifically who the Lord will give His gift to. It states plainly He will give it to those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Those who obey Him will not be those who try to comply as little as possible to rules or to His suggestions for better living that would make His people stronger instruments for Him. It will be given to those who ADVANCE, who seek His face, who do what is needed to empower themselves with His grace, and who therefore aspire to give their very best for the Master WITHOUT RESERVE! Rather it will be given to those who would even request of Christ: "Is there anything else I can do that would please thee, Master??"
But what about the scripture where Paul warns against those who teach others to abstain from meats which God ordained to be received with thanksgiving?
That scripture is 1 Timothy 4:1-5:
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 hath 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.
This was more of a local situation at that time. We
are not well-versed theologians, but we were informed that there were people in
Timothy's day who literally taught that the body (human body) was evil and that
it should be "starved." They probably got these from scriptures which say
that the "Spirit" wars against the "flesh," and that God's people are not born
of the "flesh" but of the "spirit." They went into extremes and promoted a
sort of punishing of the "flesh" or body in order to become holy.
Variations of this are even done to this day!
But yet when this scripture was given, and even in our day, it meant every creature is good for the purpose for which it was given. For example: every creature designated for eating is good. There are other creatures both of plants and animals that naturally have toxins and poisons within them that were never meant for eating. Others are scavengers and are meant for cleaning waste products in the earth. I don't make it a practice to eat snakes even though the scripture there by Timothy says every creature of God is good. I am sure those who misuse that scripture from Timothy don't eat snakes or insects either. Neither would I eat vegetation such as poison oak or sumac or other plants that are clearly not for eating. Many of these will kill you faster than a light! It meant every creature, plant or animal, already designated for eating. Other creatures are good for other things. The scripture said that some people were commanding to abstain from meats (or foods: the word "meat" in scripture can also mean any kind of food. Mark 17:19) "which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." God did not create all animals nor vegetation to be eaten. He Himself told us what was not to be eaten already in the book of Leviticus, claiming that they were an abomination. He did not restrict people from eating these animals because of religion. He did it for the sake of health and well-being.
Notice that it says that "every
creature of God is good," "For it is sanctified BY THE WORD OF GOD and prayer."
Notice that the food mentioned is not only sanctified or made usable by prayer,
but also BY THE WORD OF GOD. Now is there any part of the word of God that
sanctifies certain foods and warns against others? YES! In the book
of Leviticus! In the health laws of the Jews!
Since you may not believe that the words "EVERY CREATURE" can be compromised,
but that it means specifically what it says and therefore mandates that we eat
the most horrible plants and animals, here are more variations of the words,
"every" and "all" so you can
understand how the scriptures work. You read the scriptures daily, as you
do so you will find some outstanding statements that will yet be MODIFIED by
others, giving everyone the freedom to misinterpret if they so choose. ALL
THE PROPHETS WERE LIKE THAT, AND ELLEN G. WHITE IS NO EXCEPTION! Just as
many claim they can find Ellen G. White contradicting herself many times, so we
can easily show all the other prophets doing the same. Once properly
explained, however, they are in rather perfect harmony. Here are some
examples we are talking about where the words "every" and "all" can be modified
with other scriptures:
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall
the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL
MEN unto me.
Is that true? Well the Apostolic Church did in fact lift Christ up. That small
body of people went forth "conquering and to conquer" Rev. 6:2. Funny thing though is
that ALL men were not drawn. They endured persecution every step of the way and
the Pharisees in particular were not drawn.
The proper meaning was that ALL MEN who were honest, who were receptive, who
longed for light and truth. It didn't mean those who were wedded to darkness and
stiff-necked. It means more appropriately all men from all
different races, languages and cultures.
Here's another example:
John 14:13, 14
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
The word whatsoever reaffirms that it means ANYTHING. It is saying that if a
Child of God asks ANYTHING in Christ's name, He will do it.
Here's another one:
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For EVERY ONE that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Notice the words, "EVERY ONE?" Now watch what
happens. Check out this scripture now:
Matthew 7:21 Not EVERY one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven.
Here it is showing that when Christ said EVERYONE, He meant every true disciple
who does His will. There are more references in the scriptures, being a long
piece of work, that shows more detail to the equation, and different statements
WILL MODIFY others so that you can get a true understanding of what is being
said. If anyone chooses to ignore it, then he will eventually find those
scriptures promising that God will do ANYTHING for ANYONE who asks, horribly
misleading.
Watch now, as the following scripture is even more direct and seemingly
contradictory: Here it talks about Christians who ask, but who do not receive:
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Here it talks about people praying to God to receive something and not receiving
it. It then modifies the promises before of God granting ANYTHING or WHATSOEVER
any Christian asks and shows why God will not comply. It is showing that
Christians have asked for things, but not to or for His glory. They wanted
things to be used selfishly. Jesus Himself never
asked for anything except for that which would glorify His Father!
Then again there was the time when Christ was tempted of Satan.
Satan took Jesus up into the Holy City on top of a high
pinnacle of the temple there. He then asked Jesus to throw Himself
off of that high place where they were so that He can see the
Lord save Him:
Matthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God,
cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning
thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy
foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
This statement of Jesus shows that you cannot ask for things that would tempt
the Lord either. You cannot pray to the Lord for protection and then wear a
blindfold and walk onto a busy interstate to prove anything: to make Him yearn
to protect you through His great love and drop everything in heaven to race to
you and save you. THE LORD WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT FOR JESUS HIMSELF!
The Lord will not protect anyone who willfully puts himself in danger for
exhibition or for anything outside of glorifying the Lord or doing His will.
Being a Christian is not a signal that His people must
live in luxury and everything just appears in front of them and they're sipping
drinks, laying around and being lazy. The Lord wants His people to be
STRONG mentally, physically and spiritually. That way they will do a great
SERVICE for His name's sake. It is not in the plan of God that His people
be like snobbish, lazy aristocrats while other poorer people who do not know God
learn to labor and to carry their own weight and wind up being far more useful
in the world than God's people. He therefore doesn't want us to just sit
back and ask for riches, glory, honor, or even for our chores to be done.
This will not make us useful in the earth nor for service for our fellow men.
But it appears to contradict what Christ said about granting ANYTHING He is
asked for.
There are many examples throughout the bible where even prophets prayed for
something and were denied.
Here's another one:
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,
With men this is impossible; but with God all
things are possible.
Notice the words "all things?" Is this scripture true? If you believe so then make this prayer at Christmas
time when you are needy:
"Lord, I need money desperately. With thee all things are possible. Please
protect me as I break into the Salvation Army and steal the children's Christmas
fund. Please make sure no police officer is able to arrest me, and, if possible,
make sure they never even find out!"
If that's too much to ask of the Lord or of Jesus when He was on the earth, just
ask God in heaven or Jesus to lie:
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was
impossible for God to lie.
See? One scripture says with God all things are possible, then another modifies it and says it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie! May I add: or steal or cheat, etc?
Here are last common examples of one scripture that modifies another:
John 3:16 For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
You hear many saying that all they have to do is believe and they will be saved. Many scriptures modify statements like these, but here is a most straightforward one that modifies these scriptures that are often misused:
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father.
So here you see God gives everyone the chance if they choose to interpret any which way they may want. All prophets are like that. All produce writings where people can even come forward and claim certain parts of their writings contradict others and therefore proves they are false prophets. Reading, studying and understanding the whole quality of what they wrote however, is the only way to understand the truth of what they wrote. In the Scripture above it says that even the definition of those who "believe on" Jesus will be those who literally give themselves to Him and do His bidding. The scripture that says whosoever believeth on him shall be saved does not mean merely to believe that Jesus exists or is true, is powerful or is the Creator. The Devil himself believes these things! It's talking about people who believe God and do His bidding, who are literally his!
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
This way God keeps the best of His children who are neither lazy, self-serving or deceitful to receive the truth and be saved by it.
The dietary laws of the Jews were known well before
Sinai and even before any of the Jews were around, as were the Ten Commandments. All of these discrepancies can be ironed
out with a certain SDA book called,
Bible Readings for the Home.
The witness of Abraham was that:
Genesis 26:5 ... Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my
charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
There was a reason why Joseph would not partake of Potiphar's wife after his
brothers sold him into slavery. Listen to his words in reply to Potiphar's wife:
Genesis 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I;
neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife:
how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Here Joseph speaks of SIN, which is clearly defined as the transgression of the
Law:
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the
law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Where back then did Joseph know that it was wrong to flirt with someone else's
wife? To lie? To steal?
Now look at the health laws. Just because health laws were scarcely mentioned in
the holy record before the Jews doesn't mean they were not in existence before.
Remember the flood of Noah? Remember that the Lord commanded that Noah take all
the kinds of animals two-and-two? Remember that there were other animals the
Lord commanded must be taken in by sevens? Let's look at the wording:
Genesis 7:7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah,
Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I
seen righteous before me in this generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens,
the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and
his female.
Notice that there were clean animals and ones that were not before the flood.
By the time of the deliverance from Egypt, a mixed multitude came in among the
Israelites. It was likely through living among the Egyptians that their customs
were being forgotten. The Lord reiterated the Ten Commandments and also the
health principles that were already known.
Remember the time when Abraham went into Egypt and told Sarai, his wife, to tell
the Pharaoh that she was her sister?...
Genesis 12:11 And it came to pass, when he was come near
to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that
thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians
shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me,
but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be
well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Pharaoh wanted Sarai, and offered Abram many gifts for her. But then something
happened...
Genesis 12:17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house
with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that
thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have
taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy
way.
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they
sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
Abraham did the same thing Again with Abimelech, King of Gerar...
Genesis 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my
sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said
to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the
woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord,
wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she
herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my
hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream,
Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy
heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: [FROM WHAT?
from SINNING against GOD?... SIN??] therefore suffered
I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a
prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore
her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and
called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men
were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What
hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on
me and on my kingdom a great sin? [A great what? SIN??]
thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that
thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of
God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of
my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from
my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt
show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants,
and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before
thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy
brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the
eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
THE LAW WAS IN EXISTENCE BEFORE
SINAI!
END