What were the meats that was sacrificed to idols???I know pork…any others???

That was a question I was asked by a dear Facebook friend today. Here was my reply:

Hi *****, great to hear from you today! I think you’re referring to the meats Paul wrote about in I Corinthians 8:10 :

“For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols…”

The meat offered to idols was meat offered in the idol’s temple. As such they didn’t have anything to do with dietary laws in the Torah. They would have likely included meats that were clean under Torah, and presumably some meats that are unclean by Torah.

The issue Paul is referring to is not regarding clean/unclean, but rather any meats that had been previously “set-apart,” or made “holy” by pagans to another god than YHWH in ritual ceremony.

Coming across some of this meat at someone’s house later, or purchasing it in the market later, created a dilemma for some believers. Their conscience bothered them that they were eating something that had previously been part of an offering to false gods.

For others, their conscience was clear because they understood that they were simply eating food and it didn’t matter what foolish and meaningless activities others had put the food through before it arrived at their plate.

Though not a sin for the person whose conscience was clear in the eating of such food, it could become a problem for those whose conscience was bothered by it if it encouraged those people to go ahead and eat in spite of their guilty conscience about doing such things.

For those people, they sinned not because the food they were eating was previously vainly offered to idols by others, but because they were doing something that they felt was against YHWH. For them, therefore, it would be sin.

Paul’s point was that even though an activity might by acceptable according to our conscience, we should be sensitive to the effects it could have on others. Our boldness which comes in understanding Messiah should not be the cause of others, with less understanding, to become bold AGAINST Messiah.

Hope that answered your question, *****. That was a very good question and I appreciate the opportunity to express my understanding of the matter. Great to see you continuing to seek out a deeper understanding of your faith and the scriptures. You have been promised an answer to your seeking, so go for it!

Blessings, friend! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Good questions lead to good learning! Thanks to the reader who gave us an opportunity to consider Scripture a bit more today.

Have a question? Feel free to send it to me: jim@jimzboran.com

An interesting question from a Facebook friend:

“Come OUT of her my people….Who is the Her God is talking about?”

My reply:

Your quote is from Revelation 18:4. The “her,” of course, is referring to Babylon (in verse 2). So then, who is “Babylon?” Better perhaps to ask first “what” is Babylon. Generally speaking, I believe it represents a world-powerful, wealthy government that has both a political and a pagan religious component.

As at the tower of Babel, it attempts to establish the pinnacle of world government under the rule of man, rebelling against YHWH. In the process, it attempts to “reach up to the heavens” and “dethrone” YHWH, placing an abomination in His place.

The Roman Empire was certainly a successor of Babylon. The reference of John to the city on the 7 hills is likely a reference to it. But Rome may be a “mini-fulfillment” that foreshadows and leads to an eventual actual fulfillment as portrayed in Revelation 18.

Another way to see the 7 hills is not spread out, as they are in Rome, but on top of each other. Hills in Israel, called “tels,” are often “layers” of societies, one built on top of another, as one gets destroyed the next gets built on top of the rubble.

Archeological digs travel through each layer, which was it’s own “tel” or hill, when it thrived. Then after it was destroyed, the next layer built on top was a “new” hill. Perhaps, in a very clever way, the 7 hills referred in John’s day to Rome, but in the end times refers to the 7th “Babylonian” world power that was built on the previous 6. What are those?

The vision of Daniel 2:31-45 lays them out for us:
The first four “layers” of the statue are commonly accepted as Babylon/Medo-Persia/Greece/Roman Empire/

And then the next three arising, one “on top” of another in arising to world dominance, are possibly:

Holy Roman Empire/British Empire/United States of America

By that “hill upon hill” interpretation the United States would be the “Babylon” (as successor of her legacy of world power, wealth and, paganism) that will literally fall in the end days.

Irregardless of who the actual Babylon referenced in your quote is, or will be, there is a message for all who will hear it today. We might even end up being a part of a “mini-fulfilment” shadowing and laying the groundwork for the actual “full” fulfillment of Revelation 18′s call to God’s people.

If we, as YHWH’s people (“…my people…”), are enmeshed in a politically influenced and pagan-oriented religious system, then we should consider whether YHWH’s call to “Come out” of her applies to us.

How could YHWH’s people possibly be enmeshed in such a system? They will be decieved. It will be disguised as belonging to YHWH. Pagan influence and practice will be “decorated” to look like it is honoring to YHWH.

Paul teaches Timothy about what that church will look like in 2 Timothy 3. It will have a “form” of godliness, but look at the condition it is in: it doesn’t have His Spirit. Nor will it have YHWH’s practices, but a worldy perversion of them.

We should not attempt to reform “Babylon.” We should “come out of her.” That is the message of Revelation 18:4 to all believers who find themselves involved in the practices of “Babylon” now and at the complete fulfillment of Revelation 18:4.

After all that, I hope you’re not sorry you asked! but that’s how I see it now, at this point anyway. My understanding is sure to develop or change as time goes on. Many will completely disagree with me. And maybe they’re right. Many will be wrong. But that’s my working understanding of the issue you raised…

Good questions lead to good learning! Thanks to the reader who gave us an opportunity to consider Scripture a bit more today. Have a question? Feel free to send it to me: jim@jimzboran.com