Act 10:9-16 | PNT | STEP | On the morrow, as they . . . drew nigh to the city . Starting in the evening, after three o'clock, they could be near Joppa, thirty miles distant, the next day, "at the sixth hour", or about twelve o'clock. Went up upon the house top to pray . To the flat roof of the house, surrounded by the usual balustrade about four feet high, a place of retirement, and often the sleeping place of the family in the warm season. Moses required balustrades to the roofs ( ). See also .

Acts 10:9-16

On the morrow, as they . . . drew nigh to the city. Starting in the evening, after three o'clock, they could be near Joppa, thirty miles distant, the next day, "at the sixth hour", or about twelve o'clock.

Went up upon the house top to pray. To the flat roof of the house, surrounded by the usual balustrade about four feet high, a place of retirement, and often the sleeping place of the family in the warm season. Moses required balustrades to the roofs (De 22:8). See also 1Sa 9:25. Fell into a trance. A rapt condition, when he was transported out of himself into a mental condition that fitted him to see divine things. See 2Co 12:2 Re 1:10. Saw heaven opened. The meaning of the vision is plain. Peter was hungry (Ac 10:10). He saw, let down from heaven, all kinds of animals, those ceremonially unclean and prohibited by the Mosaic law, as well as others (Ac 10:11,12), and was told to kill and eat (Ac 10:13). When he answered that he had never eaten anything "common" (as opposed to holy) and "unclean" (Ac 10:14), that is, forbidden by Moses, he was told that what God had cleansed was not common or unclean (Ac 10:15). This could only mean that the ceremonial distinctions of the law were abrogated (Le 11:2-45 De 14:3-21). It was at this time that the messengers from a Gentile, one of a class, with which even Peter would not eat, yet for which Christ had died, presented themselves (Ac 10:21). The object of the vision was to show Peter that it was the will of the Lord that he should go. This was done thrice. The voice spoke three times. See Ac 10:13,15.