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I've wondered if perhaps age ailments are caused by eating unclean foods...arthritis, alzheimers, vascular problems, etc. Could it be a build-up of the toxins from the food eaten over the years?

When Satan originally sinned I believe he (and his demons) became impure and unclean [Matthew 10:1] before God. As previously indicated, elsewhere in this thread, the word for unclean in the Greek is "AKATHARTOS" and it means....not purified.

So.....even before the creation and the establishment of mankind at Eden there were unclean spirits in existence and there were also in existence at that time....clean spirits [Job 38:4-7].

When God, therefore created flesh and blood animals, He created them in two categories which represented the two categories of the spirit kingdom.....clean and unclean. Even if mankind would have never begun to eat meat....there would still be "clean and unclean" animals. These two types would represent the clean and unclean spiritual reality already in existence at the time.

God really does have a purpose for everything He does. He is totally aware of His creation.....where our understanding is almost beyond comprehension. Think about [Matthew 10:30] and you'll see where I'm going with this.

It was not God's intent to give Israel a sacrificial system. Jeremiah explains it this way: [Jeremiah 7:22-23] For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Nevertheless, God had already built into His creation a system that would allow sacrifices. By now, everyone understands that "Unclean" animals were never acceptable to God as a sacrifice. The "Clean" animals on the other hand represented something holy, righteous and innocent. Our Savior, many times is referred to in that context: [Revelation 13:8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

This text is referring to the foundation of human society. This means that His sacrifice also covers the sins of Adam and Eve.....and everyone since. When they sinned in the garden lambs were already considered "Clean" animals. When Abel brought the firstling of his flock [Genesis 4:4] to God as a sacrifice I'm sure it was a little lamb. Abel knew his sacrifice had to be a "Clean" animal. This type of a sacrifice pointed to the eventual need for a savior but the type of sacrifice offered by Abel was more of a voluntary thing than part of an organized sacrificial system.

We are told in [Galatians 3:19] why this system was put in place: Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. This entire system, commonly called "The Law of Moses"....was given to Israel in the second year after the Exodus from Egypt and represented a new set of laws......that were added. The original concept of a "Clean" animal sacrifice, however had been set in place at Eden.

Enter Noah: [Genesis 7:2] 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. This is about a thousand years before the Exodus and this classification dealt with three types of animals; four-footed, fowl and fish. Two attributes that are common with clean four-footed animals are "They parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud" [Leviticus 11:3]. We'll concentrate on this classification for now.

Most animals will never again be concerned with something they have eaten......except ones that "Cheweth the cud". The ones that chew the cud never totally absorb something at first but after they have processed their food thoroughly a number of times they then can fully absorb this food into their bodies free of many harmful things which have been eliminated by chewing their cud.

These same animals which have cloven hoofs leave a different track and are easily differentiated. Unclean animals just swallow their food (sometimes whole) but clean animals bring it back up again and very carefully chew it until it is completely ground down.....and easily absorbed and digested into their system.

Thus....when God designed unclean animals He did not have human consumption in mind for them. Clean and unclean only apply to animals....not to plant life. There are poisonous plants....but no unclean plants.

The question many folks have is "Why did God go to the trouble of showing Israel all these things about "Unclean" meat?" [Leviticus 11:44] For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves, with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

In other words....make oneself clean and show oneself to be holy. The people of Israel were to be sanctified by abstaining from unclean meat much as we are told in [I Corinthians 6:11] and [Hebrews 13:12]. God wanted Israel to be set aside for a holy purpose as He also wants His Church to be set aside as well. We....in His Church are indeed set apart on a far higher level than was ancient Israel but this does not give us any reason to ignore His dietary instructions given to Israel to set them apart also. Eating unclean meat today still pictures the same thing as receiving nourishment from unclean "Spirits" just as it did in the Old Testament.

Again.....God had created clean and unclean animal before He created Adam. Even if Adam had not sinned there would still be these two classifications. This points directly to Satan and his demons and has nothing to do with the sins of human beings.

[I Timothy 4:1-3] 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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 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. What meats do you think this is referring to? I still know certain folks who will not eat certain meats....on a Friday. It is this same group that also forbids some of their participants to marry. This scripture does not give mankind Carte Blanche to eat any meat of his choosing. It says that God created some meat for human consumption and it should be received with thanksgiving.

[Hebrews 7:11-13] If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. This means that nearly everything that the Levitical Priesthood dealt with.....has been eliminated under the new Covenant. But......by reading through Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 you will find that the injunction against eating unclean animals was not the responsibility of the Priesthood.....but rather a pronouncement from God Himself. The law that was changed was not the law regarding the consumption of "Unclean" animals. It was the law whereby clean animals were sacrificed as an expiation for sin by the Priesthood.