It takes very little observation to see who the "they" are in the text. My fifth and sixth graders had no problem at all.As much as it may please the heart of man to ignore the Isaiah 66 warning regarding "rats cats bears and bats" the text does not "go away" simply becuase you find a rats tail for chewing Steaver.
In the end if you "read the link" and accept "what you claimed to accept" you would have to show in the Isaiah 66 text how it is that chewing on rats is really "just fine".
Note that in that link I never allow for your option of "ignore the text anyway".
In Christ,
Bob
Isa 66:17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
If this were a snake you would have been nailed before you even got to the swine's flesh!
The text's context is about those who " sanctify themselves ", this is making sacrifices to false gods. It just so happens that pigs are one of those animals used because it goes against God's dietary laws given in the OT. They hate God so much that they purposefully use pigs to do their evil deeds.
When I sit down and eat a plate of pork it is for survival, it is not to "sanctify myself". The blood of Jesus Christ is doing that for me! Praise Him!
The context of this passage is painfully obvious!
It is terribly clear in the NT that pork eating has nothing to do with salvation, as has been pointed out here already by Michael.
God Bless!