Acts 11:5
I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
While praying in the city of Joppa, Peter fell into a trance and saw a vessel like a great sheet let down from heaven by its four corners until it came even to him. The vision warned him no longer to regard Gentiles as unclean and no longer to maintain the ceremonial distinction between Jew and Gentile, between circumcised and uncircumcised. It helped break down Peter's prejudice against associating with Gentiles. It marked a new phase in the Christian church in which the gospel door was opened to the Gentiles and the way was opened for gospel work among them.
God used the vision in Joppa to prepare Peter to bring the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles. The vision helped break the prejudice of Jewish converts against Gentiles. Gentile believers were to be regarded as equal to Jewish believers and accepted without being required to be circumcised.
Peter later reported this experience to the leaders at Jerusalem as evidence that God was opening the gospel to the Gentiles and giving them the Holy Spirit. The account shows that God teaches and guides people through heavenly messengers working together with human agents. The account shows that God can teach those who love and fear Him even when they do not yet know all the truth. The account shows that His servants must be willing to yield their own ideas to His guidance.