Are unclean animals connected with thorns and thistles?

The biblical distinction between clean and unclean animals is closely tied to the consequences of the Fall for all of creation. Although Scripture does not directly equate unclean animals with thorns and thistles, both of these phenomena are visible evidence of the marred harmony of Eden and the curse upon the earth caused by human sin.

Thorns and thistles as a result of the curse upon the earth

After the first humans sinned, God declared the consequences of their choice for the natural world. The earth ceased to yield its fruit effortlessly, and the plant kingdom gave rise to thorns that wound and make life difficult.

“Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” Gen 3:18

These words reveal a radical transformation of nature’s original state. Thorns and thistles became a literal, physical factor of exhausting labor, yet at the same time they symbolize a spiritual condition of decline, where the ground yields hindrances instead of blessed fruit. All of creation began to bear the weight of human sin, as the Apostle Paul reminds us in the New Testament, noting that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

The origin of the category of unclean animals

The distinction between clean and unclean animals existed long before the emergence of the nation of Israel or the giving of the Law of Moses at Mount Sinai. Even before the Flood, God gave the patriarch Noah explicit instructions regarding which creatures were to enter the ark in greater or lesser numbers.

“You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female.” Gen 7:2

Later, in the book of Leviticus, the Lord detailed the criteria of cleanliness for mammals, birds, fish, and insects. Clean animals were designated for sacrifices pointing forward to the Messiah, as well as for food, whereas unclean animals were strictly forbidden for human consumption.

“These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.” Lev 11:2-3

The parallel between the plant and animal kingdoms after the Fall

When we compare thorns with unclean animals, a profound theological connection becomes evident. When sin entered the world, its effects touched every sphere of life. In the animal realm, disease, suffering, altered dietary patterns, and predation began. Many creatures became scavengers and nature's clean-up crew, designed to consume carrion, purify the beds of water bodies from toxins, or recycle environmental waste.

Thus, just as thorns were not intended as food for man, neither did the Creator design unclean animals for human consumption. They fulfill their own vital ecological role in a fallen world, functioning as natural filters and waste recyclers. Consuming such animals is detrimental to the human body, as their tissues accumulate toxins, parasites, and hazardous substances.

Ellen White, in her writings on health, repeatedly emphasized that a flesh diet was never the Creator's original plan. She noted that because of the curse of sin, diseases among animals are continually increasing, and eating meat—especially that deemed unfit according to God's Word—defiles the temple of the human body.

The restoration of God's original design

The plan of salvation aims at completely overcoming the consequences of sin. Biblical prophecies concerning the renewed earth assure us that the curse will be utterly abolished and harmony will be restored.

“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord.” Isa 65:25

“And there shall be no more curse.” Rev 22:3

On the New Earth there will be neither thorns nor thistles, neither predation nor death. All of creation will return to the pristine beauty of the Garden of Eden, where death and uncleanness will vanish forever.

Practical significance for the Christian today

Recognizing that unclean animals are part of a world fractured by sin and fulfill vital sanitary functions helps us regard the precepts of God's Word with reverence. Observing the biblical health laws is not merely an ancient ceremonial requirement; it is an expression of the Creator’s wisdom and loving care for our bodies.

Christians are called to preserve their bodies in purity, turning away from everything that brings defilement and ruin, and thereby preparing for eternal life, where traces of sin and the curse will never be found again.