WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FIVE RED HEIFERS THAT JUST ARRIVED IN ISRAEL?

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​When I read the story, my mouth dropped open.  Apparently, five extremely unique Red Heifers have just arrived to Israel.  These five young female calves are totally red, if they have as many as two black or white hairs on them, they will be rejected. Even the calves feet must be red. They were raised in Texas by Zionist Jews who believe strongly in the rebuilding of the third Jewish Temple and the coming of the Messiah.  According to the Temple Institute which is a group of Jews who are organizing the entire project, the procuring of these five animals is a great event.  Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about the Red Heifers.  We begin with Numbers Chapter 19 which bears the title, "Laws of Purification."  Allow me to summarize what we find there.


The Chapter begins with the Lord telling Moses that Israel should select a Red Heifer, one that had no blemish, no defect and which had never had a yoke on it. Eleazar, the High Priest at the time, was to take the animal outside of the camp, slaughter it, and then take some of the blood with his finger and sprinkle it in the direction of the sanctuary or tabernacle (remember neither of the two Jewish Temples had been built).  Then, he was to take the carcass, the hide, the flesh, the blood and burn it completely.  Into the fire, the priest was to mix a bit of cedar wood and once everything was burned, the ashes were to be collected and mixed with spring water.  The mixing of the ashes and the spring water is clearly a symbolic ritual that pointed to Jesus Christ who would come much later and make a complete atonement for sin. According to Numbers 19:9, last part, the ritual of the Red Heifer WAS TO DEAL WITH SIN.  It functioned somewhat like all the other sacrifices that were used before the coming of Christ.  Those sacrifices involved sin, death, blood, and fire, actually messy things that are pretty gross.  But remember, the Bible says "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6: 23) Sin does nothing but cause us problems, so God is trying to warn all of us, of the evils of sin.  Sin leads to our death, and I believe that is the reason that God employs such graphic measures urging us to STAY AWAY FROM IT.  When Jesus came later and died on the cross, ALL OF THESE PRACTICES WERE ABOLISHED.  Matthew 27: 51-52 and Mark 13: 38 both remind us that when Jesus died on the cross, "The veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  JESUS DEATH ON THE CROSS ENDED THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM.  Hebrews 9: 13 and 14 gives us an even clearer picture of what happened.  "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, satisfies for the purifying of the flesh. HOW MUCH MORE SHALL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD PURGE YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD."  Let's look at a few more texts that show us the importance of blood in the act of redemption.  


We begin with Leviticus 17: 11 where it tells us THAT THE LIFE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IS IN THE BLOOD AND THAT IT IS THE BLOOD THAT MAKES AN ATONEMENT FOR SIN.  Ephesians 1: 7 states. "IN HIM (that is Jesus) WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE.  Rev. 1: 5 reminds us THAT WE HAVE BEEN WASHED FROM OUR SINS BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.  And Rev. 12: 11 says we overcome the devil, BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND BY THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY. Hebrews 10: 8-10 brings up a great point. In the sacrificial system of old, with all of the animals that were sacrificed including the blood and ashes of the Red Heifer, Jesus was MOST interested in the sinner seeing the real help that was coming in the person of Christ.  The text tells us that God was not INTERESTED SO MUCH IN SACRIFICE, BURNT OFFERINGS, AND OFFERINGS FOR SIN, NOR HAD PLEASURE IN THEM, but that the sinner should focus on THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS ONCE AND FOR ALL. So according to these verses, THE BLOOD OF THE RED HEIFER HAS LOST ITS IMPORTANCE. It was simply a ritual that pointed directly to Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross for you and I.  Once Jesus experienced the cross, the animal sacrifices were not necessary. What the Temple Institute wants to do runs counter to what the Bible teaches. Oh yes, I firmly believe that the Jews may attempt to use the Red Heifer as a sign to rebuild their temple.  If the Jews even begin to rebuild their temple, the Middle East will erupt into a hotbed of conflicts that we don't even want to think about. 


The Temple Institute and the Jewish people are searching for anything that will help them to rebuild their temple.  King Solomon somewhere around 950 BC built the first Temple.  That was a glorious edifice and was the pride of the nation.  In fact, King Josiah who reigned from 640 BC until 609 BC decreed that ALL SACRIFICES WOULD BE DONE AT THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM.  That temple was destroyed around 600 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians.  Most of the Jews were taken into captivity at that time (this is the time of Daniel) the holy vessels from the temple were taken as well.  Following seventy years of captivity, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland and at that time under the supervision of Zerubbabel, the Jews built a Second Temple which was inferior to the earlier one.  The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 when they conquered Jerusalem.  And since that time, THERE HAS BEEN NO JEWISH TEMPLE.  For much of that time, the area of the  Temple Mount in Jerusalem has been occupied by Palestinians.  And that presents to the Temple Institute a real problem.  THERE IS NO WHERE TO KILL THE RED HEIFER AND NO WHERE TO SPRINKLE THE BLOOD.  And remember too that only NINE RED HEIFERS have been killed over the years and there has been NONE since the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  And that is the main reason many Jews are saying,  "Get those Red Heifers from Texas, examine them carefully and if they pass the inspection, sacrifice ONE OF THEM and START BUILDING THE THIRD TEMPLE. The Temple Institute sees THIS AS THEIR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.  The big question is, "Will it happen?"  Let's see.


The Temple Institute may accept one or all of the Red Heifers from Texas and may decide to begin building.  BUT ALL HADES WILL BRING OUT IF THAT HAPPENS.  The Bible suggests that that Temple WILL NEVER BE BUILT."  And why is that?  A couple of answers come to mind. For one thing, The Messiah has already come in the person of JESUS CHRIST.  And the second reason is that God is working now through the Christian Church and not the Jews.  Please allow  me to be very clear.  The Bible teaches that the Jewish Nation as a light to the world was terminated because they failed in their duties. JESUS IS NOW WORKING THROUGH THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. And He has promised a finished work through them. See Matt. 24: 14  In the earth made new (see Rev. 21 and 22) there is an interesting thought brought out in Rev. 21: 22, where John says plainly, "I SAW NO TEMPLE THERE FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY AND THE LAMB ARE ITS TEMPLE."  And why is that?  Because sin has been conquered.  The temples and the Red Heifers and all the other animal sacrifices are no longer needed.  The dark night of sin is over.  And sin will never lift its head again.  See Isaiah 65: 17-25. What a great promise!



Wayne Easley/written on Sept. 23, 2022/Harvey, North Dakota