Has the Red Heifer been found, and if so, what's next?
To say that we are living in exciting times is an understatement. World events are converging at such a high rate of speed that it is hard to keep up. For Bible students like myself, it is both exhilarating and concerning to see the whole planet moving towards a one-world government so quickly. I have been a believer for 39 years and since then, I have firmly believed in what the Bible says about the end times, the one-world government and a cashless society, but I always thought that it wouldn't be in my lifetime, and yet, here we are.
The next event on God's timetable is the Rapture of the believers from planet earth. This is a "signless event", meaning that it doesn't require anything before it takes place. I also believe that after the Rapture, those left behind will go through increasingly perilous times known as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, or as most of us know it, “The Great Tribulation”. This will be a period lasting seven years before the triumphal return of Yeshua the Messiah at the end of those seven years. This is when the Messianic or millennial kingdom will finally be inaugurated.
Incredibly, during the Great Tribulation, or more precisely at the midpoint, after 3.5 years, the Temple will be desecrated, but which Temple? Not counting the wilderness Tabernacle after the Exodus, there are four Temples described in the Bible. First, we read about Solomon's Temple, which is the one that David wanted to build, in (1 Kings chapters 5-9) and 2 Chronicles (chapters 2-7). Then, after suffering some heavy damage at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, that Temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel between 520-515 BCE and became known as Herod's Temple. Roman general Titus destroys the Herodian Temple in 70 CE.
Israel currently doesn't have a Temple in Jerusalem. Are things about to change? The Bible speaks of a third and a fourth Temple or Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 40-46). The third Temple is a project that has been at the heart of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem for decades. A section of religious Jews is convinced that they will be rebuilding their Temple and once again resume the sacrificial system in Israel. Towards that end, they have painstakingly recreated all the implements necessary for the resumption of Temple life. Everything has been ready for a while now, even the priests from the tribe of Levi (remember that the tribe of Levi is the only one that can be identified since its identity was preserved in the name of its members such as Levy and Cohen and other derivatives). But the proverbial buck stops here because, to resume Temple duties, a red heifer is needed. It is important to note that the third Temple, while simply called the third Temple by its Jewish proponents, is also known by Yeshua's followers as the Tribulation Temple.
The search for the red heifer has been going on for decades. The criteria for the selection of the ultimate red heifer are quite specific. The reason why a red heifer is needed is that Jewish people at the Temple must present themselves in a state of ritual purity before they perform their duties. We get this from the Passover celebration in the wilderness in Numbers 9:5-7, "They observed the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day."
According to Judaism, there isn't one Jewish man alive who can claim that level of purity and since the Temple no longer exists and the ashes of the red heifer are gone, it cannot yet be attained. Ritual purification continues to be mandatory for anyone within Judaism who has had contact with a dead body. The 113th commandment of the 613 found in the Torah stipulates that "the ashes of a red heifer are to be used in the process of ritual purification." Numbers 19:1-22 explains the process, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned....Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin.
So, the only way to be cleansed from impurity is to be washed with water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer, but not any red heifer would do! The parah adumah or “red cow" must be a young (less than three-years-old) red heifer with no defect, on which no yoke was ever placed. Only nine red heifers were ever found in the entire history of Israel, so it goes without saying that they are extremely rare and valuable. Much mystery surrounds the reason for using the ashes of a red heifer. Why ashes? Why a cow of a specific color? Why a sacrifice outside the Temple compound? Why mixed with water? Jewish tradition records that even the very wise king Solomon didn't understand it. The Red Heifer is also mentioned in the New Testament in Hebrews 9:13-14 as an example of Yeshua's spotless, sinless sacrifice being greater than the ashes of the animal.
Recently, five spotless, young red heifers were flown to Israel from Texas. If they continue to grow spotless, without defect and without even one black or white hair, they will qualify for the special sacrifice and gathering of their ashes. Time will tell, but these five are bringing a lot of hope to the Temple people patiently awaiting the qualified candidate. So, what does this all mean to us?
If indeed a kosher Red Heifer has been located and selected, this represents the last piece of the puzzle for the next Temple. Since all the implements have been recreated and the priests selected and trained, the Temple can be rebuilt, and the Levitical team can be purified. This validates the veracity of the Bible even further as if we needed more validation to believe that it is the infallible, inerrant word of God!
Unfortunately, if this is all happening in front of our eyes, and as great news as it may be for us followers of Yeshua the Messiah, it also means that the third Temple is ready to be rebuilt. This is the Temple that believers know as the "Tribulation Temple". It is the very edifice that the coming antichrist will desecrate as he calls himself god and forces people to worship him. This means that the Tribulation is near and that great casualties will be seen in the world.
Christians can rejoice about the Red Heifer from a biblical standpoint, but from the perspective of the eternal order, only those who have trusted Yeshua will be in God's presence, and this is no reason to rejoice when we think of all those around us who have not believed yet that Yeshua is the Messiah.
The Red Heifer, if qualified, will bring us one step closer to the last moments of the end times, which means that the Rapture is even closer than we think and that the need to share the Good News is truly now more important than ever!
There is no need for a red heifer or to build a temple. Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. The church is the temple of God. Actually, for us believers, our bodies are temples of God because the Holy Ghost resides within us. So this supposedly prophecy of a red heifer is false prophecy.
Since the Tribulation Temple cannot exist without the Red Heifer, there is all the need in the world for them to find one. The Temple will be ungodly, but it's still part of the plan of God, since Jacob's Trouble has to happen to bring the Jews to salvation. It's sad that all that effort and forward planning has gone into something that will bring such trouble, but the result, when all Israel is saved, is worth it.
My dear this red heifer has nothing to do with the church age or Christians as it is referring to the renewed Jewish system of sacrifices. This will be during the 7 year tribulation. The believers are in heaven from the rapture. It has nothing to do with us. So you can rejoice then if you are a believer snd watch prophesy unfold right before your eyes. Remember the tribulation is Jacobs trouble, the 7th year as told in the book of Daniel. It is Gods dealing primarily with the Jews. The anti christ is making himself out to be their awaited messiah but at the 3 1/2 year mark they will see they’ve been fooled and will realize it was Jesus they disbelieved. So you see the whole focus is on the Jews not the Christian (who isn’t on the earth s as my longer!)
Well said, Dot. I find it so exciting to watch God's plan....from the beginning of time until the end....unfolding. Isaiah 55:11 should remind us that when something is included in His Word, we should expect to see it come to pass. His Biblical prophecies are to be taken as truth.
You are so correct. God still has the Jews in sight and wants them to see His Son as the promised Messiah. So the red heifer, the 3rd temple and the tribulation are for the Jews.
It’s not a false prophecy. The Rapture of Christians will occur prior to the renewal of Temple rituals and the absolute requirement for the ashes of the red heifer. One must carefully differentiate between God’s plan for the Church and His plan for Israel. Temple worship including cleansing with the ashes of the red heifer pertains to the Jewish people during the Tribulation period. The very fact that the Temple Institute and others are actively preparing for the soon renewal of Temple worship (with the red heifer cleansing being so vital) is proof of the validity of the prophecy.
Amen
Go and read your Bible!
That is not the biblical narrative. There cannot be a temple desecration without a temple, read Matthew 24.
In order to fulfill prophecy we need the red heifer and the temple because of those Jews who are lost unfortunately are waiting for their Messiah. So this has to happen because all Prophecy in the Bible is fulfilled
Read Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelations.
The Jews owe God 1 week or 7 years to finish their purpose: Daniel’s 70th week “-Dan 9 all but especially v. 27. The church and Israeljews have separate destiny’s.
Remember Lucille. This prophesy is very real and very pertinent to end times and more specifically for the Time of Jacob's trouble which is dealing with the Jews. The buck doesn't stop with the church. God will still deal with His people (the Jews) and also pour out His wrath on the earth and those that have rejected Him.
Isreal is God's prophetic time clock and we are to watch for signs and this is one of the signs for us.
If you had read all of it, the article says the Levites must be purified by the ashes of a red heifer mixed in water in order to complete the temple. No it’s not NECESSARY as we believe that Jesus died for our sins and is returning one day for us believers. BUT it is NECESSARY for the third temple to be built in order for prophesy to be fulfilled. The red heifer is a requirement for them, therefor it IS needed, to complete the temple and this prophecy; the antichrist will seat himself as “god” as the abomination of desolation in the temple.
Totally agree
God said it, that settles it!
I disagree in part. Everything you said is true... for Christ followers. However if you are not a Christ follower (and must Jews are not) then they believe that these things MUST happen for the Messiah to come. They don't acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and they want to see a Messiah. The Tribulation is meant to bring the Jewish nation (i.e. Israel) back to God. They will suffer greatly but many will be saved after the Antichrist destroys the temple.
It is not a false prophecy. It is biblical. Christian believers do not need a Temple, but it does fall into prophetic end times. As Jan Markell stated, it puts us even closer to the Rapture and Tribulation.
It is not a false prophecy. The point of the red heifer is to cleanse the 3rd temple which has to come so that in the long run the Jews can come to Christ. Jesus came the first time to the Jews but they rejected him so he came to the gentiles. so our salvation is thanks to the Jews who rejected Christ but God does not any to be lost so the red heifer has to be in play so the 3rd temple can come into play. The tribulation is for the salvation of the Jewish Nation. We as believers in Christ who accepted that free gift of salvation are going to go up in rapture and not have to g through the tribulation.
You are quite right about the Temple of God being within us but this is not a false prophecy. The 7 year tribulation is purely for Jewish individuals. You see Israel and Jews are God's chosen people, the apple of his eye. They were, are and always will be His. God has never forgotten them and will bring as many of his beloved people back to Him through Yeshua His True Messiah.
You are, sadly, very confused. You have either misunderstood the article, or not read scripture or both. I pray you will find clarity.
There is no rapture!
Care to defend your position? Obviously you don’t have a clue of the Bible or translation of Koine Greek into English definitions.
Sorry, you are wrong. The scripture tells us in many places that God is not finished with Israel. Read Zacheriah or Romans 9-11....many more but those 2 are sufficient.
You are correct. However, Olivier is only sharing what blind Israel believes and what the Bible’s prophetic scriptures DO declare Israel will believe/do in their unbelief. Watching them today, we see how true prophecy is(!)
We know the truth, but watching them shows the closeness of the hour of tribulation. This is his point.
You don’t understand the fulfilling of prophecy AT ALL! This will and must take place during the great tribulation.
Did they recreate the ark with its contents the 2 tablets of 10 commandments ? that would be a neat trick
The second temple didn't has the Ark of the covenant, either. The Ark is lost (or hidden) since the Babilonian captivity.
Go to the Temple Institute website and read under "FAQ" where they say they know where the Ark is and it will be revealed at the right time. Very interesting.
The fact that Israel is getting so close to obtaining the perfect red heifer should give us all a sense of urgency for sharing the Gospel with our unsaved family and friends, as well as supporting ministries who share the Good News. Before Yeshua comes back to Jerusalem to rule the world and Israel is restored as a light to the nations, there will be unimaginable loss of life and sorrow throughout the earth during the soon coming Tribulation.
Yes, Beth, I believe that is what the Lord wants - for us to be ready and help others be ready. We should take every chance we have to witness for Him. We don't know the times, and people who are godly, have different ideas. I think the Lord is up in Heaven laughing at all the disagreements there are down here. But He warned us to watch for Him and to witness of Him. I sit at the piano and play all the many songs about Christ's return, and cry as I play because of the preciousness of the thought of His possible coming soon for us. It is OK to study the Word and ponder, but just do what He says, "Be watching and waiting" for Him, which also should mean helping others be ready.
Go and read your Bible!
Also, beware of Replacement Theology, a false doctrine that says the church has replaced Israel in God's divine plan. This teaching is part of the apostasy that has crept into the church. Israel and the church are two servants of the Lord with their own unique purposes. Moreover, it's to Israel that the Son of God, Son of David will return to rule earth. From Jerusalem -not from NYC, Paris, or Rome.
I don't know about anyone else but this story gave me chill bumps. To think that we are so close to the Rapture is almost to much for me to stand. I am so excited because I have been waiting to read this news for a long time. I know these red heifers still need to be confirmed "clean". I am praying at least one does not have a blemish!!
No one is able to take away the joy that I have. It's so disheartening to read other comments who refuse to believe that the Rapture will happen. I have been studying my Bible and see the Rapture pretty clearly. It's time for the division in the church to stop. If you don't believe in a Rapture that's fine, but please refrain from stating your view as fact, trying to widen the division more. We will all know, soon enough, which side is right. Don't worry, I won't gloat because I'll be to busy worshipping my God face to face to even care!! God Bless! MARANATHA!!
Amen!!!
Amen, Amen, Amen. I’m with you Willie. It has always been all about Jesus. I too am really excited, shortly we will stand in His presence and see Him in all His glory and there will only be one thing we can and will do, we will fall at His feet in praise and worship , to the only One worthy. Is He worthy, yes He is. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Amen!!!
AMEN!!
Your understanding, Olivier, of the timing of the rapture as well as the time frame of the Great Tribulation are incorrect, and unbiblical. In fact, the foretold AntiChrist is NOW KNOWN, as none other than King Charles III (read "The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea," the 2nd edition of which, shall soon be published). Also, the Church (all of it) will go through the ENTIRE Tribulation Week, to include the Great Tribulation; for biblical proof that is easy to understand, listen to my (Tim Cohen's) The REAL Rapture teaching, available from publisher Prophecy House (prophecyhouse dot com).
You should quit listening to false prophets and read the bible.
Rapture is coming prior to tribulation and temple desecration.
Tribulation starts with signing of 7 year peace agreement that the antichrist will be apart of the signing. He will then exalt himself and be thought of by the world as the great peacemaker who then will be exhalted by the false prophet and at midpoint during desecration of the purified temple become satan on earth in the human body of the antichrist. Satan knows when his end will come after 3 1/2 more years. His focus will be to try and destroy all that God loves before his demise.
All in the Word of God
My brother, although I do not believe this to be a salvation issue… I will ask you to honestly and prayerfully ponder this one question. As WE are the bride of Christ… and all know the wonderful loving heart of our Savior, do you honestly believe he will essentially.. and please forgive my language, but I need to say this… essentially beat the Hell out of His Bride before he takes us home? That alone, along with many biblical versus convict me as well as the vast majority of Evangelical Christians, that he simply loves us to much to allow that to happen. HE WILL CALL US HOME IN A LOUD VOICE AND MEET US IN THE AIR. I deeply look forward to that day. I’m sure you hope I am right, At the very least you can agree with that.
God bless!
By the way, the comment above was addressed to Tim above. To be clear, God sends his Son Jesus to call us home BEFORE the Tribulation begins. The Heart of our Father and His word convicts me of this. Again, not a salvation issue, but important none the less.
Well, I have read of many, many Christians who have suffered terribly before dying. That part of what you said, I would question. I feel we may suffer the first part of the Tribulation, but we won't suffer the last three and a half years "Wrath of God". Oh dear, here I am arguing when I said we shouldn't . Ha!
I’ll pray for you to understand Gods word. How is the Rapture u biblical?
I disagree in part. Everything you said is true... for Christ followers. However if you are not a Christ follower (and must Jews are not) then they believe that these things MUST happen for the Messiah to come. They don't acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and they want to see a Messiah. The Tribulation is meant to bring the Jewish nation (i.e. Israel) back to God. They will suffer greatly but many will be saved after the Antichrist destroys the temple.
Amir Tsarfati and Dr. Rick Yohn have written an excellent book, Revealing Revelation, that gives a lot of insight on the Rapture, Tribulation, and everything that will take place after that. And it is so easy to understand. Very well written.
I watch Amir Tsarfati alot on biblical prophecys & Jack Hibbs
Totally agree
I watch Amir Tsarfati alot on biblical prophecys & Jack Hibbs
I agree with this article, well written. Let's look up, our redemption is drawing nigh!
I get a lot out of One For Israel organization, great testimonies to be found there, and good teaching too. God bless you all as you study the Bible.
If the A.C. sits in the temple to be worshiped , when will the temple be built? How long does it take to build the temple? Great tribulation is 7 yrs. The Church will not see the building of the temple. Just wondering about the time table????