RED HEIFER
First Word
Much of what we know about the Red Heifer does not have
supporting Bible Scripture,
but is handed down by tradition and other writings. The
Temple Institute has the controversial endeavor of
establishing the Third Jewish
Temple on the Temple Mount where
the site is currently occupied by
the Muslims Dome of the Rock.
The new Temple will reinstate the sacrificial worship
in “remembrance” of the Laws of Moses.
The
Messiah is said to return through the Eastern Gate of the Temple.
Before the Temple can be re-built, a purification
process must take place,
which brings us up to the HOLY COW.
Two Perspectives
·
For the Jew, the “Purification”
provided through the Red Heifer signals the way for the commencement of the re-building
of the Holy Temple. This will usher in for
the FIRST time the appearance of their long-awaited Messiah.
·
For the Christian who believes the Messiah is
Jesus Christ and has already come, believes it points toward the “Rapture”
or catching away of His saints at His SECOND coming.
Ezekiel 43:1-4 – The Messiah is coming through the East Gate
1 Then he led me to
the gate, the gate facing east.
2 And behold, the
glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. As the glory of
the LORD entered the temple by
the gate facing east. (ESV)
1 Cor 15:52 – We will be changed in the twinkling of an eye
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed
1 Thess 4:16-17 –
Christians Raptured in the Air
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise
first:.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord. KJV
Jacob’s
Trouble
·
The Red Heifer and the beginning of the
rebuilding of the temple actually ushers in, Not the Messiah, but the birth
pangs of the Tribulation period known as “Jacob’s Trouble”.
·
The
Anti-Christ as prophesized will stand in the completed Holy of Holies
and the Temple becomes “The Abomination
of Desolation”.
Jeremiah 30:7 - The time
of Jacob's trouble
7 Alas! for that day is great, so
that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he
shall be saved out of it. (ASV)
Matthew 24:15 – Antichrist will stand in the Holy
of Holies
- I15 Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,'
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place"
(whoever reads, let him understand),
(NKJV)
Eastern Gate
·
According to Bible prophecy; the Messiah will come - go through the
Eastern Gate - present Himself officially as King - be rejected by the Jews – and
then the Eastern Gate will be closed - At a future time, He will return and be accepted
by the Jews. – The Rapture concurrent with the Tribulation period will bring
the latter part to pass.
·
The Muslims have SEALED
the gate to prevent His return from happening and have put a Muslim cemetery in
front of it believing that a Holy man would not defile himself by walking
through a Muslim cemetery.
·
This Eastern Gate, for over a thousand years is still closed and
sealed despite several attempts to re-open it.
Matthew 23:37-39 – Jesus - NOT return till Jews
acknowledge
37 O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to it! 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you
say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (ESV)
Luke 19:41-44 – You should have known the
predictions of Daniel
42 Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things
that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up
a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
44 because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (ESV)
The Temple Institute
·
The Temple Institute, founded by Yisrael
Ariel is an organization in Israel known in Hebrew as Machon
HaMikdash. - The Institute is focused on the controversial endeavor of establishing
the Third Temple. - https://www.templeinstitute.org
·
After almost 2,000 years, Israel is clearly moving towards the time when the
prophesied Third Holy Temple will be rebuilt on Mount Moriah.
·
FYI - There is a controversy about whether the Temple should be
rebuilt by Human hands or Divine hands. - Jewish tradition believes that the Tenth and
Final Red Heifer will be sacrificed and burned by the Messiah Himself. - The Temple Institute believes that the Jews
have the mandate of purification and the rebuilding of the Temple.
·
Primary Importance of the Temple Institute is to provide education about the great significance of
Mount Moriah; the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which is the only site in the world
that is considered Holy by the Jewish people, and the only site in the world
which God chose to rest His Divine presence through the establishment of the
Holy Temple.
·
Their ultimate goal is to see Israel rebuild the Holy Temple in accordance with the
Biblical commandments. - The Temple was not only the soul of the city, but the
soul and conscience of the entire earth and a “Wonder of the World”… and
it will be again.
Haggai 2:9 – The third
Temple will be greater than the former
9 The glory (honor) of this latter temple shall be greater than
the former,' says the LORD of
hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."
(NKJV)
Temple
Furniture and Vessels
·
For the past 27 years sacred Temple vessels and
Priestly garments have been created and fashioned by accomplished craftsmen
according to the exact Biblical requirements, specifically for use in the
future Holy Temple where they will be called into Divine service.
·
The Menorah; (the seven candlesticks) which stands today in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's
old city is the work of the Temple Institute’s full time staff of
researchers - It was painstakingly crafted and created after years of extensive
research to be used exclusively in the new Holy Temple. – It currently
overlooks the Temple Mount. - It weighs 1,000 pounds and contains forty five
kilograms of twenty four karat gold and is valued at three million dollars. NYOBS 18.14
MENORAH
·
Ritual objects have already been completed
by the Temple Institute; the reproduction of over ninety objects that will be
used in the new Temple. Here are a few
as listed by Wikipedia.
1)
Copper Laver – For Kohanim to wash in at
the start of the day
2)
Small Mizrak – Holds blood from the
sacrificial animals
3)
Large Mizrak – Holds blood from the
larger animals
4)
Three-pronged fork – To arrange the
offerings on the altar.
5)
Measuring cup – To measure meal
offerings
6)
Copper vessel - To prepare meal
offerings
7)
Silver Shovel – To remove ashes from
the alter
8)
Silver vessel - For wine libation – For
wine accompanying offerings
9)
Lottery box – For Yom Kippur – Which
is the Day of Atonement – Holiest day of the Year.
10)
Silver alter cup - For water libation –
For Sukkot
11)
Silver libation vessels – For Sukkot – Festival of
“Booths” or “Tabernacles”; a dwelling.
12)
Sickle – To reap the Omer of
barley – The Omer is a unit of measurement
13)
Other offering implements – To offer the omer of
barley
14)
Abuy – To roast the omer of
barley
15)
Menorah cleansing vessel – To clean the Menorah
16)
Oil Pitcher – For replenishing the
oil in the Menorah
17)
Small golden flask – For replenishing
individual Menorah lamps
18)
Frankincense Censer – For burning incense - Smoke
19)
Incense chalice – For Ketoret or incense
offering
20)
Menorah – The lamp stand for the
Temple
21)
Table of Showbread – Holds the cakes or
loaves of bread that were always present.
22)
Incense Alter – For Ketoret or incense
offering
23)
Ark of the Covenant – Holds the Ten
Commandments, Aarons Rod and a golden jar of Manna
24)
Crown – Worn by the High Priest
– Completed in 2007
25)
Garments – Worn by the High Priest
- Completed in 2008
26)
Silver Trumpets – Announce special
occasions and offerings
27)
Gold plated Shofar – For Rosh Hashanah – The
Jewish New Year.
28)
Silver plated Shofar – For fast days – Shofar is
a hollowed out rams horn
29)
Harp – Musical Instrument used
by the Levitical choir
30) Lyre - Musical Instrument used
by the Levitical choir
1 Samuel 2:13 - A three-pronged fork
13 The custom of the priests with
the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would
come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,
(ESV)
Interesting Stuff
·
The Latest information I have read says that the
foundations of Solomon’s Temple on the temple mount is about 150 feet from the
Dome of the Rock which will remain under the control of the Muslims who are
referred to in scripture as “The Gentiles”.
·
Dead Sea Scrolls; The Jeremiah letter - Jeremiah came and found a cavern in
the rock, and there he brought in the Tabernacle, and the Ark, and the Alter of
Incense; and he made fast the door – “Yea, and the place shall be
unknown until God gather the people again together, and mercy come; and
then shall the Lord disclose these things”
·
There are reports that The Temple Institute
is in now in possession of the original Ark. – I have followed this for years
and have never seen a picture yet. Fun
to ponder - We will see.
Luke 21:24 – Gentiles; Muslims will remain for a while
24 … Jerusalem will be
trampled on by the Gentiles until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. NIV
Symbolism and
Mysticism
·
Chukkim is “statues” given without reason, they are sometimes called
“Supra-rational” decrees. – Some of these laws can seem irrational to
human reason.
·
These are statutes that God decreed that are beyond human reasoning; we know that
their true meaning is beyond our intellectual grasp. - According to
scripture, the ashes of the red heifer have the inexplicable power to
cleanse all those who have been rendered unclean.
·
The Talmud claims that the red heifer sacrifice was the
only one of God's commands that King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived,
claimed he did not understand.
·
In the past 2000 years, no suitable
Kosher Red Heifer has ever been found.
The Tenth Red Heifer ushers in the time of purification in expectation
of the awaited Messiah.
·
The TENTH and FINAL Red Heifer
- Ten is the Biblical number for “The Law”, i.e. the Ten
Commandments. – There were ten linen curtains in the Tabernacle which
represented the Law. Jesus fulfilled the
law when he was nailed to the cross. - We are no longer under the law. – The
veil of the Temple was torn in half; God is no longer veiled to us.
·
The imagery of the Blood of the heifer without blemish being sacrificed
and its blood cleansing sin is a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ
shed on the cross for believers’ sin. - He was “without blemish” just as
the red heifer is to be.
·
Red is symbolic of Sin that
will be made white as snow by the RED blood of Jesus Christ.
·
The Red Heifer was sacrificed “outside the camp” in the same manner
Jesus was crucified outside of Jerusalem: - Jesus suffered outside the
city gate to make the people Holy through his own blood.
Ecclesiastes 7:23-24 Solomon did not understand
the Red Heifer
23 All this I have tested by
wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
24 That which has been is far
off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? (ESV)
Matthew 27:51 – The Veil of the Temple was torn in
two.
51 And behold, the veil of the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the
rocks were split.
(NASB)
Isaiah 1:18 – Sins red like crimson, they shall be
white as snow
18 Come now, and let us
reason together, saith the LORD:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (KJV)
Hebrews 9:13-14 – The blood of Christ purifies
13 For if the blood of goats
and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer,
sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living
God. (ESV)
Josephus on the Red Heifer
·
Josephus the Jewish
Historian
who was born the year Jesus was crucified speaks about the Red Heifer.
·
Miriam the Prophetess and Sister of Moses had
died. - Moses directed the Hebrews to make a public funeral for her and to
bring him a Red Heifer. This was
the first of the recorded nine Red Heifer offerings.
·
Here is Josephus’s account extracted from his
writings of “The Antiquities of the Jews”.
Josephus 4.4.4:79-81 – Red
Heifer was killed outside the camp.
79 He brought a HEIFER that had never been used to
the plough or to do husbandry that was complete in all its parts, and entirely
of a RED color, at a little distance from the camp, into a place perfectly
clean. This heifer was slain by the
high priest and her blood sprinkled with his finger seven times before
the tabernacle of God.
80 After this the entire heifer was burnt in that
state, together with its and entrails; and they threw cedar wood, and hyssop,
and scarlet wool, into the midst of the fire: then a clean man
gathered all her ashes together, and laid them in a place perfectly clean.
81 When therefore any persons were defiled by a
dead body, they put a little of these ashes into spring water,
with hyssop, and, dipping part of these ashes in it, they sprinkled
them with it, both on the third day; and on the seventh, and after that
they were clean. Then he enjoyed
them to do also when the tribes should come into their own land.
Red Heifer
·
The Holy Temple – Re-building of the Holy
Temple depends on the finding of an unblemished RED HEIFER (parah adumah) deemed to be of absolute
Divine origin; an absolute rarity; a biological anomaly - God has
ordained that its ashes alone
are the single missing ingredient
for the reinstatement of Biblical purity – Then after that, the rebuilding of
the Holy Temple can begin which will give God more honor than the previous
Temple.
·
This Holy Cow under Jewish law requires keeping the young
cow under strict care until it reaches THREE YEARS of age - During this
time, leaning on the cow, riding it even once or even putting
a piece of cloth on its back disqualifies it from becoming a Red Heifer.
– The color is not actually a bright red, but is closer to an “earth brown red”
which must be consistent over the entire body down to and including the hoofs
and even the eye lids.
·
Once found Kosher it is ritually
slaughtered outside of the camp. - A
ritually pure “Kohen” slaughters the heifer, and sprinkles its blood in the
direction of the Temple seven times. - The ceremony of the burning of the red
heifer itself takes place on the Mount of Olives.- Cedar
wood, hyssop, and wool dyed scarlet are added to the fire, and the
remaining ashes are placed in a vessel containing pure water – (Red is considered the color of sin.)
·
God told Moses
to have the children of Israel bring him a RED HEIFER. - He alone would
understand what this Red Heifer represented.
·
Unblemished
– The Red Heifer was to be unblemished with no defect and on which a yoke had
never been placed. – The Temple Institute says that the cow must also have red
hoofs and cannot have even two gray hairs and that all the hairs must be straight.
·
Ashes
– When we think of roasting a cow, we are thinking of the meat, but the product
that is desired is the ashes, not the meat.
·
The Priest
when
performing the ritual becomes ritually unclean, and must then bathe
himself and his clothes in a ritual bath. - He is deemed impure until evening. -
He would withdraw into a chamber made entirely of stone including stone vessels
to prevent him from coming in contact with anything that could contaminate him
and make him unclean – In Jewish law, stone does not act as a carrier of ritual
impurities.
·
Side Bar
- Each time a heifer was burned, one third of the ashes was removed and kept by
the priests for use by future generations. – The ashes were mixed in a solution
of water. It was called the "Waters of Sanctification" and the priest was sprinkled with it every day
during his time of separation, sanctification and purification. – This was in
case he had unknowingly walked over a grave or had come near the dead, making
him unclean.
·
The Water was drawn from a “living natural
spring” source such as from the Shjiloach (Siloam) spring in the city of David
located at the foot of the Temple Mount. (Rainwater
is not accepted) - It had to be drawn by someone who was pure enough to go
draw it. – This is a complex procedure utilizing children to draw and carry the
water for the ceremony. - The children were born and reared in isolation for
the specific purpose of ensuring that they never came into contact with a
corpse. - This emphasizes how important the purification and sanctification
process is considered.
·
Nine Red Heifers have been slaughtered during
the period extending from Moses to the destruction of the Second
Temple. - Moses prepared
the first, Ezra the
second, Simon the Just
prepared two and Yochanan the High
Priest prepared two, and Elioenai
ben HaQayaph and Hanameel
the Egyptian prepared one each.
·
The Tenth Red Heifer - The Temple Institute identified
two Red Heifer candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002 which they had
initially declared both “Kosher”, but later found each to be unsuitable.
·
In recent years, a cattle breeder in
Nebraska has attempted to establish a breeding line of Red Heifers to export to
Israel in the hope that this will bring about the construction of the Third
Temple and ultimately the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
·
In January of 2014,
a 10th red heifer was found in America, and was raised under strict Jewish laws
and guidelines. By August, upon close inspection it had become disqualified on account of a
change of pigmentation in a patch of skin, as well as the appearance of white
hairs in the affected area and is now unfit according to Biblical law.
Numbers 19:1-22 - RED HEIFER - Unblemished - Never
yoked
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron,
saying,
2 This is the
statute of the law that the LORD
has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a RED HEIFER without
defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has
never come.
3 And you shall
give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and
slaughtered before him.
4 And 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.
5 And the heifer
shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its
blood, with its dung, shall be burned.
6 And the priest
shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire
burning the heifer.
7 Then the priest
shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come
into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening.
8 The one who
burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in
water and shall be unclean until evening.
9 And a man who is
clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp
in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the
congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering.
10 And the one
who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean
until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel,
and for the stranger who sojourns among them.
11 Whoever touches
the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days.
12 He shall cleanse
himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be
clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh
day, he will not become clean.
13 Whoever touches
a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself,
defiles the tabernacle of the LORD,
and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity
was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.
14 This is the law
when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who
is in the tent shall be unclean 7 days.
15 And every open
vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean.
16 Whoever in the
open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally,
or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17 For the unclean
they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be
added in a vessel.
18 Then a clean
person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent
and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever
touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave.
19 And the clean
person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh
day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his
clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.
21 And it shall be
a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall
wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be
unclean until evening.
22 And whatever the
unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be
unclean until evening.”
(ESV)
Numbers 9:6
- Touching a dead body - unclean
6 And there were certain men
who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could
not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that
day. (ESV)
Daniel 12:10 - Many shall
purify themselves
10 Many shall purify themselves
and make themselves white and be refined (ESV)
Ezekiel 36:25 – Sprinkle clean water on you
25 Then I will sprinkle clean
water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all
your filthiness and from all your idols.
(NKJV)
Isaiah 1:18 - Though your sins are like scarlet
18 Come now, let us reason
together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they are red like crimson, they shall become
like wool. (ESV)
Messiah
·
For the Christian, The return of Jesus, the
Messiah will be in TWO parts.
1) When He comes in the
AIR at the Rapture; removing the Church before the tribulation period
begins. – This will be before the Temple is completed – Nothing else in
prophecy has to happen before the Church can be raptured… It could be today… NYOBS 01.23 - RAPTURE
2)
When He comes on the EARTH seven years later at the end
of the Tribulation period to set up his Millennium kingdom. – This is after the
Temple is completed. NYOBS 25.21 SECOND
COMING
·
Jesus
has revealed Himself to those that did not ask for Him – He was found by those
that did not seek Him – To the nations that did not call on His name, He said
“Here am I” – He has held out His hands to an obstinate people – He called, but
some chose not to answer.
·
Live is choice driven – The decisions that you
make on this side of life has eternal consequences. – Choose Life
Isa 65:1-12 – I called
you, but you did not answer
1 "I revealed myself to those who did not
ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation
that did not call on my name, I said, `Here am I, here am I.'
2 All day long I have held out my hands to
an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations--
3 a people who continually provoke me to my very
face,
5 who say, `Keep away; don't come near me,
12 I will destine you for the sword, and you will
all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I
spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what
displeases me."
Life is choice driven
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14
I
am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.
Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I
otherwise ever could have.
Antiquities of the Jews- Flavius Josephus
Arithmetic of God; The – Don Kistler
101 Q&A on Demon Powers – Dr. Lester Sumrall
Dead Sea Scrolls -
English Standard Version
Bible – ESV
Hell’s Angels – David Jeremiah
Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
Koinonia House
– Chuck Missler
Red Heifer; The – The Temple Institute
Wikipedia
Witchcraft, puppets and Voodoo – Irene A. Park
