RED HEIFER - NYOBS 40.11

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