The Ashes of a Red Heifer

I suppose most of you who read this Blog are aware of the incredible event on September 15 when five perfect red heifers arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Israel. Perhaps some of you have not yet heard about this; and others may wonder why we should care! So I'd like to bring out a few points about this amazing development that I hope may bless you and increase your awareness of the prophetic significance.

First, you may want to read about the red heifer in Numbers Chapter 19. In those verses we learn about this ancient requirement for the priest to be able to perform his duties in the Temple.  Briefly, Numbers 19:1-5 says: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.  Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.
After that, verse 9 tells us: “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin."

For over 2,000 years the Rabbis of Israel have been searching for and waiting to find a "perfect red heifer with no spot or blemish" but until this year, none was found! As believers in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), we understand that the red heifer was yet another foreshadow pointing to Him. Purification from sin was made once for all through His shed blood on the Cross, and so the ashes of a red heifer are no longer needed for our redemption and purification. But you see, our Jewish brothers and sisters have been waiting all these years for this one last requirement for their Temple services to be resumed.  As believers, we understand that a Third Temple must and will be built and sacrifices must resume in order to fulfill the Scriptures - and this will not have a good ending, since this Third Temple will ultimately be occupied by none other than Antichrist himself.  However, I do feel a deep excitement in my spirit as we approach these Fall Festivals because I know GOD IS WORKING MIGHTILY  ON HIS CALENDAR,  HIS MOEDIM, and in His perfect timing.

Many Jews see the appearance of these red heifers as a sure sign that "Messiah is coming!"  True, at this point they do not believe it was Yeshua and that He has already come. But what if the doing of all these rituals might begin to sear their consciences and remind them of what they have heard about the Rabbi of Israel who was crucified outside the camp 2000 years ago, and whose blood satisifes the requirement for purification from sin?   That in itself makes it pretty amazing. And I learned today that normally all cows born in Texas are required to have an ear tagged, which would cause a "blemish," a scar in the skin. However, these heifers were born during a time when ear tags in that Texas county had been suspended beause of COVID!  Do you not find that remarkable? Perhaps God even used the awful COVID rules and restrictions for HIS PURPOSES. I don't really know, but it feels to me that His handprint is upon all of this.

Consider this: the heifers arrived in Israel on September 15 and were transported to Haifa for ten days of Quarantine. That means the Quarantine ends on September 25, which ushers in the Feast of Trumpets (the day I believe will someday be fulfilled by the Return of our Messiah Yeshua!) A special Sabbath known as "The Sabbath of the Red Heifer" will occur on March 10 in the year 5783 (or 2023) and it will fall on March 30 in the year 5784 (2024), at which time these heifers will have reached 2+ years old, which is part of the requirement.  This will be a couple of weeks prior to Passover 2024, and the Jews believe this will be a special and holy purification before the Passover/Unleavened Bread Feast.  But why would we, as believers in Messiah, care about any of this??

I can only speak for myself. I am a watchman, as Yeshua commanded us to be in Matthew 24:1.  I am seeing biblical prophecies fulfilled at an astonishing rate, and for me that is thrilling proof that THE BIBLE IS TRUE, IT IS LIVING AND ACTIVE AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, AND WHAT HAS BEEN PROPHESIED IN THE BIBLE IS COMING TO PASS, EVEN IN OUR DAY!  That's why I care! I read statistics today that the number of Jews making aliyah (returning home to Israel) is higher by far this year than any year in history! How many prophecies do you suppose that might fulfill, as God regathers His people from the far corners of the earth?  I also watched a video about a special high-speed train being built that will carry passengers directly from the airport in Tel Aviv to the Temple Mount for worship.  Things are moving at high speed indeed!

As for these beautiful red heifers who are, so far, without spot or blemish, or even two hairs that are NOT RED (as is required by Jewish Law), I suppose that could possibly change. There have been other heifers in the past that seemed to be perfect but developed white hairs or injuries somewhere on their bodies. And so ultimately, it all still points us to our Great High Priest, the Only Spotless, Sinless One, our soon coming Redeemer-King, Yeshua haMashiach! And all of this causes us to LOOK UP with great excitement and expectation, because our Redemption does indeed draw near! 

Let us pray ever more fervently for our Jewish brothers and sisters, that as they research these things, the eyes of their hearts might be opened and they might discover the truth of their Messiah, who Was and Is and Is To Come.  And let us spend time praying these Scriptures, to open our own eyes and hearts to the perfect Truth of God's Word.

Colossians 1:13-15:
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Hebrews 9:11-14
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

If you desire more understanding, you might enjoy the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7A9QXAsEl4&t=5s
Chag Sameach dear friends!