Armageddon, the Red Heifer, An Altar Has Been Built! The End is Near– Again!
Armageddon,The Red Heifer, An Altar Has Been Built! The End is Near– Again!
I have reported over the years (2014) the repeated claims that a certified Red Heifer has been found opening the way for the rebuilding of a Jerusalem temple, and the beginning of the last days, the instigation of Armageddon. My personal memory of such claims goes back to the mid to late 1960s, and have continued almost unabated. And guess what? It is happening again!
It is important to note that the ashes of the Red Heifer were critical for the cleansing of the priests, the altar, the temple, the entire temple cultus. Without those “cleansing” ashes sprinkled on everything the cultus was unclean and unacceptable. An acceptable Red Heifer could have no blemish, and no off color hairs. It had to be perfectly red. Over the years repeated claims have been made that a qualified animal had been found only to discover disqualifying colored hairs. Sometimes the allotted time or the age of the Heifer disqualified animals. A true pure Red Heifer is ultra rare. In fact, from the time of Moses until AD 70 there had only been a total of nine truly qualified Red Heifers.
Every time that claims have been made about a prospective Red Heifer end times speculation heats up to a fever pitch. Invariably, however, the prospective heifers have been disqualified so things quieten down, until the next calf comes along. The readers may be aware that a few years back (September 2022) a group of five prospective heifers were shipped to Jerusalem from Texas. Well, one of those calves has already been disqualified, and the “clock is ticking” on the remaining four. If they reach a certain age, they are disqualified. Well, things are heating up AGAIN!
It was recently reported in the journal Discern Report, that a “massive altar” has been constructed outside the gates of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, the traditional location for the sacrificing of the Red Heifer.
(https://discernreport.com/a-massive-altar-for-the-red-heifer-sacrifice-has-been-constructed-in-israel/).
According to the article cited:
“Last month, All Israel News reported that the Temple Institute wants to conduct a sacrifice “before Passover 2024”…As of now, four of the heifers remain blemish-free and, according to Temple Institute rabbis, they hope to carry out the ceremony before Passover 2024. This year, the Jewish people will celebrate Passover on April 22nd.” (It should be noted that the author of the article admitted: “I have not been able to find any confirmation that a sacrifice will happen on March 29th”).
Anticipation is running high and heating up fast since the four remaining heifers are approaching the age of disqualification. Already the internet is abuzz with announcements and claims that Armageddon must be right around the corner. The end is near! The Rapture could happen at any moment! (Let’s face it, if the Red Heifer purifies Israel (even with no temple!!!) then it is time for the church to be raptured out of the way so that God can resume dealing with Israel once again. So, if the Red Heifer sacrifice is offered in April 2024, the rapture should occur immediately!)
Let me point out a really severe problem with this entire scenario, two things that I have already written on, and so will just share them here again because they are true and valid.
Keep in min that the only place in all of Scripture where the Red Heifer sacrifice was commanded as in the Law of Moses, Numbers 19. Why is this so important?
1. The Mosaic Law, which commanded the Red Heifer cleansing service, has been abrogated! When Hebrews was written, that Old Covenant was “nigh unto passing away” (8:13). Christ fulfilled that Law. He was himself the ultimate cleansing sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11f). In fact, Hebrews 9 sets forth Jesus as far superior to the Red Heifer sacrifice. So, why would God restore an inferior sacrifice when His Son made the perfect and final sacrifice?
This is a foundational, critical fact being ignored by all “evangelical” writers and students who get so excited about the possibility of a Red Heifer sacrifice. The law of Moses is no longer in effect. Period, end of story. Thus, there is no mandate, no provision, no command, and no use for a Red Heifer sacrifice. And what is soo amazing is that the huge majority of evangelicals agree that the Law of Moses was fulfilled long ago and has passed away. But then they get all excited about the possibility of a Red Heifer sacrifice being offered in obedience to the Law of Moses!! Sorry, but that is hugely problematic.
2. Hebrews is clear that YHVH never had pleasure in the sacrifices of that Old Covenant world, and that those ceremonial praxis were mere types and shadows of the better things to come (Hebrews 10:5f). Christ is the fulfillment of those sacrifices and they have been removed and ceased.
3. Since Torah has been fulfilled and removed, any “rebuilt altar,” and any animal sacrifices or cleansing ceremonies based on Torah would therefore, be a return and restoration of the types and shadows.
4. The Old Covenant Temple was itself a type and shadow of the greater, spiritual Temple, and Christ serves in that True Tabernacle that God pitched– not man (Hebrews 8:1-2). The very idea of restoring and rebuilding a literal Temple is tantamount to a rejection of the True Temple! And keep in mind, that the Jerusalem Temple Institute categorically rejects Jesus as the True Temple, and they believe that the Old Covenant Temple is the “True Temple.” Why then, would any believer in Jesus want to support the rebuilding of a literal, physical edifice that represented and was the very symbol of the rejection of Jesus as Messiah??
5. All modern claims about the birth of a Red Heifer have 100% of them, turned out not to be “perfect” and thus, they were disqualified. As the “Jewish” authorities readily admit, without the ashes of a perfect Red Heifer, it would not matter if there was a completed, rebuilt Temple standing in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount (and don’t forget the Dome of the Rock that is currently standing there!) they could not even perform any services there, since it was not purified! No Red Heifer = No acceptable sacrifice! (And, to return to point #1– There could never be, there can never be, acceptable animal sacrifice– period!
All of the continuing claims about a rebuilt altar, and imminent Temple, and the repeated claims about Red Heifers are vain and futile! We are not in the last days. The Lord Himself fulfilled and removed that Old Covenant. He removed that priesthood. He crushed that altar. He removed that Temple. He destroyed the ashes of the Red Heifer! He is our cleansing, not some red cow!
Armageddon, the Red Heifer, An Altar Has Been Built! The End is Near– Again!