"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 cedarwood 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." - Numbers 19:1-10
The requirements for a cow to meet the qualifications to be a "red heifer without defect" are nearly impossible to meet. In fact, the last time one was sacrificed was nearly 2,000 years ago! There has been a total of only 9 red heifers sacrificed since Moses' day. These animals are extremely rare. In September 2022, five qualified red angus heifers were transported from Texas to Israel! Among today's devout Jews, it is believed that temple worship cannot resume until a red heifer is sacrificed for the purification of the temple worshippers according to the Numbers 19 specifications. As of now, it is reported that only two of the original five heifers remain as viable candidates, with that claim being contested.
We are, however, certain of the following - 1) hundreds of DNA verified Kohanim (Aaronic priestly lineage) have been identified, 2) some of these are undergoing training in sacrificial procedures, daily Temple duties and the red heifer sacrifice at a school for Levites and Kohanim and a High Priest candidate has reportedly been identified and is being prepared, 3) at least one if not two red heifer "practice runs" were performed in 2025, 4) the Temple Institute has constructed a modular stone altar which can be readily transported to the Temple Mount, enabling sacrifices instantly and 5) numerous other temple vessels (menorah, garments, etc.) are prepared and await use.
Further, on January 14, 2024, when Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida spoke publicly (via recorded video message) marking 100 days of the Hamas-Israel war (which began on October 7, 2023) and regarding the reasons for the Muslim organization's attack on Israel, he stated that the bringing of red cows to the Holy Land was Jewish Zionism and sufficient reason for such an attack. I have to admit, after living in the U.S. and trying to sort out the lies and hidden agendas of what seems to be every politician in our land, this clarity from Hamas was refreshing, while at the same time, staggering. Hamas openly admitted that their motivations for the war were religious.
As you know, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem currently houses the Dome of the Rock shrine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim holy site which was constructed in around the year 700. Security on the Temple Mount is maintained by the Israeli government while the Jordanian Islamic Waqf handles religious administration. Since 1967, Muslims have been permitted to pray freely while Jews and Christians have been permitted as tourists but not allowed to pray. Recently, however, Jews have been permitted to pray quietly, and pre-approved and pre-printed prayer guides are even being distributed. Tourists can access the Temple Mount through one secure gate on Sunday-Thursday between 7:30-11:00 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Friday is the Islamic holy day, so no tourists are allowed on their day of worship and Saturday is the Jewish holy day, so no one but Muslims are allowed for fear of conflict or unauthorized worship taking place.
In summary, Muslims are well aware that when a red heifer is offered on the Mount of Olives, looking directly across from the Temple Mount, it means only one thing...Israel plans to resume worship on this site. To the Muslim, likely the majority of Muslims around the world, that location is worth fighting for, as it represents the third most holy site in Islam. To quote Mustafa Abu Sway, Imam at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, from a March 2, 2024, interview with CBS Saturday Morning, the sacrifice of a red heifer would be "opening a Pandora's box that nobody can close."
Church, is it sinking in to you the weight of the times in which we live? This is not a game. I pray to God that we will be awakened and remain so as the Day of the Lord draws near.
"11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." - Romans 13:11-12
Pastor Jeremy
