March 16, 2024

Greetings from Helena!

Last week after Sabbath services in Billings I got into a discussion about end time prophecy and  the red heifers mentioned in Numbers 19:

Numbers 19:1 NKJV - Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
Numbers 19:2 NKJV - "This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there [is] no defect [and] on which a yoke has never come.
Numbers 19:3 NKJV - 'You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him;
Numbers 19:4 NKJV - 'and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting.

Numbers 19:9 NKJV - 'Then a man [who is] clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store [them] outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it [is] for purifying from sin.

But you may ask, what is the tie-in to prophecy? This goes back to the book of Daniel where he says the daily sacrifices will be cut off before the great end time tribulation begins:

Daniel 12:11 NKJV - "And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there shall be] one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Daniel 12:12 NKJV - "Blessed [is] he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

For there to be daily sacrifices, the temple and the altar and the priests need to be ceremonially clean or "purified".  To do this requires the ashes of a perfect red heifer.

Regarding this the Temple Institute site says the following:

The complete renewing of all aspects of the Holy Temple service, and the revival of complete ritual purity among Jews, is contingent upon the preparation of the red heifer. The performance of this commandment is incumbent upon the Sanhedrin and the kohanim (priests), since its performance entails details that must be under public supervision, such as; the purchasing of the heifer, the process of its preparation, taking caution against possible impurities, the meticulousness required with the slaughtering and burning process, etc.

https://templeinstitute.org/para-aduma-the-red-heifer/

This past week I decided to do a little research and see what the status of the red heifers was, as I had heard they had found five of them.  By watching a number of recent YouTube videos I have learned the following:

• Of the original five heifers, four as still considered perfect and without blemish.
• They have now turned old enough to be sacrificed.
• They have built an altar for this sacrifice.
• They have the ground outside the temple area, but within in view of where the temple stood to use for the sacrifice.
• They have the ceremonially correct individuals available to do the sacrifice.
• I was able to confirm on multiple sites that there is anticipation that the sacrifice of the red heifer could happen this spring between Passover and the Feast of Pentecost.

That is pretty exciting information.  If this transpires, it shows we are certainly very close to end time events being fulfilled.

NOTE: The sacrifice of the red heifer is NOT the beginning of the sacrifices mentioned in Daniel.  But it does make the start of the sacrifices possible. Other challenges and questions still remain. Especially where will they do the sacrifices? Currently there is not temple or altar, although historical precedent is that when the Jews returned to Jerusalem after their Babylonian captivity, they started sacrifices before they had rebuilt the temple. The Temple Mount contains  buildings considered holy places by Muslims.

So, we are indeed living in interesting and exciting times!

One final thought and scripture from Daniel:

Daniel 12:10 NKJV - "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

Although the Jews are looking forward to what they believe is the first return of the Messiah, we know that Jesus, the Messiah, has already come once, and when he did, he gave his life so we could be purified and have our sins forgiven. He was the perfect sacrifice that purifies us!   We need to be sure we are working hard to be without spot or wrinkle when he returns, which we hope and pray is very near!

1 Timothy 6:14 NKJV - that you keep [this] commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,

Hebrews 9:14 NKJV - how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 Peter 1:19 NKJV - but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

2 Peter 3:14 NKJV - Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Ephesians 5:27 NKJV - that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Warm regards and good Sabbath,

Dan