Good morning, blog readers, from sunny, windy and cool (47 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk under clear skies, I saw: the moon and the stars declaring the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)! Thank You, Jesus!
Last Saturday, I watched in amazement as 5 “red” heifers from Texas landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. And, while much of the world, including most Christians, paid little to no attention to this, perhaps prophetical, event, some of us, including me, were cautiously optimistic that we might be seeing Bible prophecy being fulfilled in our lifetime. “How so, you might ask?”
Olivier Melnick, a Messianic Jew or Jewish believer in Jesus, explains in his September 19, 2022 article: “Has the Red Heifer been found, and if so, what’s next?” Melnick wrote: “To say we are living in exciting times is an understatement. World events are converging at such a high rate of speed that it is hard to keep up. For Bible students like myself, it is both exhilarating and concerning to see the whole planet moving towards a one-world government so quickly. I have been a believer for 39 years and since then, I have firmly believed in what the Bible says about the end times, the one-world government and a cashless society, but I always thought that it wouldn’t be in my lifetime. And yet, here we are. The next event on God’s timetable is the Rapture of the believers from planet earth (which I might add, most Christians do not believe in).
So, that brings me to the subject of the “red heifers.” Melnick comments: “The search for the red heifer has been going on for decades. The criteria for the selection of the ultimate red heifer are quite specific. The reason why a red heifer is needed is that Jewish people at the Temple must present themselves in a state of ritual purity before they perform their duties (Numbers 9:5-7).
According to Judaism, there isn’t one Jewish man alive who can claim that level of purity. And, since the temple no longer exists and the ashes of the red heifer are gone, it cannot yet be attained. Ritual purification continues to be mandatory for anyone within Judaism who has had contact with a dead body. The 113th commandment of the 613 found in the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) stipulates that ‘the ashes of a red heifer are to be used in the process of ritual purification’ (Numbers 19:1-22).”
Melnick continues: “If they (the heifers) continue to grow spotless, without defect and without even one black or white hair, they will qualify for the special sacrifice and gathering of their ashes. … If indeed a kosher Red Heifer has been located and selected, this represents the last piece of the puzzle for the next Temple. Since all the implements have been recreated and the priests selected and trained, the Temple can be rebuilt, and the Levitical team can be purified. This validates the veracity of the Bible even further as if we needed more validation to believe that it is the infallible, inerrant word of God!” Note: We know, from Daniel 9:27, a future Jewish temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and sacrifices will be reinstituted, perhaps as part of the Antichrist’s seven-year “peace treaty” with the many” (not all the Jews) in Israel which he will break at the halfway point, then stop the sacrifices, go into the temple and declare to the world he is God (II Thessalonians 2:3, 4).
Yes, dearly beloved in Christ, these are exciting times for us. But, we need to study the whole counsel of God, including prophecy, so that we are not deceived by the false Christs, prophets and miracles Jesus said would come before His return (Matthew 24:4, 5, 11, 23, 24). Rick Warren once said: “Bible prophecy is none of our business” which is just what the devil wants you to believe. My hope and prayer is that, if you are new to prophecy, you will read Matthew 24, Mark 13 or Luke 21 which is kind of like “Prophecy 101,” so that you can discern the times and be watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes. And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, please agree with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Blessings, Doug (9/22/22)