Question: What is the significance of the Red Heifer in Bible prophecy?
The Red Heifer and the Third Temple in End-Time Prophecy
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a Red Heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. … This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them.” (Numbers 19:1–2, 10)
The Dome of the Rock stands defiantly on the Temple Mount where the Holy Temple once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 after the Jewish People fought to keep the Temple pure.
Throughout almost 1,900 years of exile, the Jewish people yearned to return to Israel, build the Third Temple in Jerusalem and restore the Temple service.
Three times a day, observant Jews pray, “May the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily and in our day.”
Although Jewish people have always lived in the Holy Land, after the Holocaust the Jews began returning to Israel en masse. In 1948, the Jewish nation was prophetically reborn (Isaiah 66:7–8) as the State of Israel, and ever since Jews have been streaming back to the Land from all four corners of the Earth.
Since 1967, there has been a movement in Israel to rebuild the Holy Temple; however, the main obstacle is that the Temple Mount is currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock.
Just as the regathering of the Jewish People is fulfilment of Bible prophecy, so too is the building of the Third Holy Temple.
“He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the Earth.” (Isaiah 11:12; see also Jeremiah 23:3, 8; Ezekiel 28:25; Ezekiel 11:17; Zechariah 10:6–12 & Psalm 147:2)
“‘The glory of this present [acharon—last] house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD [YHVH] Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD [YHVH] Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9)
Today, many of the preparations for the Third Temple have already been completed, including the sacred worship vessels and priestly garments to be worn by the Levites in Temple services.
As well, over 500 young Jewish men, descended from the tribe of Levi, have been trained as Temple Priests to fulfil their duties of worship and sacrifice in the Temple.
But the Temple service can’t begin without the parah adumah (Red Heifer). (Google)
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