April 10, 2002 Israel National News reports: "In these days of difficulty for the Land of Israel, there is encouraging news as well.”

It can now be revealed that less than one month ago, a “Red Heifer” was born in Israel. After the heifer's owner contacted the Temple Institute, on Friday, April 5th, 2001, Rabbi Menachem Makover and Rabbi Chaim Richman traveled to the farm where the heifer is located, to inspect and validate her status.

The rabbis found her to be kosher and were satisfied that this heifer could indeed be a candidate to be used in the process of purification of the Temple priests described in the book of Numbers, chapter 19.

According to Numbers 19, no priest can go into the Temple who has not washed himself with the ashes of the “Red Heifer.” So having a red heifer is one of the most important Biblical signposts that the time is approaching when the third Jewish temple will be rebuilt.

Numbers 19:1- describes the process of purification of the priests using the ashes of the “Para Aduma,” which is Hebrew for the “Red Cow.”

“This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. Next 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. Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned. The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet material and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer. The priest shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest shall be unclean until evening.”

When the verse say, “no defect,” it means there cannot be a single white hair found anywhere on the heifer’s body. The red heifer must be 3 years old before it can be sacrificed. This is Biblically significant because it is the first “Red Heifer,” born in Israel in 2,500 years.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RED HEIFER:

The significance of the “Red Heifer” is two fold. First, it is a sign from the Lord that the time is drawing near for the third Jewish Temple to be rebuilt. Second, it is a Biblical sign that we are definitely approaching time of the tribulation and the coming of the Anti-Christ written about by Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and John.

The Apostle John spoke of the 3rd Jewish Temple in Revelation 11.

“Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” Revelation 11:1-2

In this most interesting prophecy, John is commanded by the angel of God to “Measure the temple of God and the altar.” John had to see it to measure it, so he knew its exact dimensions. He was further instructed to “leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations.”

The court that is located “outside the temple,” will undoubtedly have a Mosque with a gold dome on it. It will be given to the nations who do not worship the God of Israel, or the Son of God.

Notice, the nations will tread the holy city Jerusalem underfoot for forty-two months. How long is 42 months? It is 3 ½ years! The treaty spoken of by Daniel is for 7 years, so the nations will tread Jerusalem underfoot for the first 3 ½ years of the peace treaty made by the Anti-Christ

How does this prophecy align itself with Daniel, Paul, and Jesus?

“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” Daniel 9:27

These verses speak of the time when the Anti-Christ will make a seven-year peace treaty with the Jews and Israel. In the middle of the treaty, three and one half years, he will put a stop to the sacrifice and grain offering, and sacrifice a pig on the altar of the third Temple. This act is referred to as “The Abomination of Desolation.”

The Jews performed “The sacrifice and grain offering,” spoken of here during the time of the first and second temple. In 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem, burned the Temple and tore down its massive stones until not one was left standing. The Romans dispersed the Jews throughout the nations of the earth, and no sacrifice has been performed since that day, because there has been no third Jewish Temple.

For the Anti-Christ to stop the “sacrifice and grain offering,” there must be a 3rd Jewish Temple. Daniel was the first to prophesy about this coming event. Jesus further confirmed it as well as the Apostles Paul and John.

The coming appearance of the Anti-Christ is described in Daniel. What will he do when he makes his appearance here on earth? He will perform many of the exact same acts that his predecessor Antiochus Epiphanes did before the time of Christ.

“ Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.” Daniel 11:32

This verse in Daniel is a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king who sought the destruction of the Jews during the time of the 2nd Temple. Antiochus sought to make changes in “times and laws,” just as the Anti-Christ will do.

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:25

Antiochus made the following changes in times and laws concerning the Jews. Any Jew caught breaking one of these laws was immediately put to death.

· Outlawed celebrating and practicing the Sabbath.
· Outlawed reading or owning a Torah.
· Outlawed circumcision.
· Outlawed the celebration of the Passover and all other Jewish Festivals.
· Outlawed the regular Jewish sacrifices and offerings.
· He desecrated the temple by erecting a statue, an idol, with a likeness of himself as a representation to all that he was God.
· He sacrificed a pig on the altar of God in front of the Temple, and this act became know as “The Abomination of Desolation.”

Antiochus Epiphanes was a precursor to the coming Ant-Christ who will speak out against God and persecute those who believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. He will also institute changes in “times and laws” just as Antiochus did, and many of the changes will once again be perpetrated against the Jewish people.

Notice the length of His reign is prophesied in these verses to be for a time, times, and half a time. A time is one year, times equals two years, and half a time is one half of a year. Therefore, His rule and reign will last for exactly 3 ½ years!

Jesus confirmed the prophesies of Daniel when He spoke of the coming Anti-Christ. Jesus prophesied the Anti-Christ would stand in the “holy place” and commit the same act as Antiochus Epiphanes committed, “The Abomination of Desolation,” on the altar of God.

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24:15-16

These prophetic words spoken by Jesus further reinforce the truth that the Anti-Christ will stand in the rebuilt third Temple. The Holy place is the Holy of Holies, the inner most part of the Temple. A place so holy that only the Jewish High Priest could enter the “Holy of Holies,” once a year on Yom Kippur.

An important part of this prophecy may seem strange to many, because Jesus commanded the Jews who were living in Judea during this time, and see the “Abomination of Desolation,” to flee to the mountains. Why would Jesus make such a prophecy?

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22

The reason is stated clearly in these verses. When this event takes place we are to recognize that the time of the “great tribulation,” will have come upon the earth. A time that will be so terrible that unless the days had been shortened, no life would have been saved.

Like Daniel and Jesus the Apostle Paul spoke of the time of the Anti-Christ and the tribulation, just as Jesus did.

“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5

The “Day of the Lord,” spoken of by Paul is fast approaching. Once this day arrives, Paul prophesies just as Daniel and Jesus that the man of lawlessness would be revealed.

“The man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Paul’s prophecy fits exactly with the description of the coming Anti-Christ given by both Daniel and Jesus. This prophecy also confirms the prophecy given by both Daniel and Jesus as to where he will “be revealed.” The verses prophesy he will be revealed “In the temple of God,” the rebuilt 3rd Jewish Temple.

This description exactly fits with Daniel’s description of what he will do when he goes into the “Temple of God.” He will say monstrous things against God the Father and God the Son, and he will take his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

In the Mishna, from the time of Moses to the destruction of the Second Temple, nine red heifers were burned. “One by Moses, one by Ezra, and seven from the time of Ezra to the destruction of the last Temple in 70 AD. The Mishna teaches the “tenth cow will be sacrificed by King Messiah.” Mishna Para 3:5, a belief held by Israel’s chief Rabbis today.

The book of Hebrews writes of this ritual.

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:13-14

Paul wrote of the “ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh.” This refers to the commandment by God to the Jews regarding the cleansing of a Priest with the ashes of a “Red Heifer.”

Paul makes the point that to the Christian believer it is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from our dead works to serve the living God. The blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer cannot suffice to cleanse us from your sins, only the blood of Christ.

JESUS INSTRUCTED US TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGN OF THE TIMES:

Jesus instructed us to recognize the signs of the times, and the “Red Heifer” is one of the more visible and interesting ones.

The “fig tree,” is another sign Jesus told us to recognize.

Throughout the Bible, Israel is often referred to as the fig tree. Jesus gave the church a specific word regarding the “fig tree,” and what to do when you see it put forth its leaves.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; So, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33

Israel is the “fig tree,” which the Lord has raised up to become a nation

after 2,500 years of extinction. In 1948, Israel was a barren land, a land with almost no trees of any kind. It was a wasteland and a swamp. Fifty-four years later Israel is like the Garden of Eden, and its fruit has filled all the nations of the earth.

Israel, the “fig tree,” has put forth its branches, and the church is instructed by Jesus, “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”

Recognize the sign of the times and understand that He is right at the door. Are you ready to receive Him?