The Ashes of a Red Heifer

The Ashes of a Red Heifer

Pastor Rick Everhart

What is it all about? To understand this, we need to go all the way back approx. 3,300-3,400 years ago when God delivered His people from Egyptian bondage. He led His people to Mt. Sinai where we have the giving of the law. Within the law, there are laws of purification. In the book of Numbers chapter 19, the Lord instructs Moses and Aaron to institute a special sacrifice to purify the Tabernacle, the priest, and the people, which involved the making of what the Lord calls, “the water of separation” Numbers 19:9 “Tum’at HaMet” the impurity of the dead. Moses and Aaron were instructed to ask the tribes of Israel to bring a red heifer without spot and with no blemish (Para Aduma). Also, this young heifer could never have labored under a yoke. This was very different from all the other sacrifices offered by the children of Israel. For instance, this was to be a female that had never become pregnant, not a male which is the usual sacrifice. She must be a specific color(red) which is the only sacrifice specified by color. According to rabbinical law, no more than two white or black hairs can be allowed. No yoke could ever rest on her shoulders and again according to Jewish law a blanket or any cloth such as a coat could never be laid upon her. Even if a bird should rest upon her, she must be disqualified, a very unique sacrifice indeed.

Now this young red heifer must be slaughtered in the presence of the priest. The priest would then take of her blood and with his finger sprinkle it seven times directly before the Tabernacle (later the Temple). Then the priest would go back outside the camp where the red heifer was killed and oversee the burning of the entire carcass, including the blood. While burning, the priest would cast into the fire cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet. Then one would take up the ashes to be mixed in clean water and the rest to be stored for future use outside the camp.

Now the question is, why is this important to us today? It is true that the sacrifice of a red heifer has not taken place in almost 2,000 years! Well one reason it is important today is because of an event that happened on September 15, 2022. According to The Temple Institute, on this day five young perfectly red heifers arrived from Texas at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. This immediately “hit the wire” and became international news. Surely with five potentially qualifying heifers at least one will survive to become fully “Kosher”. Today, one of the five has begun to grow non red hair which is a disqualifying factor. The remaining four are very healthy and remain “Kosher”.

For generations the ashes of a red heifer had been used in ritual cleansing. This was so important and integrated into the customs and worship of God’s people that if anyone refused this cleansing after being in the presence of a deceased person or animal then “that soul would be cut off from among God’s people”. Many would need cleansing. In fact, sacrificial worship would not be possible without this “water of separation”. The priest would offer sacrifices continually so therefore would be in constant need of this cleansing.

The importance of the red heifer cannot be overstated because there is a strong desire among many orthodox Jews today to build the Temple again on the Temple Mount. When this takes place, the Temple must be dedicated with the first blood of the red heifer and the priest must be purified for service.

A final thought concerning the red heifer and its importance with Bible prophecy of the coming Jewish Messiah is that the Jewish people believe that when the Temple is dedicated, Messiah will come. A famous Jewish philosopher and scholar called Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon) from the twelfth century taught on the importance of the tenth red heifer. According to Maimonides, there have been a total of nine red heifers sacrificed from the time this ritual was instituted until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Maimonides predicted that not only would the sacrifice of a red heifer usher in the coming of Messiah and the restoration of Israel, but that Messiah himself would be the one to oversee the sacrifice of the tenth red heifer. Many Rabbis believe this to be true. Many practicing Jews and many Christians around the world are excited at this recent development concerning the red heifers. Could this be a true sign of the times, a very important sign of the soon coming (return) of Messiah? “Even so come Lord Jesus.”