Religious leaders around the world have warned that the presence of red heifers in Israel marks the beginning of the 'end of the world'.
It's not just Christian leaders. Muslim leaders are also up in arms over the arrival of the red heifers in Israel.
Allisrael.com reports: Marking the 100th day of the Gaza War, Hamas spokesman Abu Obeidah said Jews “bringing red cows” to Israel was part of the reason for the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
According to both groups, the arrival of the red heifers in Israel is a sign that Jews will soon try to rebuild their Temple, possibly even destroying the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
Some American Evangelicals are excited about the red heifers, believing their arrival signals the second coming of Yeshua (Jesus).
Video commentators on YouTube, and blog writers across the internet have called the red heifers the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy and spoken of the “sacrifice” of a red heifer during Passover ahead of the rebuilding of the Temple.
But is the story of these red heifers a cause for concern?
I do not believe the presence of these red heifers is proof of a hidden Zionist conspiracy, nor is it something that should overly excite or concern faithful disciples of Yeshua.
First, let’s look at a quick history of the significance of the red heifer in the biblical sacrificial and purification system laid out in the Torah.
In the biblical system, the Tabernacle, and then the Temple in Jerusalem, were places where God’s presence rested in a physical way among his people. In Parashat Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19), God expressed His desire to live among his people.
“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)
Many of the laws of the Torah are concerned with the issue of purity. In fact, most of the Book of Leviticus is about the topic of purity. One had to be in a state of ritual purity to enter the Tabernacle or Temple. The priests had to maintain ritual purity to conduct their services, and visitors to the Temple had to attain a state of ritual purity in order to enter the Temple courts.