Do Five Heifers Really Signal the End of the World?
Five red heifers arrived in Israel on September 15, 2022, from a ranch in Texas, and they caused quite a stir within some Christian and Jewish circles. These are not just any red bovines. They are unblemished, perfect-looking heifers that could meet the requirements under the Torah (the first five books of the Bible for my Christian readers) required for ritual purification, a necessary antecedent for the construction of Israel’s third temple. If you are still left scratching your head, let me put it this way. For many Christians and Jews, the construction of the third temple marks the coming of the “end of days,” and these little red heifers are smack in the middle of it.
Red Heifers and the Third Temple
The Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem is a sacred site to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Visitors today will find the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, sacred sites to Islam, where Jewish temples once stood and where Jesus once roamed. It is a political (and religious) powder keg, and now, five little red “cows” are stirring the pot.
Jews have long mourned the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD by the Romans. It was a magnificent, architectural masterpiece initially constructed at the end of the 6th century BC and improved upon by Herod, the hand-picked king of Judea (by the Romans), in the first century BC. This second temple was built 70 years after the destruction of the first. King David’s son, Solomon, built the first one in approximately 1000 BC. It was during the height of the Israeli empire. The Babylonians subsequently destroyed it in 586BC.¹
In modern history, most Jews are unwilling to upset the status quo. They may mourn the destruction of the last temple, but politically, the construction of a new one appears to be a distant dream. However, Orthodox Jews are committed to building a new one, and the Temple Institute of Jerusalem has already begun preparations. They have drawn architectural plans, fashioned priestly garments, and created ritual items — all to Mosaic law specifications.
However, one item has eluded the Temple Institute, the ashes of an unblemished red heifer. If you are unfamiliar with husbandry terminology, a red heifer is a female “cow” that has not yet reproduced. But don’t call it a cow, or you may incite the ire of bovine experts.
There are religious requirements in the Mosaic law with specific instructions for temple operations, and ashes from a red heifer are at the center of it all. The reinstatement of ritual purity per the Mosaic law is a necessary precursor to the building of the temple. And ritual purity is only possible with the ashes of an unblemished red heifer (See Numbers 19:1–22). In other words, there can be no temple without ritual purity, and there can be no ritual purity without the ashes of a red heifer.
“…its ashes alone are the single missing ingredient for the reinstatement of Biblical purity — and thereafter, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.”
The Temple Institute will need to wait a few years before it can sacrifice the red heifers and therefore, produce the ashes. During that time, a blemish (even a single white hair) can develop in any of these heifers, making them unsuitable. Only time will tell if any of these heifers will make the cut (no pun intended!).
The Importance of the Red Heifer to Christians
The red heifer has little importance for Christians in everyday living. According to the New Testament (the part of the Bible that established Christianity), ritual purification is no longer necessary. Jesus Christ himself is the sacrifice necessary for salvation, and it is through his blood that Christians are cleansed and purified.
So why do Christians care about a Jewish ritual? The reality is that most Christians are just as confused by the fanfare behind these red bovines as non-Christians, if not completely unaware that it is even a news item. That is because Christian theology and doctrine can vary widely from one group to the next.
In one camp, there are Christians who believe the events in the apocalyptic book of Revelation came to pass in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. They see any discussion of a future temple simply in allegorical terms referring to the temple that is the Christian church, the body of Christ. They regard any speculation about red heifers as irrelevant. Others, however, take exception to this view.
Those who take a more literal view of the book of Revelations and key passages such as Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 — including the rancher who donated the bovines — see the red heifer as “a sign of the times.” From their perspective, biblical texts referring to an anti-Christ ending sacrifices and offerings and who “takes his seat at the temple of God,” presuppose the existence of a physical temple. And if there is a physical temple, then there must be a third temple, and the red heifers are a key element.
The Political Reality
Many Israelis seem to support the idea of a third temple, but most do not have the stomach for the political consequences.² Since the Jewish temple must be built on the location of the first temple, traditionally believed to be in the exact same location as the Dome of the Rock, its construction would spark retribution from its Muslim neighbors. At the moment, even the presence of Jewish worshippers on the Temple Mount can incite violence.³ In other words, the building of a third temple could completely destabilize the Middle East.
But the idea of a third temple may not be as far-fetched as one may think. The exact location of where this temple should be built is still up for debate. While traditionally the area of the Dome of the Rock has been believed to be the right location, new research and archeological findings are hinting at other possible locations.⁴ A new location that would prevent the destruction of the Dome of the Rock, could taper the Muslim response. However, a new location would need to gain popular and government support for a third temple to be feasible.
What Does This Mean for Christians?
The primary directive for Christians is summarized in Matthew 28:19–20.
¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
All theological discussions, including musings about red heifers, should not detract Christians from that primary duty coupled with loving God and loving their neighbors.
However, in Matthew 24, Jesus lays out signs of the end times, including the “abomination of desolation….. standing in the holy place.” Admittedly, some will argue these verses were referring to the Romans back in the first century. But it is for the same reason that the scriptures are not abundantly clear on the matter, that possible signs should not be completely dismissed. Discussions on the interpretation of these difficult scriptures should not be the primary focus nor distract from Jesus’ clear commandments, but they should be noted and cataloged in the Christian mind.
Until these heifers arrived, it was both religiously and politically impossible to build a third temple. But if at least one of these heifers remains unblemished, the religious barrier will be removed. Politically, the possibility still seems daunting, but so did the possibility of the Abraham Accords only a few years ago. So I wouldn’t write these red heifers off just yet.
- “12 Things to Know About the Temple in Jerusalem,” My Jewish Learning, accessed on October 11, 2022, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/12-things-to-know-about-the-temple-in-jerusalem/
- Haaretz, “30% of Israelis Want Third Temple Built on Temple Mount,” Forward, July 12, 2013, https://forward.com/news/breaking-news/180354/30-of-israelis-want-third-temple-built-on-temple/.
- Jerusalem Post Staff, “Temple Mount clashes: Palestinians throw firecrackers, rocks at police,” The Jerusalem Post, September 26, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-718181.
- “Building of the Third Temple,” The Mitzvah Project, accessed on October 10, 2022, https://themitzvahproject.org/building-the-third-temple/.
