What Is The Sacrifice Of The Red Heifer And How Does It Relate To Christ

The red heifer is another symbol of Christ’s sacrifice. Like the red heifer, Jesus was “without blemish.” He was sinless. He spoke without malice. God’s spotless sacrifice.

The ashes of a red heifer were needed in order to attain the Old Testament law’s requirements for purification from death. Anyone who came in contact with a corpse was considered unclean. Red heifers are reddish-brown cows. It has to be “without defect or blemish” and should have never carried a yoke. As the only sacrifice in the law to specify the color of the animal or to be done outside of the city gates, the sacrifice of the red heifer was distinct from others because a female animal was involved.

In the same way that Jesus was crucified outside the city gates, and the red heifer was sacrificed outside the city gates on the mount of olives.

Numbers 19:4

“Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its [red heifer] blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.”

The verse describes the slaughtering of a red heifer. Priest Eleazar was responsible for overseeing the ritual outside the Israelites’ camp. Eleazar was to sprinkle some of the animal’s blood seven times at the front of the tabernacle after it had been killed . After leaving camp again, he witnessed the red heifer’s carcass being burned . While the red heifer burned, he was instructed to add cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool to the fire.

A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. -Numbers 19:9.

Various conditions may lead to ritual impurity or defilement, but exposure to death is one of the most severe. Tumas meis refers to the defilement from contact with death. An individual in this state of uncleanness could not engage in community or temple worship for seven days.

The law explains how and when the ashes of the red heifer were used to clean those who came into contact with dead bodies:

Numbers verses 11–12:

“Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean” . Purification involved red heifer ashes in the following manner:

Verses 17–18:

Put some ash from the burned purification offering in a jar and fill it with fresh water. A man who is ceremonially clean is supposed to take some hyssop, dip it in water, and sprinkle it. Red heifers also represent Christ’s sacrifice for sin on behalf of believers; it is yet another representation of Christ’s sacrifice. In the same way the red heifer was to be “without blemish,” so was Jesus. The heifer was sacrificed outside of the camp” (Numbers 19:3), Christ died outside Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:11–12).

It is the sacrifice of Christ that saves us from the penalty and corruption of death, just as the ashes of the red heifer cleansed people from the contamination of death.

Mosaic Law established the red heifer ritual; in the ensuing centuries, Judaism has added many laws and standards to what was originally a straightforward and rather simple set of instructions. According to Talmudic tradition, the red heifer was bound with a specific type of rope, was slaughtered facing the right direction, had certain words recited by the priest, and was required to wear sandals.

Red heifers were specifically disqualified from sacrifice under Rabbinic rules:

• If she had been ridden or leaned on
• If a garment had been placed over her
• If a bird rested on her, among many others.

In contrast, a cow’s qualification as a red heifer for this holy purpose of purification depends upon the following factors. It is described in Numbers 19, which is also found in the Talmud:

• The red heifer must be perfectly red. Even its hooves must be red.
• It was to be approximately three or four years old. While older animals could be used, younger ones could not.
• It must be completely free from any kind of external or internal defect.
• Not even once must it have been yoked or used for any type of physical labor.

The ashes of the purification process may only be obtained from animals that meet all these requirements.

There have been nine red heifers sacrificed since Moses’ time, according to Rabbinic tradition. Red heifers have not been slaughtered since the destruction of the second temple. Rabbi Maimonides (1135–1204) predicted that the Messiah himself would sacrifice the tenth red heifer. When a third temple is constructed, those who anticipate the construction are looking for a red heifer that meets all the requirements, since the ashes of the red heifer will be necessary for purifying the new temple. Several believe that a red heifer will herald Jesus’ return and the construction of the temple. A flawless red heifer was born in Israel in August 2018 according to the Temple Institute, a group supporting the construction of a third temple.

Matthew 24:15; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4- There will indeed be a third temple of God in Jerusalem, based on futurist eschatological timelines. A desecration of the temple is prophesied by Jesus during the tribulation; clearly, a temple in Jerusalem will have to be desecrated for that to occur. For the ceremonial cleansing, the ashes of a red heifer must be combined with water, according to Jewish law. As an indication that biblical prophecy is being fulfilled, a blemish-free red heifer might have been born.

As part of their daily prayers, observant Jews pray, “May the Holy Temple be rebuilt quickly and in our lifetime.”

There has been a movement in Israel since 1967 to rebuild the Holy Temple; however, the main obstacle is that the Temple Mount is occupied by the Dome of the Rock.

Regathering of the Jewish People and construction of the Third Holy Temple are both fulfillments of Bible prophecy.

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. However, the Temple service cannot begin without the red heifer.

The red heifer is the only animal that can restore the Biblical purity necessary to rebuild the Temple, according to God’s word.

However since Jesus himself was the fulfillment of this typology the bull is necessary only if we assume those who begin the temple rebuilding are not mesionic and have not accepted Christ as the messiah and the fulfillment of this role.