Raise a Red Heifer in Israel / לגדל פרה אדומה בארץ ישראל.(Numbers 19). The opening video discusses a subject that is all too often missing from many sermons and Sunday School lessons. The Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 A.D. The Jews look forward to the rebuilding of the temple so that they conduct temple worship, thereby following the Law. However, most Jews don’t know that such a temple will be built during the first part of the tribulation by unsaved Jews, under the approval of the anti-christ.
Jewish temple worship will be allowed by the anti-christ after the tribulation temple has been constructed but, soon after, the anti-christ will restrict the Jews from conducting all requirements of their worship, as is directed by the Law. It is important to understand that nothing that relates to the tribulation temple will be Holy, and that the tribulation temple will not be inhabited by God. The significance of God to the tribulation temple is that God will allow it to be built; has inspired prophetic writing about the temple and certain prophetic events that will take place in relation to the temple; and that it will be replaced by a truly Holy millennium temple when Christ returns to earth at the end of the tribulation to set up His Kingdom. It is important to know that in the eternal state, “no temple” will be present (eternal state: new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem…Rev 21:1-2).
Keeping the Law involves much more than following the ten commandments. The Law is written in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, beginning with Exodus 12.
Exodus 12:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Feast of Unleavened Bread
14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.
Consider the Law, “its recipients and temple aspect:” http://www.religionfacts.com/613-commandments
The 613 commandments (Hebrew: תרי”ג מצוות, taryag mitzvot) are a list of all the commandments given to Jews in the Torah.
Today, because the Temple has been destroyed and there is no longer a theocratic state of Israel, many of the 613 commandments cannot be observed.2 Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (d. 1933) listed 77 positive mitzvot and 194 negative mitzvot which can be observed outside of Israel today.3 1
Only Jews were involved in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Only Jews were given the Sabbath. Only Jews were present when God gave the ten commandments to Moses. At the time that the events of Exodus through Deuteronomy were taking place, people were living on the Pacific coast of Asia and in North and South America; there was no way that the law would be known by those groups of people.
Keep all of the law, or keep none of the law.
James 2:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
The Law was given by God to the Jews, but Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Law.
Matthew 5:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
The articles that I wrote on the feasts show Christ fulfilling the law. However, there is no salvation in keeping the law, only by being born again (John 3:3).
Let’s consider the Red Heifer and the Law. If God told the Jews to do anything; that was a commandment, and a part of the Law. If we think that we must follow the law, we must also come to grips with the requirements of animal sacrifices, such as that which we see written in the ordinance of the Red Heifer.
Numbers 19:1-10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Ordinance of the Red Heifer (This is part of the Law)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “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. 3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. 4 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. 5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned. 6 The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet material and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer. 7 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. 8 The one who burns it shall also wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening. 9 Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin. 10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; and it shall be a perpetual statute to the sons of Israel and to the alien who sojourns among them.
19:1–10 The provision given for the preparation of the “water of purification” (cf. Lev. 12–15) (MacArthur Study Bible note).
19:3 Eleazar. The son of Aaron was a deputy High-Priest who was in charge of the slaughter of the red cow. outside the camp. The red cow was killed outside the camp of Israel and its ashes were stored there as well (see v. 9). Hebrews 13:11–13 picks up the image of “outside the camp” as it relates to Christ’s death outside of Jerusalem (MacArthur Study Bible note).
19:16-19. This ritual pictured the cleansing power of the blood of Christ (Heb 9:13-14; 1 John 1:7-9) (Ryrie Study Bible).
A description of the tribulation temple is, as follows:
Revelation 11:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
1 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.
“the temple of God.” Refers to the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place, not the entire temple complex (cf. v. 2). A rebuilt temple will exist during the time of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4) (MacArthur Study Bible note).
Daniel discusses the covenant that will be made between the anti-christ and the unsaved Jews, during the first half of the tribulation, which will also be broken by the anti-christ during that same first half of the tribulation. Those whom are present on earth during the tribulation will be Jews and gentiles which do not know Christ as Lord and Savior at the time of the rapture of the church; they are “left behind,” to come under the persecution of the anti-christ and the judgments of God. However, they still will be able to come to Christ in saving faith, and be born again, during the tribulation. The cutoff time for tribulation dwellers to be born again will be at the time that Christ returns to earth at the Battle of Armageddon.
Daniel 9:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
27 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.”
27: “he,” relates to the anti-christ, per MacArthur Study Bible.
27: middle of the week. This is the halfway point of the 70th week of years, i.e., 7 years leading to Christ’s second coming. The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel (v. 27a), which has resumed its ancient sacrificial system (MacArthur Study Bible note).
27: “sacrifice and grain offering.” That part of temple worship will be allowed by the anti-christ, and then not allowed by the anti-christ for the Jews to have as a part of their temple worship (Ryrie Study Bible).
The following offerings are part of the Law (“Lev” is the book of Leviticus).
Burnt Offering: Lev 1:1-17, 6:8-13. Unblemished bull; male sheep or goat; male of female dove/pigeon.
Grain Offering: Lev 2:1-16, 6:14-23. Flour or grain.
Peace (Fellowship) Offering: Lev 3:1-17; 7:11-38. Unblemished bull/male or female sheep/goat.
Sin Offering: Lev 4:1-5:13; 6:24-30. Unblemished bull/male or female goat.
Guilt (Trespass) Offering: Lev 5:14-6:7; 7:1-10. Unblemished ram.
27: “abominations…one who makes desolate.” The Antichrist will cause abomination against Jewish religion. This violation will desolate or ruin what Jews regard as sacred, namely their holy temple and the honoring of God’s presence there (cf. 1 Kin. 9:3; 2 Thess. 2:4). Jesus refers directly to this text in His Olivet discourse (Matt. 24:15). See note on 11:31 (MacArthur Study Bible note).
27: “the consummation.” God permits this tribulation under the Antichrist’s persecutions and ultimately triumphs, achieving judgment of the sin and sinners in Israel (12:7) and in the world (cf. Jer. 25:31). This includes the Antichrist (11:45; Rev. 19:20), and all who deserve judgment (9:24; Matt. 13:41–43) (MacArthur Study Bible note).
The last half of the 70th week of Daniel begins, with the following time line of events.
Joel 3:9-10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears;
(My note)”Beat your plowshares into swords,” (a time of war, “the tribulation,” preceding the Kingdom Age).
Consistent with the events of Joel 3:9-10, will be God’s judgments that will be poured out on the earth, for the purpose of drawing unsaved Jews to Christ, and judging sin (Daniel 9:24; MacArthur Study note on Joel, History Theme). Those judgments are listed in Revelation 6:1-16:21 (Ryrie Study Bible). Seal Judgments (Rev 6:1-8:6). Trumpet Judgments (Rev 8:7-9:21). Bowl Judgments (15:1-16:21).
The end of the 70th week of Daniel. The return of Christ, with His raptured saints, for the Battle of Armageddon and for setting up the Kingdom Age/Millennium.
Revelation 19:11-14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
The Kingdom Age follows the triumph of Christ over the forces of Satan in the Battle of Armageddon. Those present during the Kingdom Age will be redeemed Jews and gentiles. Anyone that is redeemed is anyone whom will have been born again, “during any time preceding the time of the return of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.”
Isaiah 2:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God’s Universal Reign
1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
2:1–5 The first of 3 pictures of Zion (Jerusalem) in this discourse that depicts her future exaltation. (MacArthur Study Bible note).
4. Notice that the time will be one of future peace, “hammer swords into plowshares.” This time will be the Kingdom Age, also known as the millennial reign of Christ. This time of peace will follow the time of tribulation, as described in Joel 3:9-10, as follows (My note).
The true, Holy Temple of God will be established for true worship of God, and will be placed in Jerusalem by God.
Ezekiel 37:26 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.
Holy, and uninterrupted, worship will take place in the Millennial Temple.
Zechariah 14:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
The historical background can be found in Lev. 23:33–36; Num. 29:12–38; Deut. 16:13–17. In addition to the Feast of Tabernacles, two other feasts will be celebrated in the Millennium, i.e., 1) Feast of the New Year (Ezek. 45:18–20) and 2) Passover (Ezek. 45:21–25). (MacArthur Study Bible note).
We have studied. Now, let us worship.
Let the Weight of Your Glory Fall – by Paul Wilbur.wmv
The Holy of Holies, also known as the Most Holy Place, is the inner room of the Tabernacle, and also the Temple…(more) https://carm.org/what-is-the-holy-of-holies
There will also be the Most Holy Place in the millennial Temple (Ezekiel 41:4, 42:13, 45:3, 48:12).
For those of us whom are born again believers in Christ, we are the temple of God, with all of God’s Holiness dwelling within our born again spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
In the eternal state of the new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem there will be no temple:
Revelation 21:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
When Christ was on Earth, he never went into the inner room of the Temple; He was, “The Most Holy.” Neither will there be a true Holy of Holies in the tribulation temple; God will not occupy a Satanic inspired temple.
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Eternity 