Why Should We Care About Some Red Cows?
Ever since Israel became a nation in 1948, prophecy watchers have been eagerly awaiting the day when the Lord will return to call His bride home. Among the present convergence of dozens of prophetic signs, on September 15, 2022, five red heifers were shipped from Texas and landed in Israel.
Although the story of the red heifer begins with Moses around 1400 BC, it is active in our current time! The first thing to address is, “What is a heifer?” Simply put, a heifer is a two- or three-year-old female cow. It is not a calf nor is it a bull (male cow). For many Christians, the excitement about these five heifers in Israel and around the world has become quite intense. The Temple Institute maintains a cautious optimism that at least one of these five red heifers will remain qualified and be ritually slaughtered in the near future.
There is also the risk that some Christians will misunderstand exactly what I mean by saying, “We are living in exciting times.” The Bible has dozens, if not hundreds, of prophetic passages that help us understand the events leading up to the second coming of Jesus. Many of these prophecies contain serious information and reveal terrible judgments coming upon the earth during the seven-year tribulation period when billions will perish. Jesus said this period will be unlike anything that has ever occurred in the history of the creation (Mark 13:19). The Bible also reveals that the Jewish people will be deceived by the Antichrist and undergo severe persecution during this time.
Am I excited for death and judgment? Not at all! When prophecy watchers get excited, it is because we see signs being fulfilled that point to the imminent return of Jesus, when He will begin to make all things right. We are excited about His return. It does not mean that we condone or approve of the new world order, the cashless system, or even the slaughter of the red heifer.
Why should we even care about the red heifer movement? Does it matter? What is the importance of all these efforts? When it comes to understanding eschatology, the study of last things, a diversity of beliefs exists among genuine Christians today. It is not my goal here to survey all the various beliefs but to point out that some believers see no significance to Israel becoming a nation or even its gaining control over Jerusalem. Others view it as interesting and possibly significant, but not important enough to address in a Sunday morning sermon.
On the other hand, I have known believers who only read texts on eschatology and don’t have a good grasp on other areas of theology. As in anything, we should maintain a proper balance. The most important topic that a follower of Jesus should be well-versed in is sharing and articulating the good news about Jesus—that He is the only way for people to be reconciled to God the Father. (See Acts 4:12; John 14:6; and Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; and 10:9.) At the same time, however, Jesus instructed us to watch for the signs and be ready for Him to return at any moment.
Jesus scolded the Pharisees of His day for not understanding Messianic prophecy related to His first coming.
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
—Matthew 16:1–4
When it comes to Messianic prophecy related to His second coming, Jesus gave extensive descriptions of what the end of the age would be like in various sermons (Luke 17:22–37), including what is known as the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:1–26:2; Mark 13:1–37; Luke 21:5–36). After giving precise details, He commanded all of His followers:
Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.
—Mark 13:35–37
To put it another way, we must be watching. As followers of Jesus, we do not have the luxury of dismissing Jesus’ words or else we would fall into the same category as the first-century Pharisees. We are not required to become experts in eschatology, but we are required to have enough understanding to know what to watch for as Jesus said we should.
To learn more about Mondo Gonzales’s new book, The Mystery of the Red Heifer, visit MyCharismaShop.com