[Rick Shabi] As you know, back on October 7th, Hamas terrorists invaded a small Israeli town, mercilessly and brutally slaughtering innocent senior citizens, young people, pregnant ladies, and infants. The level of brutality was sickening and shocking. Since then, the war has taken tens of thousands of lives, decimated Gaza, and encouraged protests around the world. and an end is nowhere in sight. What prompted this war? At the 100-day mark of the war, a Palestinian military spokesman gave a televised speech about the Hamas efforts, as well as revealing the astounding reason for the Hamas attack. Here's what he said.

"We look back 100 days to remember the educated, the complicit, and the incapacitated among the world powers, reminding them of an aggression that reached its peak against our path and Al-Aqsa, with the bringing of red cows as an application of a detestable religious myth designed for aggression against the feelings of an entire nation in the heart of its Arab identity." Did you catch that? Bringing red cows into Israel is a primary reason for the Hamas war and the lost lives of so many. What could that possibly mean? Obviously, the news media had no idea how red cows really relate to this aggression by Hamas. It was broadcast and reported to the press around the world, even by the prestigious Hudson Institute and CBS News. What's going on? How can you make sense of all of this?

When you want to make sense of this world, the answer again is in the Bible. If you knew the Bible in depth, you would have a greater understanding of what is going on, and you'd have great insight and comfort in knowing that God is in control and that He has a plan in place to save humanity from total destruction. It's time to open up your Bible and get to know God and what His Word says. It does talk about what is going on in this world and where this is all headed. You see, red cows, or heifers as they're called in Scripture, are a little-known part of the religious belief of Jews. Let me read directly from the Bible just a few verses about this, and then come back and tell you why this is so important to the Jews and to the Palestinians.

In Numbers 19:2-3, we read about, "A red heifer without blemish, and in which there is no defect, being slaughtered and burned with cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop." Some of its blood is then sprinkled on the front of the tabernacle. And then in verse 9, "Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification." It is for purifying from sin. Yes, these ashes from the red heifer are for purifying the priesthood for service in the tabernacle or temple of God. There is more detail, a lot more detail, you can look into about this ritual, but the Jews believe finding and sacrificing a perfect red heifer is necessary to the building and operation of a third temple in Jerusalem where animal sacrifices can begin.

Let me explain why this is so important. According to the Old Testament, which the Jews believe is still in force, there must be a priesthood from the ancient priestly bloodline who can serve in the temple. Priests must be purified before there can be any temple. The purification ceremony requires the water of purification, which is prepared from the ashes of the perfect red heifer. In the prophetic book of the Ezekiel, the Bible talks about a third temple being built. All peoples will come to Jerusalem to learn of God's way there. It tells us that in Isaiah 2. Properly purified priests will serve in that temple, and animal sacrifices will be offered there.

In Daniel 12, which clearly states it's a chapter for the end times, it speaks of this time clearly, clearly saying that the prophecies there are sealed up until the time of the end. Notice what it says about sacrifices in Jerusalem. Reading from verse 11 in Daniel 12, "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days until the return of Jesus Christ." Now that's a pretty specific time, isn't it? For the sacrifices to be abolished, they must start at some time, and they must continue for a time before they are stopped. Remember as we talk about these things that what God says will happen, every prophecy in the Bible has been proven to come to pass.

Israel has been planning for a third temple for decades. And part of the delay in those plans is the identification of the perfect red heifer for this red heifer ceremony. Finally, after decades of trying to locate the perfect red heifer in Israel, five perfect red heifers from Texas were transported to Israel in 2022, and they have been monitored by the rabbis ever since then. Now it's 2024, and four of those red heifers are still meeting the biblical standards exactly. Guess when they would first be eligible to be sacrificed? It's as early as Passover in 2024. That's just a little over a month away. I realize I'm not saying these heifers will be sacrificed in 2024, but they are first eligible to be sacrificed this year. It might be that it will be a later date, a year or two from now, but this will happen. We just don't know exactly when.

But isn't it interesting that Israel is at war, and the red heifer key to building the temple and possibly beginning animal sacrifices is happening now? And isn't it significant that the book of Daniel speaks of these sacrifices starting again in the end time just before the return of Jesus Christ? But you might say, it takes years to build a temple, so sacrifices can't start even if there are priests from the priestly line who have been identified and who have been purified and are ready for service. But you would be wrong. You see, Israel has been preparing for this for years. There are reports that all the temple instruments have been prepared and are ready to be used. The altar has been built to biblical instructions, and as Israel feels more and more pressured in this world, they might just look to God and start offering sacrifices on the temple location even before the foundation of any temple is laid.

And you know what? There is biblical precedent for this. An actual temple is not necessary for sacrifices to begin. Note the account in Ezra 3:3, and 6, "They," that's ancient Israel, "set the altar on its bases, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings." And then in verse 6, "From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the eternal, although the foundation of the temple of the eternal had not been laid." They offered sacrifices before the foundation of the second temple had been laid. They did it then, and they can do it again. When those red heifers are sacrificed at some Passover, whether it's this year or later, the stage is set, yet again, for the world to enter a whole new era, a whole new realm that will lead to the return of Jesus Christ. The actual building of the third temple is inconsequential to the beginning of animal sacrifices. You don't need the temple for the sacrifices to begin, but don't get me wrong, there will be a third temple built, as the Bible says, but the story of that temple is for another time.

Isn't all this astounding? Don't you see God at work, and yet again we see that this Bible is His revealed truth? It's been at your fingertips for all the years that you've had a Bible and you didn't know because you didn't take the time to read and really try to understand what God has given us in His very Word. We live in truly astounding times when things are happening that are unparalleled in history. It can be unsettling in a way, but you can know the truth if you really want to. Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know the real truth? It's in the Bible. It's been here for years. Real truth that can make a difference in your life, not just in terms of prophecy of what will happen in this world, but for your daily life too. Do you want peace? Do you want a fulfilled life? Do you want a sense of purpose and a knowledge of why you were born, and why we're even here on earth? The Bible reveals it all, but you may need help in understanding it.

Do you believe the things that we've read today? Do you believe the things that are talked about in the Bible? Do you even know any of this that we've talked about? Palestinians sure do. They attacked Israel mercilessly, at least in part because the red heifers are in Israel and they do not want the third temple built. They believe what's in the Bible, that Jesus Christ will return as prophesied to Jerusalem and they will do anything to prevent that temple and what the Jews think will bring about the coming of the Messiah. These red heifers are a sign of what is about to occur. Make no mistake about it, what will at some time happen with these red cows can change the world, your world, forever. It is time for you to know God and Jesus Christ and what they taught. It is time to turn to God and trust in Him. It is time to learn what Jesus Christ really taught that you must live by.

You may be surprised that the church you go to may not be teaching you what you really need to know for salvation. That may be shocking, but it is true. The question is, do you want to learn the truth that can literally change your life forever? Do you want to know the reason God put you here on earth and what His plan is? You can know what is happening now and what God's plan for you and humanity is. Email us or check us out at ucg.org.