Red Heifers and a 3rd Temple? - Pastor Carl Gallups Weighs In

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

Today, WND.com is running an article on its site titled, “Red Heifers In Israel Prompt 3rd Temple Speculation.”

While I believe WND always does an tremendous job in it reporting, especially concerning controversial matters within the Christian community, I wanted to add more of my original comments concerning the Red Heifer controversy to the already excellent WND article. 

Joel Richardson, Mark Biltz, and I were interviewed for the WND article. The TOTALITY of my statements submitted to WND for that article are given below.  Because WND certainly cannot include every single comment that an interviewee submits, I thought it prudent for the readers of PNN to know everything that was on my mind when I submitted my comments to WND.  I encourage you to read the WND article as well. It is well-written and offers tremendous insight from Richardson and Biltz – both very dear friends of mine and wonderful Bible scholars and brothers in the Lord. 

=======================================================

 

There has long been a scholarly debate among Christians concerning whether or not a literal temple must be reconstructed in Jerusalem before Christ returns. Both sides make very salient scriptural arguments. The details of the interpretation of all the particular scriptures involved in the argument would be too lengthy for this article, however the essence of the argument can be stated rather simply.

There are those who point to scriptures like 2 Thessalonians 2:4, “… who [The antichrist] opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God,” and point out the obvious “sitting in the temple” required of the ultimate antichrist character. Yet there are others, including many of the classical and highly respected Christian commentators who declare this “temple” is none other than the Christian Church (the temple being built with “living stones”) of the last days.

Those who hold to this view make their scriptural argument from the plethora of New Testament declarations that clearly state that the “new temple” that God builds in the last days (since the time of Jesus’ completed work through the cross and the empty tomb) is none other than the Bride of Christ itself. If this is so, then the verse in 2 Thessalonians would indicate that the antichrist, through his demonically deceptive power, will be one who sets himself up as a “ruler claiming the authority of God” over the “church,” attempting to direct the affairs of all of last days Christendom. Again, the totality of the arguments are complex and involve much dissection of scripture and the original languages in which they were written – but this is the jest of the argument. I want to reiterate that the arguments are strong for both biblical understandings of this issue – and they are intricate.

But, if the second line of biblical argument is followed [the church is the "temple"], then there is no necessity for a literal Jewish temple [built by the people who rejected Jesus as Messiah!]  to be rebuilt in order for end time prophecy to reach its ultimate fulfillment. However, it cannot be argued that a segment of the modern day orthodox Jews obviously believe that a new temple must be constructed and cleansed with a red heifer ceremony before their long-awaited Messiah (not Jesus) finally appears.

Regarding the “red heifer;” there is no biblical mention of an end time “red heifer prophecy” in and of itself. Rather, the command to sacrifice the red heifer came with the construction and dedication of the first temple that Solomon built (Numbers 19). The temple has been destroyed twice since Solomon built the first temple. It was rebuilt during the Persian period and then again (or added to and completed) under Herod’s domain under Roman rule. In neither of these instances is a preliminary red heifer purification process mentioned in the scriptures.

Some bible scholars argue that Ezekiel 40:18ff is a description of the rebuilding of the “tribulation” temple. If this is so – there is no mention of a red heifer cleansing process there either. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing mentioned in the New Testament about a red heifer purification process. The only purification process featured in the New Testament is the purification offered by Jesus Himself, by His blood, for the “temple” on earth (which is the church) and in the actual temple in Heaven (the main point of the book of Hebrews), which is the ultimate temple of God.

As I elucidate in my book, FINAL WARNING, there are also those who point to the current Islamic Dome of the Rock as an undeniable and literal fulfillment of the “abomination of desolation” currently standing in the “holy place.” They would also point out that the undeniable “spirit” of antichrist is attached to the whole of the Islamic message, especially as it relates to the biblical Jesus. Furthermore, they would say, its demonic influence continues to wreak destruction and spread its influence throughout the world in our own historical timeframe.

So, as the clamoring for a red heifer, and a red heifer ceremony, reaches a frenzied pitch, I watch all of this with great prophetic interest – admitting that I am not fully convinced of its necessity for the return of Jesus Christ. Jewish clerics may in fact be looking for a red heifer and believe this to be an integral part in the process of reconstructing the temple and re-instituting the temple rituals. But, whether the religious authorities of Israel go through the red heifer process or not and whether or not they do so in a “biblically prescribed” manner does not necessarily have to be, in my opinion, of great prophetic importance regarding the return of Jesus.

However, the solid signs of Jesus’ soon return are all around us – beginning with the fact that a 2,500-year-old prophecy regarding the last days return of Israel has already occurred. Israel has been back in the land for almost 70 years. Add to this fact that the Ezekiel 38 nations are now aligning themselves to attack that returned Israel, as well as the rise of Islamic terrorism and dominance in the Middle East, along with the pervasive Sodom and Gomorrah spirit that is now sweeping the planet (quickened along by the recent US Supreme Court ruling) – we certainly have an undeniable convergence of last days prophetic happenings … with or without a red heifer.