With a focus on end times events on the minds of many people, there are many making false claims about red heifers and their significance in hopes of growing social media following.
Evangelist Perry Stone recently warned that those who follow the advice of online commentators regarding the matter of the red heifers may be receiving incorrect information.
“Yes, I told folks 40 years ago about the significance of the red heifer [t]hat has stirred people up,” Stone says, holding an old cassette recorded at one of his revival meetings in the 1980s which he says holds the recording of his message on the bovines.
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“The reason I’m sharing this with you is there is so much absolute speculation and misinformation on this subject that I felt like someone who had the knowledge of 40 years should come and say several things to you,” he continues.
During the times when Stone was first sharing about the red heifers, he was instead met with derision and rebuked for pointing to the biblical importance of the red heifer.
“I remember being mocked and ridiculed and criticized for it because I was telling people that in the Tribulation there would be a temple built, Matthew 24 2; Thessalonians 2; Revelation 11; and I personally believe that the two witnesses will be a part of the rebuilding process. But I told them that it would require a ceremonial purification, or the water purification, to sanctify any kind of furniture or the temple itself based on the laws of the Torah specifically Numbers chapter 19. And in Numbers 19 it gives you the entire process of the burning of a red heifer.”
Now, as time has shown, people are realizing he was right.
Stone warns those following the story that this is not a sacrifice that is going to happen overnight. In fact, there is a long list of things that must be attained and completed for the ceremony to take place, the main part being that the red heifer must remain unblemished until it is three-and-a-half years old. Then, and only then, would it be ready for the sacrifice ceremony.
Even when the ashes of the red heifer are collected, the temple isn’t going to just appear, Stone says.
“I have heard some of the most ludicrous, ridiculous ideas on the rebuilding of a temple that you’ve ever heard in your life, and again, these are people that…they call themselves YouTube influencers, and what they really are, are people that just jump on the bandwagon when something is hot trying to get their viewership up. But they don’t have the research or the proper research connected to it,” says Stone.
“Let me make it very clear, even if one [red heifer] were found, and one were burnt, it does not mean the immediate building of the Temple,” Stone cautions.
“So be careful who you listen to. Be careful of all the sensationalism, and anytime something big happens or there’s some kind of a new news story, there’s always a little bit of sensationalism. You know, a self-acclaimed prophet has this great prophetic word or whatever, and really, these are a lot of people that in my personal opinion, and I’m saying this sincerely, are trying to simply get a channel built or trying to build up a channel by using, a lot of times, other people’s information and talking about it.”
So while it is a topic of interest in the study of eschatology and understanding the importance of the times that we live in, ensure that when watching videos online, you keep biblical discernment a part of your thought-making process. We live in an age of deception, and Satan would like nothing more than to sow confusion and fear into people when the Word of God offers life and peace.
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
One big thing nobody says much, or at all, like here, is that the red heifer sacrifice is a return of the Jewish OT sacrifice. That Christ ‘s sacrifice of himself for sin is the end of sacrifices for the Christian. You didn’t give your source for this, but I found it interesting that the Temple will be rebuilt during the Tribulation. The Temple is Jewish OT, too. Christian readers need to see this to prevent the confusion you warn about.
I do hope the red heifer sacrifice and coming Temple discussion means that we are fast-headed toward the Last Days culminating in the 2nd coming of Jesus. ,,,Come Jesus come!!!