How does the mysterious ritual of the red heifer relate to Yeshua’s atoning death on the cross? Below is a list points of how Yeshua’s death fulfilled every aspect of the curious red heifer ritual.

• The heifer was to be pure red in color (Num 19:2). Red is the color of the stain of sin (Isa 1:18, “though your sins be as scarlet … red like crimson.”). Red is the color of the tzaaras skin infection dealt with in Leviticus 13:19, 24, 42–43. Red is also the color of clay earth out of which Elohim formed the first man naming him Adam (Strong’s H119/120) which means “ruddy, red, bloody or rosy in color.” Red is also the color of the Second Adam, Yeshua the Messiah, who was literally red, while being covered in his own blood while hanging on the cross as our sin sacrifice.
• The red heifer was to be spotless and without blemish or defect (Num 19:2). More care was exercised in choosing a spotless cow than in any other sacrifice. This spotless purity represents Messiah Yeshua, the perfect, and sinless sacrifice.
• The red cow had borne no yoke (Num 19:2). Similarly, Messiah was neither under the yoke of sin nor was beholden to or under bondage to any human, institution, government, religious system or anything else of an earthly nature.
• The heifer was slain outside of the camp (Num 19:3). During the first and second temple eras the red heifer was slain on the Mount of Olives by the priests. The Mount of Olives was located off the Temple Mount and outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem (see The Pentateuch/Numbers, p. 329, by Samson Hirsch). Messiah Yeshua was sacrificed outside of the city gates of Jerusalem (Heb 13:12) and very possible, contrary to Christian tradition, on the Mount of Olives from which the front of the temple and the veil was clearly visible. Remember, the rent veil was visible from the place of crucifixion (Matt 27:51, 54; Mark 15:38–39).
• The red heifer was to be slaughtered and then totally burnt (Num 19:5). This represents the burning and agonizing death and suffering of Messiah on the cross. Messiah suffered in body, soul and spirit (Isa 53) to atone for man’s sin.
• The red heifer is just one more of the many shadow pictures that point to the Suffering Servant Messiah found in Torah. Other of these antetypes or prophetic shadow-pictures include:

1. Abel’s sacrifice
2. Isaac on Mount Moriah and the ram caught in the thorns
3. The Paschel Lamb
4. The two goats offered at Yom Kippur
5. The Angel or Messenger of YHVH at the burning bush
6. Various burnt offerings and other sacrifices
7. Aaron’s rod that budded
8. Water from the rock
9. The serpent on the pole
10. The tree thrown into the bitter waters making them sweet and drinkable

• The high priest sprinkled the blood of the heifer at the door of the tabernacle seven times (Num 19:4). Yeshua bled from seven places in his body (his head, back, side, two hands and two feet), while likely facing the front of the temple, if he was crucified on the Mount of Olives near where the altar of the red heifer was located in the first century. The apostolic writers speak of Yeshua’s blood being sprinkled to cleanse sinners (1 Pet 1:2; Heb 10:19–22; 12:24; 1 John 1:7).
• The ashes of the red heifer were for purifying from sin (Num 19:9). Yeshua died for our sins (Rev 1:5).
• After the red heifer was slaughtered, its body was burnt. Into the burnt offering fire were thrown three things: cedar, hyssop and scarlet (Num 19:6).

1. The cedar tree grows tall, imposing and wide symbolizing haughtiness and loftiness of sinner in rebellion against Elohim. This wood was used to build a house for King David (2 Sam 5:11) as well as for the temple that Solomon built (1 Kgs 6:9–10). Cedar wood points to the wooden cross upon which Yeshua was crucified.
2. Hyssop represents that to gain atonement the cedar one must bow in humility like a blade of hyssop. In 1 Kings 4:33, we see the contrast of the great cedar tree to even the hyssop. Hyssop was used to put the blood of the Passover lamb on the door posts as well as to put the sour wine to Yeshua’s lips while on the cross. It is a medicinal plant known for its cleansing properties (Ps 51:7).
3. On the spiritual significance of the cedar and the hyssop, The Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906 edition) states, “The symbolical significance of the rite has been interpreted as follows: The majestic cedar of Lebanon represents pride, and hyssop represents humility; uncleanness… and sin and death are associated ideas; the ceremony, therefore, is a powerful object-lesson, teaching the eternal truth that a holy God can be served only by a holy people.”
4. The color scarlet represents the stain of sin (Isa 1:18); the priests made red with dye from a snail or insect—a lowly creature symbolizing the penitent’s new-found humility. This is one of the colors in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) as well as the priestly garments. It is also a color of royalty and prosperity (Prov 31:21, Daniel 5:7; Rev 17:4). It is the color Matthew describes as that of the robe the Roman soldiers put on Yeshua on Passover (Matt 27:28). We also see the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet, in Leviticus 14:4 for cleansing one with the infectious skin disease of tzaaras, which is another picture of sinful man being cleansed from the infectious disease of sin.

YHVH gave the children of Israel the red heifer ritual some 1500 years before Yeshua died on the cross, yet YHVH orchestrated events surrounding the death of his Son on the cross to match perfectly the details of the red heifer’s sacrifice. Give YHVH Elohim the glory for giving us Yeshua to die for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness by the sprinkling of his blood!