Numbers 19:1–11. The red heifer.
The Overview of the Ceremony and Its Greater Implications
The Jewish sages teach that the commandment (mitzvah) of the red cow is “beyond human understanding.” Like the afikoman (the middle broken matzah that is “buried” and “resurrected,” which is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua) in the Passover (Pesach) Seder, the meaning of which to this day remains unclear to the Jewish scholars, the red cow is a ritual that makes sense only when Yeshua the Messiah is added to the picture.
While the symbolism of the red heifer was, to Jewish Torah scholars, admittedly incomprehensible to human reason, by the second temple era they began to speculate about its spiritual significance in their aggadic literature. Some felt that it was an atonement for the sin of the golden calf (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion, Massada – P.E.C. Press, 1965, p. 327; The ArtScroll Chumash, p. 839). Others viewed it as somehow relating to the azazel or scapegoat and the bullock sin offering of Yom Kippur, since all were sacrificed outside the camp of Israel (Lev 16:27).
The sacrifice of the red heifer was for the purpose of purifying someone who had become ritually impure or polluted through contact with the dead, or for purifying metal war booty (Num 31:21ff). This sacrifice was to be made outside of the camp of Israel, and later occurred outside of the walls of the city of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, not far from the Temple. The concept of the camp signifies outside of or away from the divine presence or shekinah of YHVH meaning outside the tabernacle courtyard (The ArtScroll Chumash, p. 839).
The heifer was to be three to five years of age and totally red in color, blemish free and to have never born a burden and, according to Jewish tradition, to be without a single black or white hair on its body. The animal was slaughtered with the priest sprinkling its blood seven times toward the tabernacle’s entrance (later this occurred at the temple in Jerusalem). The entire carcass (hide, entrails and meat) was then burned on a wood pyre. Into the fire were tossed cedar wood, hyssop and a scarlet thread. The ashes were then divided into three portion: one part was kept in a secure place on the Mount of Olives (during the second temple period), one part was kept in the area immediately outside the wall of the temple courtyard, and one part was divided among the priests throughout the land of Israel to be used, as needed, in purifying the people (Mishnah Parah 3:11). The ashes to be used in the temple service were then mixed with fresh water (in Jerusalem, from the Pool of Siloam), and then called “waters of separation” (meyi nidah; nidah means “impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart, ceremonial impurity”), and were ritually sprinkled over something or someone that was impure. Numbers 19:9 states that the waters of sprinkling were for purification. The Hebrew word for purification is chatat, which according to some rabbinic interpreters is a reference to a sin offering (Ibid.). Others disagree arguing that the plain (pashat) meaning of the text does not speak of the red heifer atoning for sin (see Rashi’s commentary on this verse). This is an interesting debate, but regardless of what the Jewish sages think, the ritual of the red heifer shows striking parallels to Yeshua’s salvific work at the cross, as we discuss below.
The crucifixion implications of the red heifer were not missed by the Jewish-Christian scholar Alfred Edersheim. He links the Yom Kippur scapegoat, which was to remove the personal guilt of the Israelites (Lev 16), with the red heifer, which was to take away the defilement of death that stood between man and Elohim, with the “living bird,” dipped in “the water and the blood,” and then “let loose in the field” at the purification from leprosy (Lev 14:1–7), which symbolized the living death of personal sinfulness, were all, either wholly offered, or in their essentials completely outside the sanctuary. He then observes that the Old Testament sanctuary had no real provision for spiritual wants to which they symbolically pointed; their removal lay outside its sanctuary and beyond its symbols (The Temple and Its Ministry, pp. 280–281). This is why Yeshua had to be sacrificed outside of the temple area. Additionally, he had to be the sacrifice for sin outside of the temple area (Heb 13:12), which symbolized the shekinah or divine presence of YHVH. This speaks of the fact that the Father looked away, turned his back on and forsook Yeshua while he bore the sins of the world on his shoulders (Isa 53:4–6; Matt 27:46).
The writer of Hebrews understood the greater implications of the red heifer as it pointed to Yeshua when he wrote:
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and various washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Messiah being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? And for this cause he is the mediator of the renewed covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Heb 9:11–15, emphasis added)
Eighteenth-century Christian commentator, Matthew Henry, asks why does the Torah make a corpse a defiling thing? He answers that it is because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes signified the merits of Messiah’s perfect sin-free life, so the running water signified the power and grace of the blessed Spirit, who is compared to rivers of living water; and it is by his work that the righteousness of Messiah is applied to us for our cleansing (Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 137, Moody).
The Rituals of the Red Heifer Sacrifice Related to Yeshua’s Atoning Work at the Cross
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. Interestingly, scarlet or red is also associated with such things as Santa Claus and Christmas (both have pagan origins), the devil, whorehouses, the whore of Babylon, the religious robes of some Christian clergy and some Buddhist monks.
Red is 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 covered in his own sacrificial blood while hanging on the cross.
Burning the cow represents the death and suffering of Messiah on the cross and Elohim’s fiery judgment against sin.
More care was exercised in choosing a spotless cow than in any other sacrifice. This spotless purity represents Messiah Yeshua, the perfect sacrifice.
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:
- Abel’s sacrifice
- Isaac on Mount Moriah and the ram caught in the thorns
- The Paschel Lamb
- The two goats offered at Yom Kippur
- The Angel or Messenger of YHVH at the burning bush
- Various burnt offerings and other sacrifices
- Aaron’s rod that budded
- Water from the rock in the wilderness
- The serpent on the pole
- The tree thrown into the bitter waters making them sweet and drinkable
The red cow had borne no yoke. 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. During the first and second temple eras, the red heifer was slain on the Mount of Olives by the priests. The Mount of Olives is located just east of the Temple Mount and outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem (see The Pentateuch/Numbers, p. 329, by Samson R. Hirsch). Messiah Yeshua was sacrificed outside of the city gates of Jerusalem (Heb 13:12) and very possibly, 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 the crucifixion (Matt 27:51, 54; Mark 15:38–39).
The heifer was totally burnt. Messiah suffered the burning pain of the cross in body, soul and spirit (Isa 53) to atone for man’s sin.
Into the burnt offering fire went three things: cedar, hyssop and scarlet.
The cedar tree grows tall, imposing and wide symbolizing haughtiness and loftiness of a 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). This points to the cross, which was made of wood.
Hyssop speaks to the idea 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).
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.”
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 was YHVH’s judgment against the sins of lashon hara (the evil use of the tongue), greed, pride and jealously.
In Numbers 19:9 we read that the ashes of the red heifer when mixed with water was used as “a purification for sin.” Interestingly, the main cleansing ingredient in soap is lye, which can be made by straining water through a bucket of ashes. To make the conventional soap with which we are all familiar, other ingredients are added to lye water such as animal or vegetable fat to give it a functional form, as well as perfumes and skin conditioning agents and additional ingredients to make the soap to lather. Lye water by itself is a caustic cleaning agent that purifies and disinfects. What a beautiful picture the red heifer and its ashes are of Yeshua’s blood that was shed on the cross to cleanse us from sin.
You would think that all human beings globally will see this to be the ultimate message of change is coming in our lifetime. It’s already been here since August 28 2018, with the birth of the red neifer in Israel GraceLicausi
From a biblical perspective, what do you see as the great spiritual significance of the red heifer as it relates to the end times disciple of Yeshua? Can you give me some Bible verses to back this up?
Further reading is needed on this. Yeshua is not the Red Heifer. The Red Heifer is a female. The main reason Abba said a Red Heifer is because a Heifer only becomes a Heifer at this age of 2. Anything before this age is considered a calf. Something that was shown to me and has given me such bad grief to the point almost had a heart attack is that it is a woman and many people will not believe. I had known of it by intuition for a long time, and had said so many times, but in the last few months started to really doubt it. Then very recently I was shown the real meaning of Leviticus 12. 7 days of impurity for a male child equals 1 week, which is symbolically the age of the sacrifice of a male animal for sins – followed by 33 days of purification, which is a hint that the Messiah will die and resurrect when he is 33 years of age. Guess what! For the birth of a female child is 2 weeks, which equates to the 2 years of age of the red heifer. So many beautiful people will be barred from entering because for generation upon generation it has been taught that Yeshua was once and for all and it was finished! Everyone forgets about the fact that there was an Eve also in the garden that needs to be replaced by a 2nd. When I was shown this it removed my doubts along with other scripture hidden in plain sight that alludes to this. But it still grieves me because just like with Messiah, if countless people don’t accept this, they will die in their Torahless sin. Because the Red Heifer is a Torah commandment for both Israel and the stranger living among them! She cleanses for the dead body (golden calf, idols, false beliefs.) False beliefs have been going on for so long. Long after Yeshua died and resurrected even until today! His blood doesn’t cleanse for this. It cleanses for sin. We all have been exposed to the dead body and effected by it in some way or another. I think this may be a big part of why so many beautiful workers for the love of HaShem and Messiah will be left outside and Messiah will say depart from me I do not know you, you workers of lawlessness! It will look like a heresy to a lot of otherwise wonderful people. Please don’t dismiss what I am saying out of hand, but humbly pray and ask HaShem.
Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here. You bring up some interesting points.
We will have to agree to disagree that the red heifer is not a picture of Yeshua just because the heifer was a female. The writer of Hebrews, to my understanding, connects Yeshua to the red heifer and its altar in Hebrew 13:12–13. He was crucified outside the camp/tabernacle/Jerusalem in the spot across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives just east of the Eastern Gate of the temple mount platform where the altar of the red heifer was located. I cannot overlook the biblical and historical truth of this fact.
Next, I’m not sure what you mean when you say, “So many beautiful people will be barred from entering because for generation upon generation it has been taught that Yeshua was once and for all and it was finished!” Yeshua’s last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” Then the writer of Hebrew says in two places that Yeshua died once and for all for the sins of the people (all sin, not some sin; see Heb 7:27 and 10:10–12). Now you’re saying that he didn’t die for all of our sins. If he didn’t die for certain of our sins, then how are atoned for these sins? The Bible shows no other way for sins to be atoned so that we can come into the presence of the Father.
Moreover, it is questionable the Yeshua died in his 33rd year. Yes, he started his ministry when he was thirty, but there is now ample evidence to suggest that his ministry lasted for only one year, not 3.5 years. So this is a debatable point as well.
For me the big caution flag about what you are suggesting is that Yeshua didn’t cleanse us from everything. Look, the red heifer was for purifying for sin (Num 19:9). Not some sin, but all sin. This points to Yeshua on the cross as the writer of Hebrews states.
Moreover, the gender of the red heifer is irrelevant. There are many symbols in the Bible that point to spiritual realities where there is not a one-to-one correlation from the literal or p’shat meaning of the text to the allegorical or d’rash meaning of the text. For example, Scripture likens Israel to be both man and woman as well as virgin and a whore and a child and children, plus a fig tree and an olive tree and a grape vine. Furthermore, the Bible likens Yeshua to goat, sheep, dove, bull, heifer, door, rock, lion, a star, a son, a YHVH Elohim, a warrior and a lamb to the slaughter, a bridegroom, a shepherd and even a serpent (!!) on and on. Many of these concepts are antithetical in the literal or natural sense, but in the spiritual domaine, they ware all pieces in a large spiritual or cosmic puzzle that when put together and we think outside the box in a multidimensional level make sense at the higher spirit level.
So, can we agree to disagree on this without being disagreeable?
Blessings to you in Messiah Yeshua.
Had some further thoughts on this as I finally found peace about this. First wanted to mention shouldn’t dismiss the age thing as regardless whether it was 3 years as per John or 1 year of ministry that Yeshua had, it doesn’t necessarily mean he had to be exactly 30 when he started. It says he was “about” 30 years of age. could have been closer to 31 or even 32 when he started and ended up 33 years of age when he passed & then rose again. It doesn’t have to be quite so exacting as there is no exact recording of it. But my thinking regarding the Red Heifer has changed. I realize that the temple was destroyed in AD 70 and it could be that it was only a few years after Yeshua’s mother Miriam/Mary died. That would account for both the taking away of sacrifices for all animals being replaced by them both. And the reason for the double age is that a mother necessarily has to be older than the son to give birth. 🙂 So it seems it was Yeshua and his mother that replaced all sacrifices. There is nothing mentioned about her afterward other than John was to take care of her, and he must have left Israel after her death that ended up with him being in Patmos. Whether believed or not, do hope that people will consider it anyway because I feel this isn’t something I just made up, I believe it was revealed to me. It is eye opening and makes me appreciate even more the Torah because even the mundane things I am reading in it now like this weeks Torah portion has me wondering what is the meaning and purpose of some of the details I don’t understand of Aaron’s Garments, and everything else that seems mundane to read. The details and repetitiveness that are there, are there for a purpose. May more glimpses such as these be revealed to us to open all our hearts and minds. Shalom all. <3
You say,” So it seems it was Yeshua and his mother that replaced all sacrifices.” Are you saying that Mary, like Yeshua, replaced the sacrificial system? Or stated another way, that the sacrificial pointed to both Mary and Yeshua? Or stated otherwise, that Mary’s death helped atone for our sins? I hope this is not what you’re suggesting!
Gosh I do appreciate your answering! I have really been upset about this. You have no idea! I don’t doubt Hebrews says a lot of things. And I don’t dismiss what you are saying either. It would be a load off my mind to believe you are right. But there is also a very real possibility that Not all from the NT times saw the whole staircase. That more is being shown to people now because we are living the times mentioned. There are other hints. For instance Lot’s wife, while also can be taught to be a bad thing we should be careful of, she can also be a foreshadow of this. Sodom was full of dead people (figuratively & literally) and she can be viewed as cleansing Lot & her daughters. 2. Judges 11:29-31 The Message (MSG) (Just grabbed this from search)
Jephthah made a vow before GOD: “If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I’ll give to GOD whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites—I’ll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering.” – Since many homes in that time had a lower a chamber made for animals, Abba could have caused one of Jephthah’s animals to be the first to come out the door, but it was his daughter instead. #3 is just a hint: Judges 14:18 “And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? **And he said unto them, If ye had not PLOWED MY HEIFER, ye had not found out my riddle.** – His wife was a gentile and wasn’t the sort to be a Red Heifer, but still this is a sort of hint pointing to this because this seems to be the common expression in those times showing that Abba did spiritual things according to human understanding. The book of Queen Esther itself I believe is similarly a hidden story of the Red Heifer with Queen Vashti/Esther being one in the same in similarity to Joseph’s Baker/Wine Bearer. To me Modern Queen Esther is not only pleading for the Jews, she is pleading for Jews, Northern Tribe & the daughter of it’s people. Something so many Jews are not really doing today. Everyone is just waiting in anticipation mainly. When the Northern & Southern kingdom separated to become two, it was no longer one nation, it was considered a multi-national Adam & Eve. Northern Kingdom is the Eve and Yehudah is Adam. This was why Northern got the Certificate of Divorce, but Southern Kingdom did not. (This shows how woman can be divorced from, button the other way around.) Northern Kingdom, while some are known today, (probably seeing only most of the first fruits of them) they are yet to come back to being one with Judah. Abba does a new thing “A woman encompasses a man”. Israel will not be Israel without the ones Jacob said: 16may the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and May THEY BE CALLED BY MY NAME and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land.” – Usually when a woman marries, she takes on the Man’s name, but in this case it is the other way around. Israel will not fully be “Israel” until all become joined together and just like Judah has to accept Yeshua, Judah must also accept Eve on multinational scale. Not only the ones they can identify in Afghanistan and other countries like it. They are everywhere, we just don’t know who they all are. Other translations say for Jacob’s blessing verse is “MAY MY NAME LIVE ON IN THEM” or “IN THEM LET MY NAME BE CARRIED ON.” Anyway thanks much again. If you find some things that I missed please point them out. I really prefer to be wrong. But also please share this with people either way because everyone needs to make up their own minds. If I am right, I hope more come to realize this. We want all the souls we can get to be part of the family.
Thank you for this wonderful information.
Sincerely, Ester M Andrade