Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Red Heifer Ceremony

Red Heifer Ceremony

Recently, a listener asked me about the red heifer sacrifice—what is its significance? We find the instructions for this ceremony in Numbers chapter 19:

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and offal. The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them” (vv. 1–10 NIV84).

We must first recognize that this ceremony is symbolism, theater—an acted-out object lesson—to teach reality. The requirement of this ceremonial law was to teach us the reality of design law, but the true lesson is learned only when one decodes the symbols.

Symbols are used to teach. When you see the word “tree,” you are not actually seeing a tree; you are seeing a symbolic representation of a tree. The letters in this blog are symbols put together into words that represent concepts, ideas, and objective realities, but the words are not the reality. So, too, the symbols of the sanctuary system are designed to teach reality. There is nothing magical going on; nothing in the ceremony had any power to save sinners or cleanse them from sin—any more than reading the word “justification” or “atonement” has any power to save. The entire ceremonial system was simply representative and designed to teach reality. As the writer of Hebrews wrote:

The gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. … But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (9:9, 10–10:3, 4 NIV84, emphasis mine).

Why did God use ceremonial symbols at that time? Because the people had just come out of slavery, and it is doubtful that the majority of them were as well educated as Moses was. It is likely that most didn’t know how to read and write. (The schools of the prophets had not been established yet.) And even for those who did, Moses hadn’t yet written the first five books of the Bible, and even when He did write them, they didn’t have mass media; they didn’t have printing presses; so it would have been difficult for them to get a copy of the Bible and study it in their homes. But they could all watch and participate in ceremonies and rituals designed to teach eternal truths.

If we want to understand the message God sent through these ceremonies, then all we need to do is accurately decode the symbols of that ceremonial language.

Decoding the Symbols

  • The red heifer, as the sacrificial animal, represents Jesus. Red represents sin (Isaiah 1:18). Thus, the overall ceremony is symbolic of Jesus becoming sin for us, even though He knew no sin, so that we can become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  • The heifer had to be without defect or blemish as Jesus was without sin or defect.
  • The heifer had to have never been under a yoke as Jesus was never controlled by sinful man, and Jesus was not obligated to sacrifice Himself, but gave His life freely.
  • Eleazer represents the priesthood of believers (Aaron was still the high priest at this time) who go into the world to minister the gospel, to do the work of God, but in that work come into contact with evil. Thus, Eleazer needed to wash before returning to the camp. In the same way, when we do the work of God, we will come into contact with evil in the world. We will see and hear things that are repugnant to a righteous heart and mind; we will be tempted by abuse, injustice, and deception to harbor hurt, bitterness, resentment, anger, and other un-Christlike attitudes toward our enemies. Therefore, we are to daily be bathed in the waters of the Holy Spirit, truth and love, to wash away hurt, bitterness, resentment, confusion, tricks, and deceits and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (Titus 3:5).
  • The sacrifice was outside the camp representing how Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem and that the sacrifice was for the entire world, not just those inside the camp.
  • Eleazer sprinkled the blood seven times toward the sanctuary; seven is symbolic of completion and/or perfection in spiritual things. The blood represents the sinless life of Jesus. The tent represents the way, means, method, system, plan, process whereby God restores sinners back to at-one-ment with Him. In other words, it is through Jesus, His sinless life and sacrificial death, that God takes sinners from the world and brings them back into perfection and unity with Him.
  • The entire sacrifice (red heifer) was to be burned and turned to ash, which symbolizes Jesus’ work to burn out all defects of sin when He became sin and, thereby, destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:10).
  • Cedar, hyssop, and scarlet wool were the items used in the ceremony to cleanse lepers. Leprosy was a symbol of sin. Leprosy does not cause direct tissue destruction but takes away the ability to feel pain so that a person touching a hot stove doesn’t pull back until they smell flesh burning. This is an accurate representation of sin, which sears the conscience and makes us insensitive to sinful choices that destroy the soul. Thus, these items are symbolic of being cleansed from sin. The scarlet wool represents the sin Jesus took upon Himself as our substitutionary Savior as well as His blood/life sacrificed to cleanse us from sin; the cedar and hyssop were believed to have healing properties and, therefore, represent God’s healing power to cure us of sin. Cedar was symbolic of fragrant incorruption—when something dies, it decays and stinks; thus, cedar symbolizes the opposite: incorruption, beauty, perfection, and health; and hyssop is symbolic of purification, what is necessary to be purified. As David prayed in Psalm 51:7, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean.”
  • The ashes from this ceremony were collected and mixed with water to create the water for their ceremonial cleansing rituals. Again, there was nothing magical about the water. They were not chlorinating it to disinfect or decontaminate it of actual pathogens. The water was symbolic of the water of life that comes from God through Jesus and is applied by the Holy Spirit—the truth and love of God that cleanse us from fear and selfishness.

The red heifer sacrifice is symbolic of Jesus becoming our sin-bearing Savior and dying to destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil, to destroy death and bring life and immortality to light, to destroy the devil’s work and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (Hebrews 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 3:8)..

 

 

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 53

I was so blessed by a friend who gave me your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” while I was sitting in church asking God to please help me learn more about Him and help me not to be so confused and scared. That was about 2 years ago. Your books have helped me to love God even more. I’m not confused or scared anymore! I have listened to all of your bible study classes and feel like I know the wonderful people that attend every week. Thank you for all that you’re doing in spreading the true message about God and His law of love. God bless you and your whole class.

Elssy P., Modesto, CA, USA

 

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa