I'm extremely busy today, so I'm only going in on this one thread with some more related to what I said last night.
I'm worried that some might mistake what I said here:
I just think it's significant that there are four. And 4 is the Biblical number of completion. There was 5 but one disqualified. 5 is the number of grace. Now there are 4. Completion of the age of grace?
I MUST explain further.
I'm not meaning this as a prophecy hidden in the cows for the church. NOT AT ALL. This is not an indicator for us of the Rapture.
WHAT IT MIGHT BE IS A SIGN TO THE JEWS and here is why I think so.
The Jews added the Talmud to equal or come near to their Bible- the Old Testament as we call it. This is similar to the Catholics adding the Pope's pronouncements to equal the Bible such as their doctrine of the Assumption of Mary, the Immaculate Conception of Mary and many other blasphemies that set aside the Bible in favour of some Pope.
The Talmud is a series of writings of Jewish rabbis and sages (some good, some bad) including people like Gamaliel who taught Saul, later our Paul). Sort of like a glorified set of commentaries that the people began to equate with scripture. JUST LIKE THE POPES did. NOT to be taken as Scripture but they do, and therefore they've added to scripture just as the Popes did.
The Talmud was something Jesus criticized- when he spoke of putting weights on the people this was a reference.
HERE IS WHERE I"M GOING WITH THIS
IN THE TALMUD (remember this IS NOT THE BIBLE - it is a set of Jewish writings of rabbis and sages down thru the years from the Babylonian captivity onward) that modern religious Jews count on par or near par to the Bible.
IN THE TALMUD they speak of a teaching they attribute to Elijah that divides all time into these 4 periods:
The Age of Chaos - from Adam to ABRAHAM. About 2000 years. This didn't end at Noah and the Flood but at THE CALL OF ABRAHAM
The Age of Torah (the Law) which they counted not from Moses but from God's call to Abraham and it was supposed to extend about 2 thousand years. That is significant because that dates to the beginning of the Jewish people and points directly to the time of Christ.
THE AGE OF GRACE- YES THAT IS WHAT THEY CALLED IT and it was supposed to last 2 THOUSAND YEARS!
THEN A 1000 YEAR AGE OF MESSIAH
This teaching was set aside and ignored once Christ came and left just as they've set aside Isaiah 53 which is forbidden to all but the rabbis and even they are given a strict set of guides to interpret that clearly Messianic passage. Just as they do with the numbering of time given in Daniel to the time of Messiah which they say never happened, was set aside due to their unbelief.
SO BY THEIR OWN TEACHINGS they realize this era we are living in is on the cusp of the AGE OF MESSIAH (and we are just bordering on finishing what they should know of as the Age of Grace).
Here's why I think 4 Heifers (and a Fifth who was disqualified) might be a sign to the Jews to WAKE UP- hidden in plain sight.
In all the years they've been trying for a red cow, and I've been watching, it's been hilarious. Usually only 1 or at most 2 qualify and there's always a lot of hoopla in those circles PLUS in those in Christianity who realize this is a necessary step towards the consecration and purification of any new Temple building.
I get a chuckle out of the inevitable disqualifiers. I have to say the best one to date was the one that stayed perfect till she got pregnant. YUP, they had her sequestered away, no bull could get near her, but one day she just was pregnant. I made a lot of bad jokes at that time and I still love it because nobody could figure out how a bull got near her, let alone get her pregnant. But you know- God's in charge people, GOD IS IN CHARGE
And I kept saying, this will happen till one day it doesn't.
I still say that. If all 4 of these get disqualified before the sacrifice this Passover or something delays the sacrifice -- SING IT WITH ME HERE: GOD IS IN CHARGE
BUT IF THESE 4 still Qualify and IF THEY are sacrificed.
THEN ACCORDING to the Biblical use of numbers which they use in the same way
4 is the number of COMPLETION
5 is the number of GRACE
There were originally 5 Red Heifers (Grace)
Then one disqualified.
NOW THERE ARE FOUR (COMPLETION)
RIGHT AT THE TIME they should read as near the end of the Age of Grace and before the Age of Messiah according to THEIR TALMUD
and that is NOT a sign for us, that is a sign for them to read.
Their OWN TALMUDIC understanding of 7 days of history (1000 years each) divided up as 3 ages of 2000 years which adds up to 6000 years (Age of Chaos, Age of the Law and the Age of Grace) and then the Age of Messiah, the 7th and final age, lasting 1000 years. The last 2K period was known as the Age of Grace.
Most Jews are blissfully unaware of the teaching that I refer to, it's hidden in the enormous pile of things written in their Talmud, but it's attributed to Elijah and it's one of the things like Isaiah 53 and Daniels clear set of numbers pointing to the exact day he rode into Jerusalem, on what we call Palm Sunday.
So to reiterate.
THIS is NOT A SIGN FOR US, this is a sign for the Jews, the ones who are listening and aware of their own teachings, a sign that the Messianic age (the final "day" of 1000 years, the millennial reign that stands for the Sabbath Day of Rest in the days of the week) IS NEAR TO HAND.
IT is simply saying TO THE JEWS: LOOK, the day of Messiah is coming.
Whether or not these cows continue unblemished and perfect for sacrifice, whether any or all of them are actually sacrificed, this was interesting to see. It may turn out to be nothing and
we carry on waiting for the Rapture A SIGN LESS EVENT
SO WE DON'T LOOK AT THESE COWS or their numerical significance, or the time they appeared as a sign to us. We know the time we are in and we have the Word of GOD in the New Testament to guide us.
But for the Jews who require a sign, it may well be a sign.
I'll close with this passage from 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25 and look at verse 22 especially
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
I hope that helps clarify- we are not to look for cows but for the one they typify, OUR sacrificial lamb Christ Jesus who died to set us free from the law of sin and death, whose sacrifice, once for all time is SUFFICIENT.
Maranatha, even so come Lord Jesus.