#842

No Holy Cow For You!

Holy Cow!

That phrase has been used and popularized by sports broadcasters to show emotion about plays in games and generally is used in society in much the same way. But where did it originate from? According to one article, it can mean a whole host of things:

The exclamation “holy cow” is a familiar utterance in English, often used to express surprise or astonishment. Despite its widespread use, the origins of this phrase are multifaceted and have been the subject of various interpretations. This article delves into the diverse theories surrounding the inception of “holy cow,” examines its earliest recorded appearances, and considers imaginative perspectives on its evolution … One prevalent theory posits that “holy cow” originates from the sacred status of cows in Hinduism. In Hindu culture, cows are venerated and often considered sacred beings. The use of “holy cow” as an exclamation may have been influenced by Western awareness of this cultural reverence, serving as a respectful yet emphatic expression of surprise.

Of course it used in place of more course phrases to avoid words frowned upon in the general public:

Another perspective suggests that “holy cow” functions as a minced oath—a euphemistic expression used to avoid profane language. In this context, “cow” may substitute for a more sacred or sensitive term, allowing speakers to convey strong emotions without resorting to blasphemy.

But it’s that use Hindu reference that I’m settling on for now. You see there are holy cows in Israel right now that are still turning heads.

A Little Background

In a video I posted on March 9 of 2024 I looked at the five red heifers or cows that were sent to Israel from Texas. These heifers were seen as one of the last things needed for the third Jewish Temple. You see a red heifer is needed because it’s ashes are needed for the purification process of the temple. In a CBN article we read this:

The book of Numbers explains that ashes of the red heifer are used to purify priests for their service in the Temple:  

"Now, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come.  You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him … its offal shall be burned … for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.’” (Numbers 19:1-5) 

These red heifers are now between 1 ½ and 2 years old. To replicate the ceremony mentioned in the Bible, they need to be at least 3 years old. And within that time span, they cannot have a blemish or anything that would disqualify them for the ceremony, even one white or black hair.   

According to those working on the project, the ceremony of the red heifer needs to be performed on the Mount of Olives, and in a place that would have looked directly into where the Temple stood. The land directly east of the Temple Mount, purchased 12 years ago, meets both of those standards.   

As I reported, these red heifers were known to be living since September of 2020 and were provided to Israel by Byron Stinson from Boneh Israel who found them on a farm in Texas. Five of them fit the initial criteria and were delivered to Israel. It started a waiting game to see if any of the red heifers would be without blemish. If one of the heifers was without blemish then it would have been that the offering described could happen as early as Passover of 2024. Stinson said this back then:

So we believe that it's very likely that the ceremony would happen somewhere in the area of Passover, 2024, out to the possibility of Shavuot, 2024,” Stinson said. “Somewhere in that timeline, the cows would be old enough and it would be the proper timeline for that ceremony.”

Rabbi Mamo agrees:

 Rabbi Mamo recalled the writings of the Jewish sage Maimonides, who counted nine red heifers from Moses to the time of the Second Temple.    

“It’s not his way to write, but suddenly he said that the tenth (heifer) will make the (coming of) Messiah,” he said. “So maybe – not maybe, we know – that the Messiah will make the tenth.  Maybe we have the privilege to be one of these people that help the Messiah to do it. That's it. So, we're waiting.”

Unfortunately one of the five did develop some white hairs so we were down to four cows, but that would have been enough as we read in an article from allisraelnews.com:

Last month, the journalist tweeted about an experiment conducted by Bar Ilan University Prof. Zohar Amar who attempted to determine how many people could be ritually purified by one red heifer.

In the study, Prof. Amar said that one red heifer would provide enough ashes to purify 660 billion purifications.

That Was Then

The waiting game to see if any of the remaining four red heifers would be suitable apparently hit a major snag as we’re told in another CBN.com article:

The quest for the perfect red heifer—a requirement for the purification rites of the Third Temple—has hit yet another roadblock.

Rabbi Azariah Ariel, leading the Temple Institute’s Red Heifer Project, recently shared an update, stating, “At this moment, it is unclear whether we have in our possession in Israel a red heifer that is verifiably kosher and suited for the ceremony.”

The article restated what we already know about the high standards for the red heifer:

This announcement is significant, as it indicates that the long-awaited ritual purification process for rebuilding the Temple may be postponed by several years. The stringent biblical requirements for the red heifer, found in Numbers 19, demand that the cow be entirely red, free from blemishes and have never carried a burden. Even a few stray white hairs can disqualify it.

And all of the heifers are now disqualified:

Rabbi Ariel explained that the five red heifers brought from America, though initially meeting these standards, “began to grow white hairs.” This means a new group of calves must be bred, raised and inspected over time before any purification rites can proceed.

Which could lead us to ironically exclaim “holy cow!” because they aren’t holy cows anymore. So it’s back to the drawing board for this part of the coming Jewish temple:

According to Israel365 News, Rabbi Ariel noted that Temple consciousness is strengthening in the public and that even Muslims are noticing the growing interest in rebuilding the Temple. However, he also admitted that “It is taking us a bit longer to internalize what we are required to do at this time.”

A Little More Perspective

In another video I posted, this one on April 27th of 2024 we need to pump the brakes on seeing that next temple being built. Yes, I know it brings us closer to seeing more end times Bible prophecy being fulfilled, but it is hardly good news for Jews. In that video I wrote this:

Making a Deal With The Devil

You see, the seven-year treaty that the antichrist makes with Israel actually starts the Tribulation, a time when conditions for earth will be horrendous. Do I need to detail all the suffering, pain, and death that will occur then? Jesus refer to it as the worst time in all of history, so bad that if He didn’t end it with His second coming, no one would survive. And as for the Jews, well, they will be thinking that they are going to miss it because they actually will believe that the son of perdition will honor his word and leave them alone. On top of that they will also believe that they are in the good graces of God by once again letting the blood of sacrificed animals cover their sins. Do I need to make it worse? Going back to the article in ariel.org we read this:

The covenant is made specifically between Israel and the Antichrist. In the Bible, it is never called a peace covenant, although it will be a covenant that will guarantee Israel's military security. It is because the leadership of Israel will put their trust in this covenant and in the Antichrist, who pretends to be their friend, and not in the God of Israel, that the signing of this covenant will trigger the tribulation. Only in the middle of the seven-year period, when the covenant is broken, will the leadership of Israel finally recognize the true nature of the one with whom they signed the covenant.

God will use the Tribulation to bring His people back to Him which will happen as they see Jesus return in all His glory and set His feet on the Mount of Olives, which is a very good thing, but all the things that happen up until that moment are hardly the things we’d wish on anyone. When the antichrist turns on Israel, Jesus tells them to run to the mountains as it will be open season on Jews. The Beast will hunt down all Jews like he was already doing to Christians and anyone opposing his reign of terror and only God Himself will protect them. Now are you seeing why celebrating the building of the third temple is not the best of things to do?

So seeing Bible prophecy get closer to being fulfilled is a good thing overall, but for the Jews, they will be going farther away from accepting Jesus as their ultimate sacrifice. On the one hand we do want to find the red heifers they need. But on the other hand, praying and being jubilant about it is another thing altogether. And the hunt for red heifers goes on.