Church of God News

Another ‘red heifer’ seemingly disqualified, a temple push, and a tent


COGwriter

There are more concerns about the latest possible red heifer and where this will lead. Notice:

July 1, 2026

Former Fox News host and current podcaster Tucker Carlson claimed that the moment had arrived for Jews to tear down the Dome of the Rock and rebuild the Third Temple.

That is a great deal of alarm about a cow, and it would dissolve instantly if any of them had actually read the text.

The red heifer ritual is in Numbers 19. A completely red cow, unblemished, never yoked, is slaughtered and burned outside the camp. Its ashes are mixed with water and sprinkled on anyone ritually impure from contact with the dead, restoring their ability to enter the Temple. …

The mainstream position across virtually every major Jewish legal authority is that the Temple is not a human military project. It is not built by force and won’t be brought about by the existence of red heifers living in Israel. Rather, the Temple comes with the Messiah—and not before. https://www.jns.org/opinion/rabbi-daniel-rowe/what-owens-fuentes-and-carlson-got-wrong-about-the-red-heifer-war

Israel365 News posted the following:

It’s time: Red Heifer organization calls for national Temple movement

June 30, 2026

A red heifer born last month in the hills of the Galilee, sired by imported American semen and born to a black-coated mother, has reignited a coordinated national campaign among Israeli rabbis, breeders, and educators to restore the lost laws of ritual purity to the Jewish people. The campaign arrives at a moment when public appetite for Temple-related preparation appears to be surging: a recent survey found 55 percent of Israeli Jews now support rebuilding the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount, and a report published this week put the number of men enrolled in Temple service training at 150,000, out of a planned 200,000. “This is not a private event or private issue,” declared Yehuda Ben Tzvi, head of programming at the Mikdash Educational Center, in an interview with Joseph Good of Hatikva Ministries. The calf, he announced, is only one piece of a six-point national strategy the organization has spent the past year building, one Ben Tzvi insists must become “a national historical event” rather than the work of a small circle of activists. …

On Sunday, Israel365 News published an editorial by Yosef Eitan reporting that the government has quietly called for training 200,000 men in the procedures of Temple service, with 150,000 already enrolled. The Israeli government itself has not formally endorsed the broader Temple movement, but the figures Eitan cited suggest the Israeli public increasingly has. …

The calf has been named Tamima, meaning whole or unblemished. “We named her Tamima in a prayer that she will remain Tamim, whole, both in body and in redness of her coat,” Ben Tzvi said. … “Once its temple is built, the circles can resound. Once we’ve made the inner circle, it can stand to the outer circle, all creating God’s presence within the Jewish people, bringing blessing to the nations… around the world.” https://israel365news.com/419246/its-time-red-heifer-organization-calls-for-national-temple-movement/

Notice also:

June 30, 2026

A newly born red heifer in Israel is doing more than capturing headlines. It is fueling what organizers describe as a nationwide movement to prepare for the restoration of biblical Temple worship, adding fresh momentum to developments that continue to draw global attention to the prophetic significance of events unfolding in Jerusalem. …

“This is not a private event or private issue,” Yehuda Ben Tzvi, head of programming at the Mikdash Educational Center, said during an interview with Joseph Good of Hatikva Ministries. “The calf,” he said, “is only one piece of a six-point national strategy” that “must become ‘a national historical event’” rather than the work of a small group.

For Christians, these developments carry enormous prophetic weight. Scripture reveals that a functioning Temple will once again stand in Jerusalem before the return of Jesus Christ. Every new step toward restoring Temple worship reminds us that the stage continues to be set for the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. …

The birth of another potentially qualified red heifer is more than a headline—it is another marker along the prophetic timeline laid out in Scripture. https://mycharisma.com/propheticrevival/temple-momentum-builds-new-red-heifer-ignites-national-push-toward-restoring-worship/

Let me add that as of last week, the Temple Institute said this red heifer was acceptable. Now there are some that do not agree:

Breaking: Major Red Heifer Update Sends Shockwaves Through Temple Preparations

July 1, 2026

According to a report published by The Times of Israel, the calf, named Tamima, was born last month in the Galilee after a breeding program using semen imported from the United States. Although the calf was born completely red, experts removed her ear tags shortly after birth.

Rabbi Azariah Ariel, one of Israel’s foremost Temple scholars and leader of the Temple Institute’s Red Heifer Project, determined that the calf cannot be used for the purification rite because of the resulting blemish.

The report noted that while Tamima cannot provide the ashes required for the purification ceremony, she could still play a role in future breeding efforts if she remains free of additional blemishes. https://mycharisma.com/propheticrevival/breaking-major-red-heifer-update-sends-shockwaves-through-temple-preparations/

Let me add that there was an ‘unacceptable’ red heifer sacrificed last year that some insist should count (watch The Last Red Heifer?).

While because of certain Jewish views, a red heifer looks to be prophetic, as IF another one is considered needed before the Jews will reimplement daily sacrifices, Scripture does NOT teach that a Jewish temple in Jerusalem is needed before the return of Jesus.

All the Jews really need is an altar, a tent, and some Levites, and they have all of that.

While the Temple Institute actually wants the area known as the Temple Mount to be cleared of Muslim mosques, etc. in order to build a massive ‘third temple’ (see I365: Hamas ‘striving to ignite the region during Ramadan’ says Mossad; COGwriter: Could Jesus return in 2031?), the reality is that they only need an altar and perhaps a tent. This was confirmed to me by an employee of the Temple Institute when I visited their location in Jerusalem back in October 2013.

It is also consistent with scripture.

It should be understood that the Bible itself nowhere teaches that animal sacrifices require a temple in Jerusalem. Also, the position of certain other Jewish scholars is that a physical temple, while helpful, is NOT required.

Until Solomon built the first temple (1 Kings 6:14), the Bible shows that the Jews sacrificed on altars. David, Solomon’s father, for example sacrificed on an altar (2 Samuel 24:25), as did Aaron and his descendants (Exodus 20:24; Leviticus 1:10-11).  And prior to all of that, Abel (Genesis 4:4), Noah (Genesis 8:20), Abraham (Genesis 22:9-13), and others sacrificed animals to God.

So for over 3,000 years, animal sacrifices were offered without a Jewish temple.

Even after the first Jerusalem temple was destroyed and left in ruins, the Bible itself specifically shows that sacrifices were made in the time of Ezra BEFORE the second temple was ready:

6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. (Ezra 3:6)

One may argue that since it takes the participation of Jewish religious leaders in order for Jewish animal sacrifices to be resumed in the 21st century, that the above scripture is a moot point.

And it might be if there were no Jewish religious leaders that thought that they could not sacrifice without a temple.

Yet the fact is, that although they are in the minority, there are significant numbers of Jewish religious leaders who are intent on starting animal sacrifices as soon as possible. And these Jewish leaders do not believe that they have to wait in order for a temple to rebuilt in order to do so.

Related to some of that, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:58

Temple Institute, Heifers, Hamas, and a Tent

In March 2024, the Temple Institute recently pointed out that how God blessed the Sabbath, He also blessed the construction of a tent tabernacle. They pointed out progress from the ancient Israelites. Should Christians be making spiritual progress each year before Passover? The Temple institute has stated that the area called ‘the Temple Mount’ needs to be cleared of Muslim mosques, etc. so that a ‘third temple’ can be built. It also claims that it has four thriving red heifers, one of which it wants to sacrifice before the implementation of regular animal sacrifices. Has Hamas claimed that the existence and possible use of a red heifer was a factor in its attack in Israel on October 7, 2023? Does the Temple Institute believe it must have a massive temple in order for sacrifices to resume? Or is having a priesthood, an altar, and a tent enough? What does the Sanhedrin say about that? Did Ezra write that animal sacrifices were made after the first temple was destroyed, but before the second temple was started? Is that believed by numerous modern Jewish rabbis and scholars? Does the Bible teach that regular animal sacrifices will be resumed? Could there be any relationship to the stopping of them and the return of Jesus? Is the day of Jesus’ coming getting much closer? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Temple Institute, Heifers, Hamas, and a Tent.

The Sanhedrin, the Temple Institute, and some other groups keep taking steps aligning with properly understood end time biblical prophecies about this

For formal clarification of the position of Jewish leaders, I contacted the reconstituted Sanhedrin back in 2008 and asked why it felt that sacrifices could be started before a temple is rebuilt.

The response I received was:

Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander wrote:

רמב”ם, מעשה הקרבנות, פרק יט , הלכה טז והלכה יז:

טז [טו] מִי שֶׁשָּׁחַט קֳדָשִׁים בַּזְּמָן הַזֶּה, וְהֶעֱלָה חוּץ לָעֲזָרָה–חַיָּב: מִפְּנֵי שְׁהוּא רָאוּי לִקָּרֵב בִּפְנִים–שֶׁהֲרֵי מֻתָּר לְהַקְרִיב, אַף עַל פִּי שְׁאֵין בַּיִת, שֶׁקְּדֻשָּׁה רִאשׁוֹנָה קִדְּשָׁה לְשָׁעָתָהּ וְקִדְּשָׁה לָעֲתִיד לָבוֹא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
יז [טז] הַשּׁוֹחֵט קָדְשֵׁי גּוֹיִים בַּחוּץ, חַיָּב; וְכֵן הַמַּעֲלֶה אוֹתָן בַּחוּץ. וְהַגּוֹיִים מֻתָּרִין לְהַקְרִיב עוֹלוֹת לַה’, בְּכָל מָקוֹם–וְהוּא, שֶׁיַּקְרִיבוּ בַּבָּמָה שֶׁיִּבְנוּ. וְאָסוּר לְסַיְּעָן, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁלִיחוּתָן–שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱסַר עָלֵינוּ לְהַקְרִיב בַּחוּץ; וּמֻתָּר לְהוֹרוֹת לָהֶם, וּלְלַמְּדָם הֵיאַךְ יַקְרִיבוּ לְשֵׁם הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

Translation:

Hichot Maasei HaKorbanot [The Procedures of Offering Sacrifices]

Chapter 19

Paragraph 17:

He who slaughters a Sacrifice in this period [when we have no Temple], and offered the sacrifice outside the Azara [the alloted area of the Temple] – is culpable, because the offering must be performed in the Azara, SINCE IT IS PERMITTED TO PERFORM SACRIFICES despite having no Temple, since the sanctity of the Temple is eternal.

Paragraph 18:

He who slaughters the sacrifice of a gentile outside the Azara is culpable, as is one who performs the offering. NON JEWS are permitted to offer burnt-offerings anywhere, on an alkter which they built. Jews may not help them in the performance of this sacrifice, since Jews may not offer sacrifices outside the Azara. But we may instruct them and teach them how to perform sacrificesto the ASlmighty God, Blessed be He.

Additionally, it is worth noting that on 5766, Rabbi Benyamin Fuss published a 445 page book on Sacrifices of non-jews, of which the text proper is of 372 pages [the rest are indices, etc.] called Torat Habamah: Regarding sacrifices on an Altar outside the Temple. (Email from the Sanhedrin webmaster Abrahamson to Bob Thiel September 17, 2008).

So, the Sanhedrin clearly believed it did not need a third temple to sacrifice.

Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander was the English language spokesman for the nascent Sanhedrin.

The webmaster of the Sanhedrin added the following in a subsequent email to me:

This quote comes from Maimonides’ (Rambam) work the Mishneh Torah.

The nascent Sanhedrin sees itself as the continuation of rabbinic jurisprudence, and must take into account all halachic works written to date, and proceed from there. (Email from the Sanhedrin webmaster Abrahamson to Bob Thiel September 17, 2008).

Therefore, it appears to be a longstanding position of some Jewish scholars that Jewish sacrifices can be started on an altar and, as long as it is in the area of the old temple, that a physical temple is not first required.

Furthermore, I personally confirmed with a man working for the Temple Institute in their facility in Jerusalem when I visited it in 2013.

Now, the Bible does not prophesy the need for another red heifer. Why? Because the New Testament says the ashes of one are not needed for Christian redemption per Hebrews 9:13-15.

Yet, biblically, we know that the daily animal sacrifices will be re-implemented by certain Jews as the prophet Daniel was inspired to numerous times that they would be stopped:

9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”  (Daniel 8:9-14)

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering … (Daniel 9:27)

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.  (Daniel 12:11)

For these sacrifices to be stopped, they obviously must first be started. And if it takes the acceptance of a red heifer by the Jews for this to happen, then, from that perspective, a red heifer is needed.

Therefore, the red heifer matter remains something to “Watch” as Jesus indicated in Mark 13:37.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to three related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World and Red Heifers and Antichrist? and Temple Institute, Heifers, Hamas, and a Tent. Here is a link to two videos in the Spanish language: Novillas rojas and La novilla roja y su posible implicación profetica.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages. We also have the following video in Spanish: ¿Por qué los Judíos no aceptan a Jesús?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to two sermons The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work and God’s Temple in Prophecy. And here is a version of the latter one in the Spanish: El templo de Dios en profecía.
Which Laws were Superceded? Which Remain? What about the Ten Commandments? What about the 613 regulations (called 613 Mitzvot) in the Old Testament? Which were ‘done away’? Here is a link to a related sermon video: ‘What was ‘Nailed to the Cross’? About about the 613 Mitzvot?
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!