I know many in the Church like me. have been looking to make sense of why Mexico has occupied the minds of Saints in the Church for so many years. I feel I have found answers that “just make sense.” I know wonderful Lamanites are found in many places of North and South America, but I feel the main events spoken of in the Book of Mormon happened in the Heartland of North America.
I have researched and studied and found secondary evidences about the Book of Mormon in North America. My testimony is based on solid spiritual confirmation of this Church and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I am not trying to prove my point or to prove anyone wrong. It is fine with me for others to believe Book of Mormon geography happened in Central America, and there are those who really don’t care either way. I have been trying for over 40 years to find the other Cumorah somewhere in Central America and I had become complacent as I had never found any answers. In about 2011, I learned what an Indian Mound was, and how hundreds of thousands of these ancient mounds existed during the Nephite time period. Since then I have been a believer that The Book of Mormon events happened in the Heartland of North America. There are hundreds of thousands of ancient mounds, fortifications, cities, and artifacts all over the United States that I have researched. I know there are Lamanites in Central America and in other countries, but they are not necessarily the ones spoken of in the Book of Mormon time frame. The Book of Mormon only contains a fraction of the history of the Promised Land Lehites. But, I believe that small fraction of history speaks about Lehi, and Nephi, and Alma, and Mormon as they lived and fought in these United States.
Why does the geography matter? Why does our current Book of Mormon have over 500 references to geography, if it is not important? Think of that question if we are speaking about Israel. Does it matter where the Savior was born, or where the Biblical events happened? Yes. At Mount Moriah where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, the Lord made a special covenant with Abraham. The land around Mt Moriah was a covenant land and God’s people were given that covenant land as long as they are righteous. However, if they disobey the commandments, God’s people will be swept off that sacred land. The Jews, Muslims, and Christians fight over control over this one piece of land why? Because it is a beautiful piece of real estate or it has choice resources? No, because it is a covenant land. All three religions say Mt Moriah is sacred to them and they are willing to die over it. Talk about the importance of one piece of real estate. What is so special about the United States of America? All three religions today are also willing to die for this great land of America.
In the same token what is the Promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon? According to the Book of Mormon this Promised land must meet certain requirements to be the Promised Land. 1. No Kings upon the land 2. Land choice above all other lands 3. Land of Liberty 4. Land where sacred record is kept 5. Land kept from the knowledge of other nations. 6. Land of the New Jerusalem 7. Gentiles to scatter and afflict the Remnant. 8. The place where the Marvelous Work and Wonder happened. These are only 8 of 36 prophesies and promises in the Book of Mormon so it makes sense to me that the USA is the Promised Land. Not Canada, Mexico, England, or South America.
Just as Israel is a Promised Land forever, so the USA is a Promised Land forever and it does matter where this Promised Land is located. It is in the Heartland of North America. The Nephites practiced the Law of Moses. To do this they needed the following plants and animals to keep the Law. Sheep, Rams, Goats, Bullocks, Doves, Wheat, Barley, and Wine. None of these animals or items are found anywhere in Mesoamerica during the Nephites times, only in the USA. So, the land and where things happen is critical to us and especially to the Lord.
As a Latter-day Saint I have always been intrigued with my brothers and sisters from the Tribe of Judah. I have always known that what they teach their families is important. I have always respected how they live their lives. This is why I enjoy learning more about the Law of Moses and the Jewish faith. I believe as the Israeli Prime Minister said, “The remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States has always been above politics. It must always remain above politics. Because America and Israel, we share a common destiny, the destiny of promised lands that cherish freedom and offer hope. Israel is grateful for the support of American — of America’s people…” Benjamin Netanyahu’s Speech to U.S. Congress MARCH 3, 2015
With the Old Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem as the only promised lands, I enjoy learning about how they relate with one another. There is no doubt in my mind of where the two Jerusalem’s are, because the Lord Himself tells us in 3 Nephi 29.
Independence, MO
“And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.” 3 Nephi 20:22
Jerusalem, Israel
“And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father.” 3 Nephi 20:29
A Red Heifer in the Law of Moses
“The Second Coming of Jesus Christ cannot occur until the Third Temple is constructed in Jerusalem, which requires the appearance of a red heifer born in Israel” Wikipedia
“The red heifer (Hebrew: פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה; para adumma) (female cow which is never pregnant or milked or yoked), also known as the red cow, was a cow brought to the priests as a sacrifice according to the Torah, and its ashes were used for the ritual purification of Tum’at HaMet (“the impurity of the dead”), that is, an Israelite who had come into contact with a corpse….
The existence of a red heifer that conforms with all of the rigid requirements imposed by halakha (Jewish law and jurisprudence, based on the Talmud), is a biological anomaly. The animal must be entirely of one color, and there is a series of tests listed by the rabbis to ensure this; for instance, the hair of the cow must be absolutely straight (to ensure that the cow had not previously been yoked, as this is a disqualifier). According to Jewish tradition, only nine red heifers were actually slaughtered in the period extending from Moses to the destruction of the Second Temple. Mishnah Parah recounts them, stating that Moses prepared the first, Ezra the second, Simon the Just and Yochanan the High Priest prepared two each, and Elioenai ben HaQayaph, Hanameel the Egyptian, and Yishmael ben Pi’avi prepared one each.
The extreme rarity of the animal, combined with the detailed ritual in which it is used, have given the red heifer special status in Jewish tradition. It is cited as the prime example of a ḥok, or biblical law for which there is no apparent logic. Because the state of ritual purity obtained through the ashes of a red heifer is a necessary prerequisite for participating in Temple service, efforts have been made in modern times by Jews wishing for biblical ritual purity (see tumah and taharah) and in anticipation of the building of the Third Temple to locate a red heifer and recreate the ritual. However, multiple candidates have been disqualified….
The non-canonical Epistle of Barnabas (8:1) explicitly equates the red heifer with Jesus. In the New Testament, the phrases “without the gate” (Hebrews 13:12) and “without the camp” (Numbers 19:3, Hebrews 13:13) have been taken to be not only an identification of Jesus with the red heifer, but an indication as to the location of the crucifixion.[19]
Some believe that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ cannot occur until the Third Temple is constructed in Jerusalem, which requires the appearance of a red heifer born in Israel.” Wikipedia.
“The priest symbolizes Christ because he takes upon himself the ritual impurities of man“
The Law of the Red Heifer: A Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ
by Mélbourne O’Banion
“The law of the red heifer, found in the book of Numbers, chapter 19, is one of the most significant and yet least understood sacrificial laws in the Old Testament.
This law, which governs the purification of those who become ritually unclean by contact with a corpse, was given to the children of Israel to be a “perpetual statute unto them” (Num. 19:21), and, like all other sacrifices, to ultimately point them to the Messiah.
Four Torah laws cannot be explained by human reason
Jewish tradition teaches that only Moses knew the full meaning of this chukkat, or law, which must be obeyed even though not understood. The Midrash says of chukim, “Four Torah laws cannot be explained by human reason, but being divine, demand implicit obedience: to marry one’s brother’s widow (Deut. 25:5), not to mingle wool and linen in a garment (Deut. 22:11), to perform the rite of the scapegoat (Lev. 16:26, 34), and to perform the rite of the red cow (Num. 19).”(1) Even the wise and venerable King Solomon purportedly said, ”All these I have comprehended,” speaking of ordinances, “but as regards the section dealing with the Red Heifer, I have investigated and inquired and examined: ‘I said: I will get wisdom; but it was far from me’ ” See Jacob 4:14.(2)
Those who desire to grasp the true meaning of this commandment will know by study and also by faith that the law of the red heifer is a powerful symbol of Jesus Christ. In Christ was this law fulfilled, and only through Christ may we become clean and conquer death, just as only through the ashes of the red heifer could the children of Israel become ritually clean following contact with a corpse.
This paper will show that the law of the red heifer is a type and shadow of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s requirements for the sacrifice of the heifer will be carefully analyzed, as will the requirements that symbolize Christ and his ultimate sacrifice.
The breadth and depth of symbolism that point to Christ in this law are too great to be coincidental. Like all other animal sacrifices, much is found in the sacrifice of the red heifer that corroborates with Jesus Christ’s divinity and his culminating atonement for all mankind.
Background of the Sacrifice
The Lord commanded Moses to have the children of Israel bring forth a red heifer “without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke” (Num. 19:2). The heifer was to cleanse Israel from Levitical defilement (defilement from the dead) and proved a unique sacrifice for several reasons. This sacrifice, unlike other sin offerings, was a sacrifice made once for all the children of Israel (at least as long as its ashes lasted), (3) was wholly burnt, and was performed outside the camp or sanctuary.
Seven days before the sacrifice, the priest chosen to perform the rite (usually the eldest son of the high priest) (4) remained in the temple and was daily sprinkled with the ashes of a previously sacrificed red heifer. (5) On the day of the sacrifice, the priest, wearing his white priestly raiment, would lead the red heifer outside the camp to the “appointed place,” or sacrificial altar, where the elders of Israel would already be waiting. The priest would then place the heifer into an opening in the pile of wood made from cedar, pine, and fig trees, whereupon the priest would bind the red heifer with its face looking to the west (toward the temple) and slay
it with his right hand while catching some of its blood in his left. (6) He then dipped his finger into the blood and sprinkled it seven times directly toward the Most Holy Place of the temple. After this, the priest kindled the fire and placed cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet into the midst of the burning fire. A clean priest would then take up the burnt remains and deposit them outside the camp (incidentally, the priest who sacrificed the heifer became unclean because of the sacrifice).? Then, when the ashes were needed for riLual purification, some of them were placed in a vessel, mixed with spring water, and, together with hyssop, sprinkled on those unclean on the third and seventh days after their contact with the dead.
Functional Typology
The function of the red heifer was to atone for the greatest defilement according to Jewish law: death. According to the rabbis, the highest form of ritual impurity was contact with a corpse. (9) As Edersheim writes, From all these provisions it is evident that as death carried with it the greatest defilement, so the sin-offering for its purification was in itself and in it consequences the most marked. And its application must have been so frequently necessary in every family and circle of acquaintances that the great truths connected with it were constantly kept in view of the people. In
general, the laws in regard to defilement were primarily intended as symbols of spiritual truths, and not for social, nor yet sanitary purposes, though such results would also flow from them. Sin had rendered fellowship with God impossible; sin was death, and had wrought deatl1, and the dead body as well as the spiritually dead soul were the evidence of its sway. (l0) Clearly, the purpose of the law of the red heifer was to purify
those who had become ritually unclean through contact with death and allow them back into the presence of God, or into his temple-in other words, to take away the defilement of death that stood between God and man.
This principle of reconciling man to God is also the primary purpose of Christ’s atonement. Only in and through Christ can man be made clean and again enter into the presence of God. Without the Atonement “all mankind would have been endlessly lost” (Mosiah 16:4) and “must unavoidably perish” (Alma 34:9), for “there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Ne. 2:8).
Both the priest who offers the sacrifice and the unclean person made clean illustrate the symbolic functionality between the law of the red heifer and Christ. Rabbis have deliberated for centuries concerning the irony of this sacrifice, especially since those who were once impure are made pure, while those who were pure to begin with (the priest and the attendants) become impure by participating in the ritual. They admit the reasons for this transferal of ritual cleanliness are beyond their comprehension.(11) One who sees the priest in the correct way understands the typology the priest symbolizes Christ because he takes upon himself the ritual impurities of man and thereby becomes unclean himself. As in many of the sacrifices in the Old Testament, both the sacrifice and the priest symbolize Christ….
Conclusion
Like all sacrifices in ancient Israel, the sacrifice of the red heifer is a powerful type of Christ, offering us many insights into Christ’s intercession for all mankind. The function, location, and elements of the law of the red heifer all point to the Savior, teaching and testifying of his power to reconcile man to God and overcome the effects of sin and death. Because of the permanent propitiation made by Christ on our behalf, we can enter boldly “into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say,
his flesh …. [Therefore] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-22). Only through the blood of our Savior, even Jesus Christ, may we overcome death, enter the presence of God, and dwell with the Lord forever. The Law of the Red Heifer: A Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ Mélbourne O’Banion
Full Article here:
CALYPSE COW
APOCALYPSE COW
First ‘red heifer’ born in Israel for 2,000 years triggers Armageddon fears after Christian and Jewish holy books say it will ‘bring the end of the world’
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem said the calf underwent “extensive examination by experts” Harvey Sullivan 10 Sep 2018, 10:55
A BIBLE prophecy predicting the end of days is feared to come true after the first ‘red heifer in 2,000 years’ was born in Israel.
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announced the calf’s birth on YouTube, saying it would undergo “extensive examination” to determine if it is red all over.
If the female baby cow is found to be “blemish free”, the Institute will declare that the calf “brings the promise of reinstating Biblical purity to the world”.
In both Christianity and Judaism, the red heifer is central to the prediction about the “end of times”.
After sacrificing the red cow, construction can begin on the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
The Temple Institute and other groups worldwide were set up with the goal of building the Third Temple on Mount Moriah, or on the Temple Mount.
THE END OF DAYS
The red heifer (also known as the red cow) was a cow brought to priests for sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible.
Jewish and Christian fundamentalists believe that once a red heifer is born they will be able to rebuild the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
But in order to do this, they would have to demolish what stands on the hill today – the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy temple.
In mainstream Orthodox Judaism, once the Temple is rebuilt the world will welcome the coming of the Jewish Messiah.
Humanity will then face the Last Judgment. Everyone who was moral and believed in God will have the privilege of having their name written in the Book of Life.
Everyone whose name isn’t in there will be “cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 21:8)
But some theologians say the building of the Third Temple is linked to ‘Judgement Day’ or the “end of times”.
This apocalyptic event will bring what Christians call “the rapture” – where all Christian believers (living and dead) will rise into the sky and join Christ.
The fate of non-believers isn’t quite so promising. For them the rapture means everlasting punishment of their souls in hell.
Rabbi Chain Richman, director of the Institute, believes the time is ripe to build the Third Temple, following the birth of the red heifer.
The video shows the calf with its mother, proclaiming: “A perfectly red heifer was born in the land of Israel.”
After its birth, the calf has been examined extensively by “rabbinical experts” who confirmed she is a “viable candidate for the Biblical red heifer”.
But the cow could be disqualified due to “natural causes”.
The Temple Institute founded a Raise a Red Heifer in Israel program three years ago.
They have since hoped to breed a perfectly red cow with the imported frozen embryos of red angus cows what are then implanted into domestic cows.
A board of rabbis have verified the cow fulfils the requirements of the prophecy, reports Breaking Israel News.
Red Heifer Found in West Virginia
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz
“This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come.” Numbers 19:2 (The Israel Bible™)
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A retiree in West Virginia has discovered a red heifer, and by all appearances, the young and unique cow is suitable to clear the path for service in the Third Temple to begin.
Bill Shuff, a retired civil engineer from West Virginia, discovered the distinctive calf among a group of three his son had purchased. Two of the calves were young bulls and had ear tags. The third, a young heifer without an identifying ear-tag, caught Shuff’s eye because of its distinctive red coloring. Shuff learned about the Biblical commandment of the red heifer from Bible study at his interdenominational church and he immediately thought of these teachings when he saw the calf.
“I don’t know all the laws, but when I saw the heifer, I remembered it and wondered if this could be it,” Shuff told Breaking Israel News. There are no synagogues in his area and he did not know of any rabbis to consult, so Shuff contacted Breaking Israel News, sending images of the heifer.
“I would be thrilled if this could be used. I hope and pray the Temple will be rebuilt,” Shuff said. “It’s a very Christian thing, a House of Prayer for all Nations.”
The female calf, the product of a union between a female Red Angus and a Red Seminole male, was born last July. No patches of non-red color can be seen nor has she been bred, either of which would have disqualified the heifer. Also, the young bovine does not have an identifying ear-tag. Most calves bred in commercial farms have numbered tags clipped onto their ears in a process similar to the one used on humans for jewelry. This creates a hole in the ear, which is considered a blemish that disqualifies the heifer for Temple service.
The red heifer was used in Temple times to purify Jews from impurity caused by contact with or coming in the vicinity of a dead body. The ritual involved in creating the ashes from the red heifer is considered the most esoteric and inexplicable of all the Torah commandments. Because the elements needed for this ceremony have been lacking since the destruction of the Second Temple, all Jews today are considered ritually impure for this reason, thereby preventing the return of the Temple service. Red Heifer’s that fulfill all of the requirements are exceedingly rare and during the 1,000 years the two Temples stood in Jerusalem, only nine red heifers were used. According to Jewish tradition, the tenth red heifer will be used to usher in the Messiah.
His son was planning on breeding the young heifer, but Huff has urged him to wait until the cow’s status can be ascertained by rabbinic authorities. Breeding the heifer would render it unfit for use in the purification ceremony.
Last week, a similar red heifer was discovered by a Chabad rabbi in Baja, Mexico, though that red heifer had an ear-tag and seemed not to fulfill the requirements for Temple service.
