In early Aug. 2019, four stories broke that, if true, indicate that Israel is edging closer to rebuilding the Temple, resuming the animal sacrifices, etc.
If you don’t know about the ashes of the Red Heifer, I wrote an article for Rapture Ready several years ago that you might want to read (go to raptureready.com; scroll down to the bottom of the page; type “Red Heifer” in the search window; click; look for “Red Heifer by Daymond Duck,” and click).
First, the Jews can’t rebuild the Temple and resume the animal sacrifices without the ashes of a sacrificed, unblemished red heifer (Num. 19:1-22).
The Jews have gone to great lengths to raise an unblemished red heifer, and there have been reports that they now have one and perhaps more.
Anyway, on Aug. 7, 2019, it was reported that Jewish priests are practicing the rituals that are necessary for sacrificing a red heifer.
These priests want to make sure that they follow every jot and tittle of God’s instructions and that they have enough ashes to purify all of the Jewish people.
Their practice includes sacrificing real cows because they now believe that they are close to a real opportunity to rebuild the Temple.
Second, on Aug. 5, 2019, it was reported that two Jews visited a very important rabbi in Israel (in late July) with a question from Pres. Trump, “When will the Messiah arrive?”
According to the report, there are many skeptics, but it added that some Jews believe that Pres. Trump will play a role in the rebuilding of the Temple.
They said Gentiles (the Romans) destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D., so Gentiles must participate in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
They added that Gentiles need to make amends for what they have done.
According to them, Pres. Trump made partial amends when he moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and he can complete the process by opening the door for Israel to rebuild the Temple.
The Jews will construct the Temple, but they need the participation of Gentiles.
The stated purpose of the two Jews visiting the rabbi was to get the rabbi’s opinion on when the Messiah will appear so Pres. Trump will know how much time he has to act.
The rabbi didn’t give a clear answer to the question (no one but God knows).
I honestly don’t know what to think about this article, but if Pres. Trump is going to get involved in rebuilding the Temple, I suspect it needs to be before he leaves office.
Third, it is common knowledge to religious Jews that several disasters have happened to Israel on the Ninth of Av (the ninth day of the fifth month on the Jewish religious calendar).
The ten spies returned from the Promised Land in unbelief on the Ninth of Av, resulting in the Jews having to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, both Temples were destroyed on the Ninth of Av, etc. (for more examples, google Tisha B’Av).
For this reason, the Ninth of Av is a day of mourning (a day of disaster) in Israel.
Anyway, the Temple Institute (the group that is making the clothing for the priests, the furniture for the Temple, etc.) recently released a video calling upon the Jews to stop focusing on the disasters of the past and to start focusing on the promises of the future (a rebuilt Temple, the coming of Messiah, redemption for Israel, peace on earth and hope for the world, etc.).
According to the Temple Institute, the Temple Mount has been in the hands of Israel for more than 50 years, and it is time to turn the day of mourning over past events into a day of rejoicing over future events.
Fourth, early morning visitors to the Temple Mount have been seeing a group of ten or so wild foxes.
This is very unusual because foxes usually hang out in deserted areas, but Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are anything but deserted areas.
It is also very unusual because this is the month of Av, and it is customary for the Jews to publicly read Jeremiah’s book of Lamentations on the Ninth of Av.
There are five chapters in Jeremiah’s book of Lamentations, and chapter 5 verse 18 talks about foxes walking upon the Temple Mount because Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed and there was no Temple on the Temple Mount.
Also, there is a story about foxes on the Temple Mount in the Jewish Talmud (a collection of Jewish writings; Makkot 24b).
The Talmud story says four rabbis visited the Temple Mount and saw foxes near the place where the Holy of Holies was located when there was a Temple.
Three of the rabbis cried at the sight of the foxes, but the fourth rabbi laughed.
He said the prophet Micah foretold the destruction of Jerusalem (Mic. 3:12) and the prophet Zechariah foretold the restoration of Jerusalem (Zech. 8:1-15).
He declared that the prophecy of Micah had proven to be true, so the prophecy of Zechariah would prove to be true.
The foxes on the Temple Mount in the month of Av and the verse in Lam. 5:18 are a reminder that the sin of the Jews angered God and brought on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
But God’s grace and mercy will ultimately prevail over His anger, and Jerusalem and the Temple will be rebuilt.
This is the point: Is it a coincidence that several foxes have appeared contrary to their nature in a highly traveled place in Jerusalem at a time when Jews read Scripture about foxes on the Temple Mount, and there is a story in the Jewish Talmud that ties it to the restoration of Jerusalem?
I am just naïve enough to believe that God inspired the Scriptures, He knows the future, and He may be using foxes to tell us something.
There is too much going on for all of this to be coincidence.
This is why some rabbis believe foxes were originally a sign of the Temple’s destruction and, in the future, they would be a sign of the Temple’s construction.
FYI: Here is a link to a very short video that you may want to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6PzT8vEvYPg
Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com