Temple Institute starts a red heifer breeding project
StatusHappened
Many Christians who read prophecy in the futurist way expect a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem before Christ returns. Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place" (), and Paul of one who "as God sitteth in the temple of God" (). The Law of Moses requires "a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke" () for the rite of purification, so these interpreters watch the search for such an animal closely. A breeding programme in Israel using imported embryos shows that, for the people involved, the Temple is not only a hope but a practical project.
Happened. In 2015 the Times of Israel reported that the Temple Institute was importing frozen Red Angus embryos, at about NIS 3,000 each, with "about a 30 percent success rate". Its first calves were "completely red", but "they weren't red heifers. They were red bulls." Commercial blemishes such as ear tags disqualify an animal. Rabbi Chaim Richman explained: "Our motivation for doing this is the same motivation for keeping Shabbat."
Explore the counterarguments
The project is a deliberate effort by people who want to see the Temple rebuilt, so whatever it achieves is brought about by those acting on the texts and cannot count as independent fulfilment of prophecy. Many Christians also read the Temple prophecies differently: they see Jesus' words about the Temple fulfilled in the Jewish War and the Temple's fall in 70 CE, and on that reading no rebuilt Temple is required.