Ahira's Hangar

Ok. I have read two science fiction/fantasy books in the past year where religious fundies (in one book it is Christians in the other it is Jews) are trying to breed and/or genetically create a pure red heifer (a young female cow - as a young female horse is called a filly) with a perfect body.

Both groups seem to think that the birth and eventual ritual sacrifice of said animal at the Temple site in Jeruselum, will force the Messiah (though the two groups would interpret said figure in very different ways) to return to Earth/reveal Himself.

Where can the prophesies about the red cow be found? Are they generally believed by most Jews and/or Christians? (I know I have never heard of this at any time in any church service I have attended, though that means very little -and I also have as little to do with fundie Christianity as I humanly can, so if this is a belief followed/taught in fundamentalist churches I have not been exposed to it).

Do many people think that the birth of the cow to be a sign of the coming of a Messiah - or a way to force God's hand, so to speak?

I'm super exhausted today, so I hope this post makes sense. Please also note that I am not intending to pick on anyone's religious beliefs here.This post is intended purely to solicit information about said prophecies, that I have not heard of until the two novels in question. I am simply curious.


edited for spelling, though I am sure I have still not caught all of the errors.

This is news to me. Google says it has to do with Numbers 19. But it seems to do more with rebuilding the temple than summoning Jesus.

As the people in the stories you read demand Jesus' appearance, I envision Jesus and God looking down, chuckling and shaking their heads, saying, "What are those guys thinking??" And the Father nudging Jesus with his elbow, saying, "Better get down there! They control you now!"

Observant Jusdaism teaches that in every generation there is a human born who has the potential of being the Messiah. S/he is a normal mortal being, at least until HaShem decides the Messiah's time has come. The Messiah will build the third Temple (I think Chr-stianity says it will be the anti-Chr-st who does it? I don't know), so if the red heifer has to do with signs of the temple being rebuilt, I don't think it will signify anything until the true Messiah is revealed.

Menolly, I have heard that it is a Jewish belief that there is a potential Messiah born in each generation - but what is HaShem?

So the red cow is a potential sign only, of the rebuilding of the Temple, and not a way to force the Messiah to come forth?

It was the way the two groups thought they could force the Messiah to step out publicly/come to Earth (the Christians thought it would be Jesus coming, the Jews thought it would be that generation's potential Messiah, whom they had probably just executed anyway) that had my head sort of spinning.

(The other characters in the books thought these groups were crazy extremists, by the way).

First I ever heard of it.

--A