" . . . until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." ~ D&C 13:1 (Also see: 3 Nephi 24:2-4, D&C 124:39, D&C 128:24, JS-History 1:69)

Putting to bed the dismissable variance of heifer and bullock. Ephraim's ensign or banner is said to be a bullock, yet in Hosea 10:11 it is stated that Ephraim is as an heifer, not a bullock. And many so associate the 'red heifer' symbolism with Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, there neither Abraham or Isaac is female, yet the paralleled sacrifice of the 'red heifer' is that of a female 'cow' that has not yet born a calf. Just where one may think they need to distinguish the 'male' or 'female' sacrifice may be so comparable as to assertain which do 'cowboys' herd? Herein a 'cow' is a 'cow', heifer or bullock and the parallels of representation do not concern itself with is the 'red heifer Jesus Christ' male or female. The heifer represents Christ and the ox or heifer are both 'cows' just as cowboys herd all cattle alike. Those who concern themselves with such detail may ask themselves are they defending 'same gender' in their wake? Here it is of no such issue. Bolvine is cattle just as cows are cattle, irrespective of gender. And the red heifer, golden calf, ox of Ephraim and Jesus Christ are all paralled and representative of the same in Christ of Jesus' sacrifice in all their perspectives AND Christ is male irrespective of heifer, bullock, calf or ox. Such distinguishments may well have been in part the sin of Israel in the worship of the golden calf and rather so focusing on the 'cow' rather than upon Jehovah, Jesus Christ, whom it was a type of, pointing to him and none else.

Further, the representation of Jesus Christ as the 'red female heifer' is symbolic and it has a very deep seeded gospel metaphoric meaning. As it is the 'female' that births and gives life, we also are 'born of Christ' is purely the gospel sense. That is we become his sons and daughter and are born again by a spiritual birth through the power of the atonement of Christ as further represented by our outward ordinance performance of baptism, that is being born of Christ. As all parable type metaphores, if one attempt to apply too strict of an application of the details of the metaphore, then the actual meaning becomes lost in the nitty-gritty insignificant detail. The symbolism is what is important, not that Jesus become a female mother in this gospel rebirth of baptism, but that metaphorically he does have that 'type' of power in bringing forth children, sons and daughters of Christ unto the Father in a saving gospel sense of 'rebirth' spiritually with the sins being washed away by the power of his atonement.

The Red Heifer

I don't suspect that on that 15^th day of May, 1829, at the age of 23 and some months, that Joseph Smith Jr. understood much about the significance of 'The Red Heifer'. Some who choose to write about it today begin with Moses setting forth the Lord's commandments concerning the sacrifice of the red heifer in Numbers chapter 19. Others more appropriately point back to the Abraham, the Abrahamic tradition and the Abrahamic Covenant and those such sacrifices performed by Abraham particualarly including that of the offered sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. In truth such sacrifice dates back to the beginning days of Adam while in this lone and dreary earth.

Now beginning with Moses, a number of scholars count that only 8 or 9 such red heifer sacrifices have been so performed according to Numbers chapter 19 extending from Moses to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD by the Romans. And no such sacrifices have been performed since then and only that final such sacrifice associated with the third temple and the coming Messiah, is yet to be performed. According to such 'traditional' performances at Jerusalem it interestingly was so conducted outside the city wall/gate at a particular place on the Mount of Olives, which location has been tentatively located by archaelologist Yonatan Adler. Just how that so correlates with the garden of Gethsemane also on the Mount of Olives is of some speculative interest to Christians who correctly identify the 'red heifer' with Jesus Christ's atonement.

The supposed purpose the Jews present of the sacrifice of the 'red heifer' is that of cleansing those who have come in contact with a dead corpse. With only 8 to 9 such sacrifices over the period of some 1500 years or so and then none for the next 2000 years, hardly a sole has been so cleansed by the ashes of that offering. Thus it must be considered that that death cleansing was not merely that which was associated with a mortal relative, for who has not so come in contact with such dead and if not cleansed to be lost? The more universal death cleansing is that of the temporal and spiritual death brought about by Adam, 'for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, the red heifer', is all to be made alive and cleansed from this fallen second estate of mortal death both of the grave and from man's spiritual removal death from the presence of God. And this is the why and the purpose for that great last offering in conjunction with the Second Coming of the 'red heifter' to so cleanse all in that 'single day' to be so redeemed, that the salvation of the resurrection may be unto all and to all the opportunity unto exaltation in the presence of God.

What was the logic behind the golden calf which Aaron did fashion for the children of Israel? On the one hand it is give to be that calf, cow or heifer of Hathor though it can be given that the Egyptians worshiped the image of the 'cow' in a number of respects; ie: 'Apis', Greek for Hapi (Hape or Hap), the sacred bull of Memphis, 'Mnevis', Greek name for the Egyptian sacred bull Wer-mer worshipped at Heliopolis, and 'Buchis' a sacred bull worshiped at Hermothis; as well as that 'cow' figure so associated with the Goddess Hathor. In this respect it ought to be noted that in many respects the religion of the Egyptians had at one time been so corrupted from a true belief in Jehovah and the priesthood of God pretended to by Pharoah. Of parallel interest it is Apis (Hapi) the sacred bull of Memphis which is said was born of a virgin cow that had been impregnated by the god Ptah. Thus the Egyptians has parallel representations of a 'holy cow' symbol as did Israel in 'The Red Heifer'.

Of a particular not however it was Moses who pointed out that the Egyptians would find an abomination in Israel's sacrifice to Jehovah and that Israel therefore must need remove themself from Egypt to so perform their sacrifice. This is considered to the actual sacrifice of the 'bull' as Egypt held it sacred and Israel would offer it as a sacrifice (Exodus 8:25-27). It would seem that where Israel saw in the heifer a mean and symbol to the end of the actual God Jehovah, the Egyptians had corrupted the imagery to the extent of the actual worship of the bull, thus the means of representation becoming the end in it self as the object of worship.

Here one ought to consider the perdicament that Aaron found himself in. Moses had been gone for a goodly amount of time and the people came to Aaron, Moses' spokesman with the demand that he produce for them a 'God Image'. In respect to the sacrifices which Israel had so performed upon leaving Jerusalem, Aaron knew of one image which was a type of the God Jehovah and the sacrifice he would make. That image type of Jehovah was the 'heifer', that which the Egyptians would have protested if they had observed Israel sacrificing such to their God Jehovah. Aaron appears to have select just that image to point Israel to God in what he made. And though it was not Aaron's intent that the children of Israel were to bow down and worship the calf itself, having been so long among the Egyptians, that is just what the children of Israel did. They seized upon the 'type' as the means representing what Christ's mission would be and foresook the end being of God himself and worshipped instead the reminder object, the bull itself rather than understanding what it did represent. This would not be an unique occurance in Israel. In the days of King Hezekiah, the Jews would once again begin to worship that which point to Christ and King Hezekiah would have to destroy it, and that was the image of the brazen serpent which was also but a representation of the Messiah and not a god in and of it self (2 Kings 18:4). You see, the sin was not in the 'Golden Calf', which Aaron likely meant but to point unto Jehovah; but in the fact that the calf became an idol of worship in and of itself. And the children of Israel began to worship the calf even as they had observed the Egyptians so worship the calf in Egypt. Further in such discussions which defend Aaron's integrity in designing and making a molten calf and organizing a worship service thence with it being involved (Exodus 32), it is said that Aaron's intent was not that the calf was God, but a symbol pointing to God or even a representation of the 'throne' of God, that upon which God would be set upon. This may add significance to the concept that it was upon the back of Ephraim which the Messiah would be raised up upon, inferring further that Messiah would be the heir of the firstborn of Israel, that is Ephraim and/or Joseph; the 'calf' or 'ox' being the symbol of the tribe of Ephraim. And it might be considered that other than Joshua who was with Moses upon the mount, it was the leaders of the tribe of Ephraim who persuaded Aaron to so craft such a symbolic representation as the calf in such represnting God to come of the tribe of Ephraim.

Now Aaron would not be the only one in Israel to so form a 'golden heifer' for Israel to look unto as an 'image of God'. The king so selected by a prophet of God unto Israel, Jeroboam, would likewise so institue such images in the Kingdom of Israel and perhaps for not so pure of an intent as was Aaron's. Yet acheaologies have found in the land of Samaria such inscriptions as referring to the 'calf of Jehovah', and it would seem that they had retained in their 'calf worship' the concept that the 'calf was of Jehovah'. (Eislen, Lewis and Downey have mentioned in passing a 'potsherd' found in Samaria inscribed 'Egeliah' which means in Hebrew "bull-calf of Yah" ~ "heifer of Jehovah'. The Baalistic worship of the actual 'cow' is the sin and corruption taken from such as the sacrifice of the 'bull heifer' unto God Jehovah as a representation pointing unto Christ.

In respect to the 'molten calf' which Aaron did fashion as an image type of Christ, Aaron did build an altar for the sacrifice of oxen, the 'peace offering' (Exodus 24:5-8) in remembrance of the God Jehovah. But the people were in their offerings but offerings unto the golden calf itself and they began to 'play' before it even as the Egyptians before their heifer god in Egypt (Exodus 32:4-10).

Ironically, whereas the 'golden calf' of Aaron efforts failed in pointing Isreal to their God as the image of the 'heifer of atoning sacrifice' upon the mount of olives, it would be Moses in Numbers 21 who would there raise up a 'brasen serpent' symbolizing the lifting up of the Messiah upon the cross.

At this point consideration ought to be given to the fact that the 'Ensign', that is the 'banner' raised of the tribe of Ephraim, is in fact the bull heifer. In Israel, as organized by Moses, each 'man of the children of Israel was to pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of his father's house (Numbers 2:2). And the engsin of Ephraim, that tribal father in Israel, was bullock 'cow' or ox of the sacrifice of the peace offering, (Exodus 24:5) and more specifically that of the 'red heifer' (Numbers 19). In these latter-days it is Ephraim's covenant responsibility to carry the Ensign before the world, to gather Israel and to fulfill the covenant of Abraham unto the blessing of all the nations of the earth. What is that ensign, to what or whom is Israel to be gather and what is it that will bless the nations of the earth? Is it not Christ and his restored gospel which will so bless the nations of the world and to which Israel is to be gathered? The ensign of Ephraim is the ox of the peace offering even extending itself unto that representation of Jesus Christ which will redeem the whole earth and provide the way that man may be saved in him. In this Christ is the sacrifical ox of Ephraim and only in and through him may man be redeemed and gain exaltation. And of that ensign Isaiah chapter 11 does state that it 'shall stand for an ensign of the people and that the Gentiles will seek it as well as all the earth to come unto his rest which shall be glorious (see Isaiah 11:10-16).

And concering that blessing unto Joseph through Ephraim's 'fruit of his loins' it states in the JST:

"For thou hast prevailed, and thy father's house hath bowed down unto thee, even as it was shown unto thee, before thou was sold into Egypt by the hands of thy brether; wherefore thy brethern shall bown down unto thee, from generation to generation, unto the fruit of thy loins for ever; For thou shalt be a light unto my people, to deliver them in the days of their captivity, from bondage; and to bring salvation unto them, when they are altogether bowed down under sin." ~ JST Genesis 48:10-11

And now again, it is unto the latter-day gathering that man will be redeemed from being so bound by sin to being altogether bowed down under it. And it is that fruit of Joseph's loins through his son Ephraim, even Jesus Christ whom Isreal will bow down to for ever. And that salvation is in Christ, the very image of the ensign of Ephraim, the ox of the peace offering, unto all the world raised in fulfillment of the blessing of the nations of the earth according to the covenant of Abraham, and also of those promises that were made unto all the fathers including Noah, Enoch and even Adam from the beginning. Yes every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ and worship him for ever more, Amen. (see: Romans 14:10-11, Philippians 2:10-11, Mosiah 16:1, Mosiah 27:31, D&C 76:110, and D&C 88:104)

That which logically ties and makes sense of it all, is that Christ's atoning sacrifice was represented by the 'red heifer', it was unto Christ who Aaron intended that Israel should see in his golden calf, and it was but the favored coming of the Messiah ben Ephraim that the heifer ensign of Ephraim did represent and point to. That is the heifer in all things did so correctly in truth represent Jesus Christ. Yet the idol worship of the heifer in and of itself and not as type image pointing to Christ, was the sin which Israel would founder in. And herein ought to be a lesson unto the latter-day saints. "The Ensign of Ephraim is Jesus Christ."

The four creatures, man, eagle, lion and ox; represent four aspects of Christ Jesus. The aspect of the lion of Judah is well known and accepted, for he is Messiah ben David. The aspect of the ox of Ephraim is not so well understood but rest assured in this aspect Christ is Messiah ben Ephraim. Perhaps as man, Christ stands as that Son of Man, even that Man of Holiness, God the Father of Spirits. Thus in these three aspects Christ is of the blood linage of Judah through Mary, of the divine linage of God the Father as the first begotten in the spirit and the only begotten in the flesh, and of the linage of the covenant of Ephraim by the law of God as Obed was the legal and rightful heir of the covenant of the house of Ephraim by being raised up to the dead and of the house and lineage of Mahlon, Elimelech, even the son of Naomi, those Ephrathites of Bethlem. As to the aspect of the eagle, that is not a topic of this text, nor understood well by it. But one might look unto that 'born again' baptism, for even of Christ was it so in order to 'fulfill all righteousness'. And that birth of baptism was not only of water but of the spirit, that eagle of the spirit unto the sanctification of man unto exaltation of becoming even as God is, which is life eternal being even beyond immortality. It is the 'eagle' which is without beginning or end, that eternal thing which must come even before one's birth of the other Fathers and continues on beyond into all eternity to come.