A Perfect Red Heifer and the Rancher Who Found It

The Texas Rancher, the Red Heifer, and an Unexpected Journey of Faith

Ty Davenport’s life as a veterinarian and rancher seemed straightforward—until an extraordinary series of events unfolded, connecting his work to an ancient biblical prophecy. His ranch, steeped in generations of family history, became a central figure in the hunt for the perfect red heifer described in Numbers 19, a pivotal element in Jewish ritual purification.

A Legacy in Ranching

Cattle ranching runs in Ty’s blood.

“My father and mother were in the cattle business. And so my dad was a veterinarian, so I had a desire from the time I was a little boy to be a veterinarian also,” Ty shared.

After following in his father’s footsteps, Ty built a thriving cattle business and eventually transitioned to raising Red Angus.

This shift, however, wasn’t driven by biblical understanding at the time. “I didn’t know anything about Numbers 19. I just knew that I wanted to raise Red Angus,” he explained. What seemed like a business decision at the time would later take on profound spiritual significance.

A Divine Encounter on the Ranch

In 2021, representatives from the Temple Institute—including Byron Stinson and a leader named Rabbi Yitzak Mamo (Tsaki in English)—visited Ty’s ranch. Their mission was to find an unblemished red heifer, a requirement for purification rituals tied to Jewish prophecy.

Initially, their search was unfruitful.

“We prayed again, ‘Lord, if there’s one out here, show it to us.’ And as we were starting to leave, this mother cow steps out of the woods, and she’s got a baby calf with her,” Ty recalled.

The calf, later confirmed as a flawless red heifer, appeared at an extraordinary location.

Ty explained, “This is exactly where an evangelist had been fasting and praying for a week,” years earlier. The preacher’s visit to fast and pray had been marked by his unusual request to camp out on the ranch during a bitterly cold winter. “I said, ‘Well, you sure you don’t want to stay at the house?’ And he said, ‘No, I want to camp in the woods.’ And he chose a place to camp,” Ty recounted.

The significance of that location became clear when the heifer appeared there.

“It’s fascinating to realize that the place where he fasted and prayed was the same spot where this heifer stepped out of the woods,” Ty said.

For Ty and his family, this was a powerful reminder of God’s providence and timing.

Encounters with the Unexpected: The Muslim Connection

The search for the red heifer wasn’t Ty’s first experience with unusual spiritual encounters on his ranch. Years earlier, a group of Muslims had begun visiting the ranch during Ramadan to purchase blemish-free yearling bulls for sacrifices.

“They would come, and they’d buy, and I had more and more of them coming,” Ty said. Eventually, their requests escalated. “They came to me and said, ‘Ty, we’d like to start buying all of your bulls that don’t have a blemish, and we’ll pay market price for them. It’d be worth a couple hundred thousand dollars to you a year if you do this.’”

However, there was a catch. “They wanted to sacrifice these bulls on my property,” Ty revealed. He declined, citing concerns about the spiritual implications. “I really believe that Satan knew that these heifers were going to be coming from this ranch, and he wanted to stop that plan...because I didn’t have to think about that much at all. I was worried more about the spirits that they’d leave behind.”

After Ty’s refusal, the Muslims stopped coming. Reflecting on these events, Ty sees God’s hand at work in protecting his land for a greater purpose.

Isaiah 55:8-9: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’

A Role in Prophecy

The appearance of the red heifer on Ty’s ranch was deeply humbling for him and his family. “I was humbled and awed that, you know, we might have something that might be so important in the last days,” he said.

The events surrounding his ranch—the pastor’s prayers, the visits from the Temple Institute, and even the spiritual encounters with the Muslim buyers—have transformed how Ty views his work. What began as a family legacy in cattle ranching has now become part of a much larger spiritual narrative.

Final Thoughts

The story of Ty Davenport and the red heifers is a profound example of how God weaves together lives and events across generations to fulfill His purposes. Ty’s role as a rancher raising Red Angus cattle may have seemed ordinary, but his journey reveals God’s intricate planning. From a preacher fasting and praying on Ty’s ranch years before the red heifer calf appeared, to the visits from the Temple Institute representatives seeking to fulfill ancient prophecy, each person played a crucial role in God’s unfolding narrative. Even the unexpected encounters with Muslims seeking blemish-free bulls highlight how God’s plans often remain mysterious until the perfect moment. This story isn’t just about Ty—it’s part of the larger story of God’s covenant with the Jewish people, the restoration of Israel, and the path toward the construction of the Third Temple, and eventually, the Fourth Temple. In these moments, we glimpse the vastness of God’s plan, where every detail—down to a single red heifer—serves His purpose for redemption and glory.

Proverbs 16:9: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

When you consider all the intricate aspects of Ty's story—each unfolding in the correct order and at the perfect time—it’s undeniable that God had a specific plan for Ty, his cows, his ranch, and his personal faith. Praise God for Ty’s unwavering devotion, faith, and patience in allowing God’s plan to be fulfilled through him.