The Jewish roots of Christianity

Home » Levitt Letter » Newsletters » September 2012 Personal Letter


Highlighting: OFF ON

Myles & Katharine Weiss

Dear Friends,

The King is coming!

Here in the West, we don’t relate easily to the idea of monarchs and subjects. America began with our separation from Great Britain and King George III. We take pride in our independence. So the idea of someone—or some entity—being sovereign over us is anathema. That works for politics. However, in the spiritual world, we need to acclimate ourselves to the reality of a King and His people.

Baruch HaShem (Bless His Name), our King is the most benign, loving, attentive, and sacrificial Ruler in the universe. He is so loving that He gave His life for us. Not only that, He calls us His friends. And if that were not enough, He invites us to be His bride and live with Him forever. That is the depth of His affection.

In return, he asks us to “set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). He desires our love in return for His love for us. This love affair is an eternal bond that begins when we drink the betrothal cup (of redemption) and continues into the olam ha-ba, the world to come. We can only imagine what our assignments will be and what the wonder of “ruling and reigning” with Him will be like. It is beyond my human understanding to read a verse like Revelation 20:6—

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Does that give you chills and rattle your brain as it does mine? Yet there it is, an invitation and a promise to co-labor with the King. When we pass from death to life, we meet Him at the bema seat/judgment seat:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10).

In addition to this clear admonition against our having a critical spirit in this life, we see here a promise that God will definitely have something to say to us about our walk with Him. His assessment will affect our eternity. At this first judgment, God will assess our lives and service before Him on the Earth. The issue of our eternal locale (Heaven or Hell) is settled by our faith in Him as Messiah. What remains to be ascertained is our proximity to Him and our cosmic occupational résumé. How will we serve and in what way? That is up to Him!

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

This Christian life—our participation in the Messianic matrix—is a monarchy. We are the subjects in a Kingdom, a substantive cosmos whose Ruler is the Creator of the universe. This is not a philosophical seminar made up of equally valid viewpoints—such as “all roads lead to God … it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re a ‘good person’.” — No! One of the most shocking discoveries for those of us who blow in from “new age” seeking (there is nothing new under the sun!) is the realization that Yeshua is a real person, who lived a genuinely sinless life, and died an excruciating real death on a real cross, shedding real blood for you and me. Not a philosophy. There is nothing philosophical about crucifixion! Read a medical explanation of that form of death and you will never view it again as equal to the fantasy of Hinduism, the thought of Buddhism, or the political ideology of Islam.

The promised Messiah deigned to be born among us as a human and to pay the price for our sin. It IS the greatest story ever told. The King of creation left His throne temporarily so that we could live with Him eternally. Live, yes, and reign.3

According to Revelation 5:10, And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.

This is an issue of sovereignty! It becomes ever more essential as the news of our day continues to substantiate the truth of the Bible. Science continues to verify the prophetic Scriptures. As I often say, the headlines are catching up to the Bible; they’re catching up to the “red letters”—the words of Yeshua. His predictive words—His promises and prophecies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21—form a picture of the days leading to His coming. Are we in that day? The Word and newspaper headlines seem to say so.

Sovereignty constitutes a significant part of this story. As stated above, for some of us, bowing to a king is an unfamiliar and uncomfortable posture. Yet, that is the position we find ourselves in … bowing the knee. The question is: to whom or to what will we bow? Will we serve the “gods” of this world or the God of creation? Will we serve the enticing distractions of contemporary life or the Holy One whose Name is “above all names”? In his letter to the Philippian congregation, Rav Shaul/Apostle Paul wrote a most accurate assessment of Yeshua’s life, work, and character. Paul framed it as an exhortation to us: a prescription for how we should live our lives. In chapter 2, we see this extraordinarily poetic view:

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What a testimony to the elegant royalty of our King. Through sacrifice, He confirmed His unique qualifications as our Ruler, Leader, Shepherd, Brother, Friend, and Bridegroom. There is no one like Him!

Our response is required. We need to accept Him by faith and allow His rulership in our hearts.

Contrary to various heresies and departures from biblical truth, God really IS the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Some modern churches have fallen prey to a modified form of the Marcionite heresy. In the 2nd century A.D., Marcion “split” the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Covenant teachings. Wikipedia has a good entry about Marcionism. Be careful with this resource. We need to read it, as Moishe Rosen taught me, “with a pencil.” Bless his heart, Moishe reminded me early in my walk with Yeshua that only the Bible is infallible!

An entry on Marcion’s Wikipedia page explains: “According to Marcion, the god of the Old Testament, whom he called the Demiurge, the creator of the material universe, is a jealous tribal deity of the Jews, whose law represents legalistic reciprocal justice and who punishes mankind for its sins through suffering and death. Contrastingly, the god that Jesus professed is a universal god of compassion and love who looks upon humanity with benevolence and mercy.”

You can see the danger of this “split.” It sets up an anti-Semitic viewpoint and opens the door to Replacement Theology. The sovereign King of the Jews is the same in the Tanach (Old Testament) as in the B’rit Hadashah (New Testament). The Book is seamless. I love the story I have heard of groups who “circumcise” their Bibles. These zealots take a sharp blade and carefully remove the blank page that often sits between the end of Malachi and the beginning of Matthew in Christian Bibles. They very officiously cut away the seeming separation between the two tomes. Their point: it is one story about One God with three manifestations:

Abba, Mashiach Yeshua, v’ Ruach HaKodesh / Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The same “I Am” who appeared to Moses walks among men in the Gospels. He can be a Bush that burns without being consumed or a Rabbi whose simple response of “I am” to arresting soldiers knocks them to the ground.

He is returning as the Lion of Judah. The King is coming!

That is why we are fully engaged in preparing the Body and alerting the world about the soon-coming King. Thank you for your support in both prayers and finance to help us with the task. Please consider a monthly donation, which helps us plan this ministry’s budget. The cost of shooting HD TV on location is high, but ZLM is committed to bringing our viewers the finest drama, music, interviews, and teaching.

This month, tune in for the following TV programs. To begin with, we interview Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). He and his bright, young crew analyze the Muslim message through their media and schoolbooks. They are unsung heroes in the war on terrorists.

The following week, the founder of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, David Rubin, provides his perspective on peace and coexistence between Jews and Arabs living side by side in Israel.

You’re going to love our new series on Abraham. We introduce it by talking with a son of Ishmael—our good friend Walid Shoebat—about the promises God made in the Bible.

Depending on what network brings you Zola Levitt Presents, you may see one or both of the next two programs during September. Abraham continues into October.

The Calling:
God chooses Abram from the idol-worshipping world to walk with Him and proclaim His name through the Ages.
The Altar:
Abram walks the land, building altars in significant places. We interview the spokesman for Samaria, one of the modern disputed lands that God promised to the seed of Abram.

If you’ve ever considered visiting the Holy Land, our Spring Tour optimizes your travel time and dollars by offering the option to add Petra to your itinerary. Call Tracie at 214-696-9760 for details. Or visit www.levitt.com/tours to see travel schedules, registration forms, and information videos. The 2013 Spring Tour travels March 3–12 or 15, depending on your tour choices. Visiting Israel is one of the most effective ways to support the nation of Israel. It helps their economy and it will change your life. Win, win.

Let’s continue to serve our King together in the days ahead. And, please, Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim … Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)

Your brother in His Kingdom work,
Myles

P.S. The time to press into the work of the Lord is now. ZLM supports many key works in Israel, and we want to increase our commitment and connection with those ministries. The Gospel is going forth, the needy are being cared for, trees are being planted, refugees are finding solace, and our ministry is in the midst of these endeavors. Thanks for your continued participation.

Featured Products

Donation

Donation

“Here is my donation for September. Please continue to alert the Church and the world that our King is coming and we must be prepared for Him.”

Daniel and the Last Days’ Battle for Planet Earth

“Daniel and the Last Days’ Battle for Planet Earth” video

Dr. Jeffrey Seif compares today’s news to yesterday’s prophecies, demonstrating that we are living in ominous times. Co-host Sandra Levitt gives key insights to help viewers perceive world events with a Word-inspired perspective. Zola makes special contributions in brief teaching episodes.

Glory! — The Future of the Believers

“Glory! — The Future of the Believers” study CD

Prophecy studies often deal with the Tribulation, the antiChrist, Armageddon, and other cataclysms to befall an unbelieving world. This delightful study deals with the happy events prophesied for Believers: the Rapture, the Marriage Supper, the Kingdom, etc. The future for those who believe.

In My Father’s House

“In My Father’s House” study booklet

A very different and very important study. Most people plan more carefully for a two-week vacation than for the seven years we will spend as guests in our Messiah’s Father’s house. What will we do during the time we spend among the “many mansions” and how do we prepare for it?

Share This Page