October 2000: Volume 22, Number 10



Contents




Israel, My Love

By Zola Levitt

ZOLA LEVITT
ZOLA LEVITT
In 1973, I was thunderstruck by my first trip to the Holy Land. What an amazing, edifying and spiritual experience that was! I immediately wrote the book, Israel, My Love, and subsequently composed an album, which is still available on tape (see [our online store]).

In September, I took my 66th tour of the Holy Land, if I'm counting right; but in any case, it was the best one of them all.

That's a comment I typically address to the pilgrims at our final banquet on each tour, and truly, I always mean it. Each time I see this wonderful land, my love for it grows sweeter, and my eagerness to be there for my promised 1,000 years grows greater.

We are living through a very difficult time for the Promised Land, perhaps as difficult as any it's ever endured. When I tell people that Jerusalem has been destroyed to the ground 29 times and rebuilt after each destruction, they are saddened.

But when I stand with them on the Mount of Olives, look over this magnificent city and remind them that it will be theirs not only for the Kingdom to come, but for all eternity, they are overjoyed. Jerusalem will endure forever, even in eternity, when the Lord says there will be "a new heaven and a new earth…and a New Jerusalem!" (Rev. 21:1,2).

When each of the pilgrims goes to their hotel room in Jerusalem for the first time, there is a rose with a note from our ministry that says simply, "The rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, to welcome you home." How wonderful it is to know that this is, indeed, our home, and that what has always been called the Promised Land is at this moment Biblically promised to us! I thank God that I belong to the Christians who are properly respectful of Israel and oriented to pray for support for that land, rather than the other group, regardless how many professors, pastors, seminary presidents and the like turn their backs on the Holy Land. This ministry is very inspiring; we can do television and music and books and tapes and newsletters, and we are talking to people all over the country and even in other countries on a constant basis. All of that is very inspiring, indeed.

But the most inspiring part of all is Israel.

The trips have a different meaning for me than at the beginning, of course. Now, I try to plan exactly how to present each site to these once-in-a-lifetime pilgrims. I try to think exactly how to say, "Brothers and sisters, here is the Sea of Galilee," or the Mount of Olives or the Empty Tomb. On this trip, we had a wedding between passengers at that Garden Tomb where the Lord was not present, since He has gone to prepare a place for us. It was certainly a fine moment. A number of couples also repeated their marriage vows. There's something about the Holy Land, Jerusalem, and especially that Empty Tomb that shows us that we need not sorrow over anything, even death. And that really gets to people. It brings out their very best.

We have our lighter moments. We share a lot of jokes as we travel. We laughed about the people back home who worried whether we would be safe in one of the world's safest democracies. We laughed at CNN, which presented a news story called "A Tourist's Nightmare in Jerusalem," while all of our tourists had the time of their lives in that great Holy City.

And we had considerable prayer. Every morning, we have praise and worship services on our tour, and we also speak to the Lord exactly in His footsteps as we travel. We held a service on the Sea of Galilee, on the Mount of the Sermon and in the Upper Room, to mention a few places. Our pilgrims also went to the Western Wall to make their prayers and to place written messages to God in cracks in the wall. Important rabbis in full dress stepped aside for farmers from Iowa who approached those hallowed stones. Everyone in Jerusalem has free access to God (as long as we don't turn the place over to the United Nations, the Moslems, or whomever).

At the end of the tour, we went around the room asking people what their favorite moment was. As usual, there was a terrific variety of opinions, and we learned a lot about the Holy Land, each other, and ourselves.

Please know that this isn't a plug for you to come on our tours. Anyone who knows our ministry knows how popular it is, and that we're absolutely inundated with pilgrims to the Holy Land. Each time we form a tour, we try to cut off the enrollment at some point so that it is manageable, and yet that is so difficult when each person toward the end almost weeps when we tell them to wait for the next one. We do what we can do to get everybody over there who wants to go in this life. We have four different kinds of tour each year so everyone has a choice. We always keep you informed about those in this newsletter.

Damascus Gate And I'm in favor of every single Christian visiting the Holy Land, even presidents of seminaries, if they'll take the trouble to go. Israel changes people. Israel makes everyday Christians better Christians and ministers better ministers and presidents better presidents. The mighty are humbled by Israel, and it is a good place to not only meet God, but also yourself.

After visiting the Promised Land for the first time, a Jewish believer once said, "I used to read the Bible in black and white. Now I read it in color!"

Go with anybody's tour. I'm all in favor of everybody seeing the land with me or with someone else. That's not the important point. Ultimately, we'll all go for a 1,000-year tour with our Lord Himself!

"Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in Heaven" (Matt. 6:10).



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Editorial

Armageddon, Part 5

Conflict in Jerusalem and Megiddo

By Thomas S. McCall, Th.D.

In our previous articles, we have seen that the final war in connection with the Second Coming of Christ is complex, in that the Scriptures reveal there are several theaters around the Middle East where the Lord confronts the enemies of Israel and God when He returns, including Edom, Megiddo and Jerusalem itself. This article concentrates on the impact of the conflict on the holy capital city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in Armageddon

The 3,000+-year-old city of Jerusalem has a rendezvous with destiny in the future. The Lord has ordained that the city of the Great King will not only have a glorious future and renaissance when He returns to earth, but that prior to that glory, Jerusalem will have a large part in the War of Armageddon. Teachers of Bible prophecy sometimes overlook this, but Zechariah indicates that the Messiah's opening "shot" in the War is in Jerusalem:

2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Zech 14:2-4

When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, he plans to return at the exact spot where He left it, the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem's Temple Mount. This is precisely what the two angels prophesied at the moment of the Ascension:

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

Both Zechariah and the angels confidently predict that Jesus will return to earth suddenly at the Mount of Olives. Some 3 years before the Lord returns to earth in this momentous way, we are informed that many of Israel flee before the enormous anger and persecution of the Antichrist, led by Satan, as described in Revelation 13. This has led many to assume that Israel and Jerusalem are completely emptied of Jewish people during the last 3 years of the Tribulation, the "Time of Jacob's Trouble." Not all the Israelites leave their country for the wilderness, though. While many "get out of Dodge" and flee from Jerusalem, there is still a sizeable minority of Jews who remain in the Holy City and in Israel for the duration of the Great Tribulation. It is these who are attacked by the Antichrist in the beginning stages of Armageddon, when he "enters the Beautiful Land." There he subjugates the Jews and secures his temporary headquarters in Israel, setting up his "royal tent" by Jerusalem. Zechariah indicates that when the army of the Antichrist attacks Jerusalem in the War of Armageddon, they will only be able to capture half of the city. The "rest of the people" will still be there in Jerusalem. They will be there to escape and regroup through the new valley formed in the Mount of Olives when Christ returns, and they will be there to fight in the power of the Lord.

Not only are there Jewish people in Jerusalem to fight, but they will also be there to receive Jesus at His return! This is one of the main purposes of the awesome time of the Tribulation, to prepare Israel nationally to recognize Jesus as their true redeeming Messiah. Now we have to realize that this has never happened before, for a whole nation to receive the Lord at one time, and be born again, even if it is a numerically small nation like Israel. Yet that is precisely the task that God has promised for Israel when the Lord returns:

10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. Zech. 12:10

Thus there will be a sizeable Jewish population in Jerusalem when Jesus returns. The whole nation will respond in the way they were invited to do two millennia ago, when both Jesus and John proclaimed to Israel, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." There will be true repentance then, the whole nation will recite from the heart Isaiah 53, and Jesus and His Jewish brethren will at last be totally reconciled, much as Joseph and his eleven brothers were in Egypt, so many centuries ago.

A lot happens in Jerusalem very quickly when the Lord returns. He brings with him the resurrected saints of the Church Age, who were taken out of the world seven years before at the Rapture. He also brings the souls of the saints of the Old Testament ages and the time of the Tribulation, and they are resurrected in Jerusalem on the spot (Dan. 12:1)! King Jesus will then take steps to set about establishing his omnipotent throne in Jerusalem in order to rule over the earth, which had heretofore largely ignored Him.

The first order of business in his platform, after rescuing and redeeming His own people, Israel in Jerusalem, is to organize His heavenly host of resurrected saints and His earthly host of redeemed Israelites into an unbeatable army against the massive invading forces of the Antichrist. I have heard that there is no fellowship on earth like that enjoyed by victorious comrades in arms, and we are invited by the Lord to join Him in this climactic battle against the Satanic army as fellow soldiers with Him. Observe the Scripture's prophetic description of this invincible army:

13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Rev. 19:13-16

"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 9 "And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zech. 12:8-9

The forces of the Antichrist wither before the overwhelming might of the Messiah, Christ Jesus and His redeemed allies, the resurrected saints of heaven, and his believing mortal saints in Israel. What a day that will be when we fight that great battle in defense of Jerusalem.

In our next article, we plan to discuss the final phases of Armageddon, which appear to be in that renowned valley of Megiddo itself.




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Zola's Bulletin Board

Gifts in Kind

Here in Dallas, Don is a friend of our ministry and a gifted horse-trader, haggler and negotiator. When we receive contributions of rare coins, fine jewelry and other collectibles, we count on him to liquidate them for us at top dollar. At flea markets, he's proven able to buy a product at one booth and then sell it at another and make a profit! Whether you wish to donate a vehicle, fur or real estate to this ministry, we will make the most of it and give you a receipt for your tax deductible contribution.

Visit the Kingdom — BEFORE the Rapture

This will be the 69th tour in our tour department's 17-year history. December is one of the most comfortable and affordable times of the year to make your Holy Land pilgrimage. We get special savings then, and we pass them on to our passengers. Both of our December tours depart on the 11th. The Deluxe tour returns on the 21st and the Grand on the 25th. Please call Tony or Becky at (214) 696-9760, during office hours, or 1-800-WONDERS anytime.

Airing Updates

Beginning on Monday, October 9, FOX-FAM (formerly FAM and CBN) will broadcast Zola Levitt Presents at 12:00 A.M. Central Time and 1:00 A.M. both Eastern Time and Pacific Time. In the Mountain Time zone, FOX-FAM will carry our program at either 11:00 P.M. (Sunday) or 2:00 A.M. (Monday), depending on your local affiliate, so please check your TV guide. That's very late on Sundays or very early on Mondays, depending on where you live.

TBN still airs Zola's program on Monday mornings at 8:00 ET, 7:00 CT, 6:00 MT and 5:00 PT. TBN will preempt us on both November 6 and 13. Please let us know if you would like one of our free National TV Airing Schedules, or [click here for an online version].

New Stations:

Seattle, WA — KWDK-56 — 4:00 p.m. Tues.
Philadelphia, PA — WELL-08 — 7:00 p.m. Tues.
Buffalo, NY — WDTP-39 — 7:00 p.m. Tues.
Oklahoma City, OK — KDSA-11 — 6:00 p.m. Tues.
Honolulu, HI — KWBN-44 — Check local listing

Help Wanted in San Francisco

Jews for Jesus is looking for dedicated and committed believers (you don't have to be Jewish) to serve in an administrative capacity at their international headquarters in San Francisco. For more information contact:

Jews for Jesus
60 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 864-2600, ext. 125
Fax: (415) 552-8325
E-mail:
http://jewsforjesus.org/involved/admin.htm

Quote of the Month

A viewer emailed us saying, "Sue me for being a dumbbell. I now have my VCR programmed for both weekly programs (Zola on Monday mornings on TBN and late Sundays/early Mondays on FAM). Thanks a bunch for the reminder." If you don't know how to program your VCR, a friend can set it to record our program week after week so that all you'll need to do is rewind and play the tapes it will automatically make. If you watch our program on your computer, RealPlayer Plus's upgraded software allows a viewer to record the program as it plays by simply clicking on the "record" button.

1,500 Online Subscribers

We reach 1,500 online readers in addition to those receiving our newsletters by mail. Each time we post a new newsletter at www.levitt.com, we automatically notify our subscribers, typically more than a week before many of our newsletters find their way to your mailbox. Of course, you can subscribe both ways, a hard copy in the mail and an email alert when it's time to visit our web site. We keep both your email and street addresses confidential. To subscribe, just go to www.levitt.com and fill out the Online Request Form under Levitt Letters.



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A Note From Zola

Dear Friends,

Well, I guess the cover article gives the emotional side of my Israel trip. Here is the political side. Each time I go there, I learn more about the land and more about the personalities involved in the present dilemma.

It's time to realize that Yasser Arafat not only has never wanted peace, but he can't even afford to reach that announced goal. Making peace with Israel implies a lot more than not arguing any more; it would elevate that nation to a status of an equal nation with "Palestine" and the other Arab countries. Never mind that Israel is the powerhouse of the Middle East economically, technically, and democratically; many Arabs still regard it as some outlaw "entity" and refer to it that way. One way to avoid comparisons between your own failures and the other fellow's success is to pretend the other fellow has certain advantages or isn't playing fair. And so, the Arabs prattle on and on about Israel being supported by the United States (with friends like us, who needs enemies?), and they describe the five million Jews as an imperialistic nation determined to conquer the 200 million Arabs! (That's a variation on the old story that the Jews are secretly conquering the world, the government, the media, etc., etc.)

As the Levitt Letter has steadily pointed out since the Madrid Conference of 1991, not an inch of progress has been made toward peace. The newspapers are busy analyzing the motives of Arafat and trying to figure out this "enigmatic," "mysterious," "complex," "inscrutable" personage so many revere as the preeminent peacemaker. The International Herald Tribune, partnered with the New York Times and the Washington Post (both worshipers of Arafat), said on September 12, "He has racked up more air miles, chatted up more kings, presidents and prime ministers and lapped up more media attention, news conferences and interviews than perhaps any other man alive…. But when it comes to Mr. Arafat and his intentions, no one seems to have a clue."

Well, I've got a clue about Arafat. He's a tin-horn dictator who gets to eat great meals and ride around in helicopters and limousines as long as he pretends to be discussing peace. If he ever really signs a peace treaty, he's a dead man; he probably won't last the rest of that day.

This conceited tyrant walked out on CNN's Christiane Amanpour fuming, "You have to remember with whom you are speaking…. You are speaking with Yasser Arafat."

Since the 7th century, the Arabs have conquered country after country and now have 22 nations in what they call the Arab world. Israel has been a particularly difficult case. The Arabs tried at first with their teeth, and now they're more or less using their tongues. But God's country is simply not theirs for the taking. As a matter of fact, we can discern from prophecy that Israel will never fall into their hands—not now, not in the Kingdom, and not in eternity.

Concerning Israel and prophecy, it's time to say that I'm not really disheartened with all of the professors at all of the schools we criticize. I have taught at the university level at several colleges, and I'm aware that there are professors of differing philosophies—good, bad, and indifferent. In most cases, the administrations were the weak point, both where I taught and in the seminaries I criticize. And the fault with the administrations—the presidents, vice presidents, board members, etc.—is that they're mostly concerned with money and not with education.

We're still at work on our Battles with Seminaries book, to which we're adding the current Levitt Letter articles, and we'll notify everyone when its release comes due. But releasing the book doesn't mean we'll stop criticizing bad doctrines or the seminaries which teach them.

While on the subject of universities, seminaries, professors, etc., I could report on the activities of Professor Edward Said of Columbia University in New York. This well-spoken Arab commentator on the Middle East, who has appeared on "Nightline" and many other news analysis programs, recently joined the fanatics at the Lebanese border throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. The soldiers, of course, have orders not to respond and not to cause an incident, and so the "courageous" Arabs of the area, including Professor Said, are free to torment these 19-year-olds who maintain their posts very patiently. It is to Israel's credit that young men holding machine guns are willing to be hit with stones and not to react—many times out of pity for their adversaries.

In an article by the Executive Director of CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, Andrea Levin wrote:

…Edward Said's dramatic falsifications of his own life story were recently brought to light. An exhaustive expose by Justus Weiner in Commentary magazine revealed that the much-feted and admired Columbia University professor was not ejected from Jerusalem by the Jews after the "first twelve or thirteen years of [his] life," as he had always claimed, but spent his youth in Cairo, the privileged and unscathed son of a prosperous businessman.

The matter is significant since Said has unabashedly exploited his persona as a victim of expulsion. As Weiner wrote, what Said wove was "an artful lie; a skillful lie; above all, a very useful and by now widely accepted lie—but a lie." [We reported in a past issue of this letter that Arafat, also raised and educated in Cairo, tells exactly the same lie.]

And imagine our getting upset because gas rose to $1.79 per gallon or whatever over here. We have a government that constantly bows to the Arabs and courts their favor. Israel, which doesn't stoop that low, pays $5.00 per gallon.

Whatever the situation in Israel, as I said in my companion article, I really would love everyone to see it. Go with whomever you please, but if you can, get there in this life. It's magnificent. If you do decide to join us, our Hanukkah/Christmas Tour is December 11-21 for the Deluxe Tour of Israel and December 11-25 for the Grand Tour with the extension to Petra and Eilat. On the Deluxe Tour, you will visit the future battlefield of Armageddon, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth, the Western Wall, the Mt. of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Upper Room of the Garden Tomb Last Supper, the Garden Tomb (which is now empty, of course), Masada, the Dead Sea, and the Golan Heights. You will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where you will see the fisherman "cast [his] net on the right side of the ship" (John 21:6) after casting it on the left side and coming up empty. You will view the original Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the caves of Qumran where they were discovered. Tour the Old City of Jerusalem and learn the history of her conquerors and her true owners, the Jews. Visit the Holocaust museum and pay tribute to the more than six million Jews who were slaughtered by the Nazis. It is only in Israel that you can "walk where Jesus walked," see the lush, green crops and trees shining in the midst of barren desert, and know firsthand the rich beauty of the land God gave His Chosen People.

You can also add an extension to Petra, the "rose-red city half as old as time," carved directly out of the mountains of Jordan. You will stay in a luxurious hotel in the resort city of Eilat on the Red Sea. And if you hesitate to be away from family on Christmas Day, know that, due to time zone differences, you can have it both ways—celebrate Christmas Eve in the Shepherds' Fields of Bethlehem and spend Christmas Day at home with family and friends! Call Tony or Becky at 214-696-9760 during office hours for more information, or call 1-800-WONDERS any time for a full-color brochure. [Or click here for an online form.]

On our September tour, we filmed a series called The Rabbi's Friends, discussing the disciples, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, etc., and taped on location where it all happened. It will be shown in the coming months on our television program. I hope you enjoy it.

And remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

— Your messenger,

Zola




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Islamists attack 'hidden messages' in Coke and other 'pro-Israel' brands

By E.S. McKee
From The Jerusalem Report

The Egyptian government and religious authorities have had to come to the defense of international firms like Coca-Cola, following a spate of fundamentalist-inspired rumors that their brand names contain hidden anti-Islamic, pro-Israeli messages.

Unsigned leaflets with a religious tone, now circulating all over Egypt, call for a boycott of numerous products, to "save yourselves and not Israel."

According to the rumors, Pepsi is an acronym for "Pay Every Penny to Save Israel," while the Arabic lettering for Coca-Cola, when held to a mirror, and with a small leap of imagination, reads "No to Muhammad, No to Mecca." Similarly, the Arabic script for the Italian brand Fila resembles "Allah" when read backwards—and in the ultimate insult to Muslims, it appears on shoes.

The Islamists claim that Sainsbury's, the British supermarket chain which opened in Egypt in January, translates into Arabic as "Hidden Cross." The chain, which plans to open 49 branches in the Cairo area alone this year, is purported to be owned by a Jewish woman who is out to bankrupt Muslim and Egyptian retailers by selling at less than factory prices.

The list goes on. Unilever's Lux and Colgate products are said to contain pig fat, rendering them "non-kosher" for Muslims. Egyptian women are warned not to use Procter and Gamble's Always sanitary towels because, it is said, they are made in Israel and have been doctored to cause fertility problems. And the six-pointed whirlpool-like logo of P&G's Ariel laundry detergent is said to represent the Star of David.

Clearly worried about the economic implications of the campaign, Prime Minister Atef Obeid recently declared that the government "would stand by Sainsbury's." And the country's highest religious authority, the Grand Mufti Muhammad Farid Wassel, issued a fatwa negating the Coca-Cola rumor. He added that it was un-Islamic to spread unconfirmed reports, and that such gossip could jeopardize the jobs of some 10,000 workers employed in Coca-Cola's 12 Egyptian plants.

Despite the official efforts, several vendors interviewed insisted that the rumors have already had an impact on their businesses. A Coca-Cola distributor in Cairo said he estimates a 15 percent drop in sales over the past month.



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Editorial

Your VCR May Be Obsolete

By Mark Levitt

There's a new kind of VCR that records television programs without using videocassettes. You hook it to your television and cable box (or satellite dish) with the same kind of wires that your VCR uses. It's the same size as a VCR and comes with a remote control. It's simply a small computer that stores up to thirty hours worth of television programs, but it has no screen and no keyboard. It looks pretty much like a regular stereo component with a little sensor for receiving signals from its remote control.

To learn more about TiVo's recorders, you can call (877) 367-8486 or visit www.tivo.com. You can contact ReplayTV, the other brand, at www.replaytv.com. Your local home entertainment store may have demo units and allow you to see for yourself the subtle differences between the two brands.

ABT Electronics sells both units by mail with free shipping. If you call (888) 228-5800, ask for Eric Wold and mention that you're a friend of Zola Levitt Ministries, you'll save an extra $20. The ReplayTV recorder sells for $501 (normally $521), including a subscription to the television schedule information that comes through the telephone line. The TiVo recorder's price is $343 (normally $363), but TiVo charges separately for the schedule information — either $10 per month or $200 for life.

Zola and I both went with TiVo's Sony recorder, but we believe ReplayTV offers the same major benefits. They include:

  1. All programs are listed on your television screen. You simply locate and select programs to record without having to furnish start and finish times.
  2. Automatic control of your satellite or cable box. Once you tell the TiVo or ReplayTV box what programs you like, it tells your satellite or cable box what channels to switch to.
  3. The Season Pass. Both brands enable automatic recording of every episode of your favorite programs, such as Zola Levitt Presents. You literally press one button to get every one of our programs for the rest of your life (or until the Rapture comes)! And that goes for any other programs you like.
  4. Crystal clear fast-forwarding and rewinding — at several speeds.
  5. Simultaneous play and record. Both brands can record new programming while you are watching something they have previously recorded.
  6. 30-minute buffer. When I'm watching live television, I can rewind as much as thirty minutes to review parts of programs I've missed due to interruptions.

TiVo's toll-free customer service gave me all the guidance I needed to hook up the recorder. Most retailers give you thirty days to return merchandise, so I believe you will want to try TiVo or ReplayTV.

If you use TiVo or ReplayTV to record Zola Levitt Presents, you are welcome to create give-away copies on your VCR. You are also welcome to archive a homemade library of our TV series, labeled for lending before the Rapture and for unbelievers to discover, after the Rapture, in your absence.

Now I find I can be a better steward with the time I have for watching television.



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Letters to Zola

Dear Zola:

Enclosed you will find a response to an advertisement I recently received for a Bible atlas that was published by Moody…
H.S.

BIBLESOFT
22014 7th Ave. So., Suite 105
Seattle, WA 98198-9916

Gentlemen:

I just received your latest brochure in which the Moody Atlas of Bible Lands is being offered. There are three topics listed that caught my attention: "Rainfall of Palestine," "Roads of Palestine" and "Travel to Palestine." I can only assume, without seeing the atlas itself, there are maps that are also using the word Palestine.

In using this word (Palestine), the Christian community is doing the nation of Israel a great disservice. There is no such land or country called Palestine [and there hasn't been for 52 years]. There isn't even a people called Palestinian…

…The Arabs say Israel belongs to them and that Jerusalem is the third most holy site to Muslims. To my knowledge, Jerusalem isn't even mentioned in the Koran…

…The PLO cites the modern-day refugee camps as proof of Israel's occupation when, in fact, the Arabs told their own people to leave their homes and land and that they would soon win the land back for them. Those who left the land could have stayed and been a part of Israel and not lost anything. The PLO is responsible for this problem.

The idea of Palestine is a myth created by the PLO. It never existed, and the Christian community is buying the lie. The grand design of the PLO is to eliminate the Jew and all infidels. To the Muslim, Christians are infidels…

…One final note: Moody products should be questioned in light of the fact they seem to be using a "different gospel" these days—Progressive Dispensationalism. I know they have tried to waffle around this, but it is not Scriptural and is definitely anti-Israel.

If we, as students of the Bible, embrace a different gospel and take an anti-Israel stance, have we not also taken an anti-Christ spirit?

Sincerely,
H.S.


We're certainly not surprised that Moody, having fallen into theological errors concerning Israel, now calls the place Palestine, showing their aversion to the Chosen People and the Promised Land. In the 52 years since Israel was called Palestine, we've learned to drop many old names. In that time, we've learned to drop many old names—Soviet Union, East Germany, etc.—but this particular mistake serves to identify a spiritual bias.

Zola


Dear Staff at Zola Levitt Ministries,

I really appreciate your ministry! Your teaching, letters and writing have been a blessing!

If you would please, tell me where Zola got his historical information on the ancient Jewish wedding. I would like to reference teaching that I am doing scholarship based on evidence. I notice the video from Jewish Jewels (Neil and Jamie Lash) suggests that the procession takes place at the beginning—at betrothal, I believe—taking the bride to the father's house to wait the year before the wedding ceremony (I suppose this could relate to the positional rather than experiential placement in the Lord). Zola's description certainly likes up with my understand of the Scriptures and prophecy, but this version could also be explained in about the same light (with a different slant).

Whatever the case, I would like to have the credibility of explaining where I got my information on this beautiful ancient ceremony. Thanks so much for your time.

Shalom,
K.M.
Jer. 29:11


Dear K.M.,

I started from a tract by the ministry called Friends of Israel. I believe the author was Marv Rosenthal, who is presently building an Israel model in Orlando, Florida. Over the years, the Lord helped me enhance the study with Scriptural and historical references. Also, see my musical production of Beloved Thief, based on the same story, is available on video (offered [in our online store]).

Zola


Dear Zola,

Here's our monthly offering.

Please give consideration to the following! How about putting a two-page insert into the mailing that would have the two charts that Dr. Gerald Schroeder has had on your program? When he uses red, use red. This could be used in a lot of the churches. It's a marvelous concept. We would like to show others the charts. We can't explain this very well now. Please!!

Love in Christ,
T.G.


Dear T.G.,

Dr. Schroeder's book, The Science of God (published by Simon & Schuster in hardback, Bantam Doubleday in paperback), contains the charts and is available in bookstores. We offer his book, Genesis One, in which there is a simplified version of his theories (see [our online store]).

Zola


To: Staff@levitt.com
Subject: Jews for Jesus

On page three of the September 2000, Jews for Jesus newsletter, there is an article about an approved student program whereby young people receive a formal education. The article states that currently there are six Jews for Jesus students attending Moody in Chicago. A paradox?

J.E.


Dear J.E.,

It does seem that way, indeed, but Moody's Jewish studies program is a leftover from former and finer days. Like a lot of things at Moody, it's not what it used to be.

Zola


To: staff@levitt.com
Subject: brainwashed

I was at my neighbors' recently. Their daughter just got back from Israel. She toured with the World Council of Churches. From our conversation, I can see that she was brainwashed. The Lebanese hosted and propagandized the tour. They've gone from terrorists to sugar-coated deceivers. What do we have—a new Holocaust? Do you have anything, some kind of message on Lebanese tactics? Thanks.

J.K.


Dear J.K.,

It's common practice for tourists who choose Arab guides, whether Lebanese, Palestinian, or whatever, to hear Arab propaganda on their tour. Denominational Christians who know little about the Holy Land often pay good money to hear little else than political diatribes. Our tours always utilize Israeli drivers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, etc., and Messianic believers as our guides. This is more costly, but invariably, more spiritual and more truthful.

Zola


Dear Zola, Mark and all,

I received my Levitt Letter in today's mail and, as usual, I am reading almost every word of it!

That letter from I.M.K., BS, MBA was quite a combination of rudeness (bordering on hatred) and ignorance. I'm praising the Lord for Mark, just as I praise and thank Him for our own son, Carl, who is 45 this year, and for his dear wife and three lovely daughters.

The letter to Cornerstone TV from M.J.O. went even further and almost made me sick to my stomach!

I am glad for all the information and inspiration your letter brings to my door. God bless you.

With love and prayers,
R.S.

P.S. I'd like to see my letter in print, but I know you get far too many to print them all. Mine is not outstanding in any way.


Dear Zola,

Some people simply like to debate and be argumentative. It's just their nature. That's the case with writer I.M.K., BS, MBA, who commented in your August 2000 newsletter issue. I thought your response was delightful! You showed Mr. I.M.K. or whatever his real name is that his passing judgment on why your son, Mark, works for you was a stupid idea. Little does he know that countless ministers of the Gospel raise their children up in that same ministry. How can they not? Does that mean that ministers force their kids to work for their ministry? Of course not. Maybe some do, but the fact that the children work for the parents in the ministry is not a tell-tale sign that they're forced to. And it's absurd to assume so. Keep your son on the payroll, and give him good benefits. He's learning to be a follower, a leader, and one who handles responsibility like a strong adult.

I especially appreciate that you corrected the Scripture misquote I.M.K. quoted. I certainly hope our righteousness is supposed to exceed that of the Pharisees and not be like it! Thank you for having a good understanding of the Word of God.

And finally, you showed this offensive, abrasive believer that you have the grace to respond to letters from people who are in disagreement with you. It's a sign of a great mind when one can disagree and not be disagreeable, a truth our dear writer, I.M.K., didn't understand.

My advice to I.M.K.: Be kind and gentle to one another. We're all in this together, and we fight one common enemy…and it's not one another.

In His service,
B.M.L.

P.S. I don't know what a Calvinist is, either, so I don't think I am one.


Dear Zola,

Reading what you have to say about the Moody organization made me stop contributing to them. If the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, especially verses 35, 36, and 37, don't tell them anything, they're beyond hope!

I sure would like you to come here to the Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Florida, area. I have a bunch of things I'd like to discuss with you.

In His service,
J.W.


Dear Zola,

It is a pleasure to hear you on TV. I am blessed, and I thank God for you. I keep learning a great deal from you, Zola. You are blessed with a gift of teaching. You are not preaching "at" but teaching me. I wish I could pick your brain and ask questions of all the knowledge the Lord has given you. I cannot purchase your literature, but I will check the library.

In 1975, I was in Dallas, Texas, going to college. I heard you then for the first time. I believe it was via radio. I prayed for you each time I heard you. My husband had died at age 34. I was attempting to increase my earning power by going to Dallas. I loved the Dallas people. They were so helpful to a widow.

I contribute a small amount ($6, but all I can afford now) to your ministry by an automatic bank deduction each month. My hand needs surgery, so my correspondence must be limited. But my letter is to commend and encourage your. "Every good dog needs his back scratched," I always say.

I read your newsletter completely through and save them to share. We need your intelligent information, and I praise God your son is working with you! I was amazed at the rudeness of a letter regarding your son in the current issue! I often wonder how people can call themselves Christian and have not the love of Christ. But I realize their need for prayer when I read the rude letters, and His purpose is achieved in spite of them for I END UP PRAYING FOR THEM.

That rude letter reminded me of an incident which happened in my life some years back. We had gone to evening service and were seated directly in front of a very devout lady. Her husband came late to church and sat down beside her. He was intoxicated. He began to mimic the pastor's words, and the enemy was using him to disrupt. His poor wife was in tears, but no one showed him the door.

Driving home, we prayed for the wife. But a gem came from the lips of my 13-year-old daughter, who said, "The devil thought he'd use her drunk husband to destroy the service, but he was defeated…because look how many people are praying for him and his wife now!" I cried when she said that. How beautiful!

Your trip on this week's TV program was so great! I pray someday I can afford one of those blessed trips. In my dreams, I go on those trips, also.

In Christ's love,
A.A.


Dear Rev. Zola,

Congratulations on your ordination as a minister of the Bible to peoples of all faiths (denominations, I should say). You certainly are well-versed in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

I enjoy reading your literature and especially your little touches of humor. For example, you mentioned that we who are unable to travel to Israel in this lifetime know that we can go anyway "at government expense."

My belief is in all your concepts—love for Jesus (God) and Israel, belief in End Times prophecy, the Pre-Trib Rapture, and the soon Coming of our Lord to establish His Kingdom here on earth for 1,000 years.

As a practicing Catholic, I embrace all these concepts along with the belief in the Eucharist (that, after consecration). This is truly the Body and Blood of Christ which we take and eat and drink in remembrance of His passion, death and resurrection for our salvation, as He commanded us to do until the day of His return.

Best wishes, and God bless your dedication.

E.F.


To: Zola's Staff
Re: September 2000 Newsletter

Please do not state that there are believing Roman Catholics. Would you state there are believing Jehovah Witnesses? The instant a Catholic becomes a true believer, he stops being a Catholic (1 Tim. 4:1-3). There are many verses in Scripture that will tell you Catholics are not Christians. You know a man by his fruits. I know some of these may support your ministry, and I understand some of these writings. But the truth will come out.

D.F.


Dear D.F.,

Matthew 7:1 tells us that we are not to judge one another, and I think this particularly applies to salvation. While I find Catholic doctrines to be strange and, in some cases, anti-Biblical, I can't say that any given Catholic is unsaved. We are seeing full professors at our most distinguished evangelical seminaries teaching errors, but we cannot question their salvation. And speaking of knowing us by our fruits, I must observe that if the evangelical church did as well as the Catholic church at establishing missions, helping the downtrodden, and doing good works, we would have made more converts over the centuries.

Zola


To: Staff@levitt.com
Subject: Church Position on Israel

I got my latest issue of the Levitt Letter yesterday, for which I thank you. I was surprised and saddened to read of the Methodist Church's position (in response to the writer who wrote asking about donating and/or tithing directly to Israel). I was not aware of the Methodists' position, as I am a Southern Baptist. I am not even aware of the Baptists' position on Israel. I think it is left up to each individual church to decide. I don't know for sure (and I need to find out), but I don't think there is any specific position statement. Do you know for sure? I will ask my pastor if he knows. He has led several trips to Israel and speaks fluent Hebrew, so surely he is not one of those "Replacement Theologians," etc., ad nauseam, who seem to think that Jews are on the bottom of the ash heap, as it were.

Your thoughts on this, please.

Your sister in Christ,
M.T.


Dear M.T.,

Any church that truly teaches the Bible is one that supports Israel and God's Chosen People.

Zola


Dear Zola,

Ignore your critics. There will always be "wolves in sheep's clothing" pulling away those who have not believed in their hearts. In these last days, the world is being quickly divided into the camps of goats (unbelievers) and sheep that KNOW the VOICE of their Redeemer. I LOVE listening to you so I can understand more thoroughly our roots in the Old Covenant. TRUE Christianity cannot be truly understood without this view. Jesus (Yeshua) was God's Passover Lamb for the world. Abraham so CLEARLY showed Jesus by his obedience to sacrifice his only son that he loved—and Abraham prophesied that GOD would provide HIMSELF as the SACRIFICE (Gen. 22:8—And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together).

God bless you, Zola.
Praise God forever,
A.H.


Dear Zola,

I've enclosed a small donation for your great ministry. In your son's letter in this month's newsletter, I was astonished that there are apparently some people who do not appreciate your great work. If you look at your records, you'll note that I am probably the slowest student of your outstanding Hebrew/Christian studies (age—I'm older than you and have had many surgeries), but I will complete the course.

I know how upset you are concerning Progressive Dispensationalism. Never give up! You know that God's Word warned us of the times now engulfing us. You will be greatly blessed! In the words of that old Bette Davis movie, "Hang on. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

In His love,
A.M.


I can remember from my boyhood seeing her on the staircase, but didn't she say, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night"?

Zola


Dear Friends in Yeshua Jesus,

I just finished reading the Levitt Letter—very good stuff.

Concerning the letter from M.R. about the so-called poverty in the Holy Land, I, too, saw such a program, perhaps the same one. I was moved to send some money. After reading Zola's response, I plan to stop sending. I guess the sundry fellowships include IFCJ.

Thanks, and may God continue to bless your ministry.

R.E.S.


We heard from Jerusalem concerning my contentions that Israel has "no homeless people and little poverty." I stand corrected and replied with the letter below.

Shalom Uri,

Thank you for your very complete report. My objective was to compare poverty and homeless situations in the U.S. and Israel. Perhaps I should have said that I did not see the homelessness or the poverty you describe in my 66 tours of Israel over nearly 30 years. On the other hand, tours tend to take in Biblical sites and the like, rather than going deeply into neighborhoods and lives of people.

You must admit that despite Israel's difficulties, the U.S., with its vast surplus of funds, is not doing nearly as good a job with its homeless and its poor as Israel is. After all, a stroll through the downtown areas of any large American city will show homeless by the hundreds on the very streets. I have not seen that in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Add to that the fact that Israel is saddled with the burden of accepting all Jewish immigrants (and some non-Jewish besides)—a problem the U.S. just doesn't have—and a picture emerges of Israel doing a good job. Most of your statistics can be traced to the immigration problem.

Since Israel also has a terrific defense obligation with a standing military proportionately far in excess of the U.S. and an ongoing and expensive problem with water provisions, I frankly am impressed with what Israel has accomplished.

Nevertheless, I shouldn't have written in such black and white terms. Indeed, your statistics supply that Israel has some poverty and occasional homelessness, and this letter will run as a retraction in our October Levitt Letter.

Thank you for writing and for your very complete information.

Sincerely,
Zola Levitt


Dear Zola and Staff,

There has never been a word you have written or a show that I have seen that I have not been enlightened, encouraged or challenged by. This is not flattery, but a heartfelt gratitude for all who are instructing and evangelizing in a Biblical manner. Thank you for all the hard work and long hours you put into the shows, letters, newsletters, videos, tours, etc., that you are involved in.

S.H.



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Editorial

"Dyer" Circumstances at Moody

By Thomas S. McCall, Th.D.

"It may be that he has jumped from the frying pan into the fire," said one of Dr. Charles Dyer's colleagues. He was speaking of Dr. Dyer's recent move from Dallas Seminary to Moody Bible Institute. There were high hopes in conservative theological circles about this transition. Dr. Dyer has excellent credentials as a conservative dispensational theologian who loves the Lord and teaches the truth about the First and Second Comings of Christ. During the early stages of the Gulf War, he wrote a significant prophetic book about Babylon. He gave evidence of having a firm grasp on the problems of Progressive Dispensationalism. Many thought that Dr. Dyer might be able to correct some of the doctrinal problems at Moody we have been chronicling that are symptomatic of many of our formerly strong dispensational schools.

Thus, Dr. Dyer moved from Dallas Seminary, which has several Progressive Dispensational teachers, to Moody, which has similar, and other, problems. It may, indeed, be that he has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. No sooner had Dr. Dyer arrived in Chicago than President Stowell received a letter from one of our faithful and concerned readers about the new doctrines being taught at Moody. Dr. Dyer was asked to respond to this letter, and our reader sent it to us for analysis so that our readers could be aware of the arguments involved. Dyer found himself in the unenviable position of defending those who teach a doctrinal position at variance with his own and the long-held views of Moody Bible Institute. The heart of his response is contained in the following paragraphs:

All dispensationalists must distinguish between the reality of God's present rule (called "the mystery form of the kingdom" by Dr. Pentecost) and the fact of Christ's future reign on earth during the millennial Kingdom. Progressive Dispensationalists and Classic Dispensationalists differ in how they describe the nature of God's present rule from heaven. However, the crucial issue that decides whether individuals are still within the boundaries of dispensationalism is not how they define Christ's rule today, but where they stand on the reality of Christ's rule during the millennial Kingdom. And Moody Bible Institute requires its faculty to agree to the following doctrinal beliefs that are crucial to dispensationalism.

Pretribulational Rapture: "Christ will return preceding the Great Tribulation at which time He will receive into heaven dead and living believers who constitute His Church."

Literal Second Coming and Millennium: "The premillennial return of Christ at which time He will set up his thousand-year reign.

Distinction between Israel and the Church: "The Church of Jesus Christ is a distinct entity from Israel in the program of God. We further believe that the Universal Church consists of all who possess saving faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from Pentecost to the Rapture of the Church and who will represent every language, tribe and nation."

Some individuals imply that if a person is a Progressive Dispensationalist, he or she cannot hold to the three statements just made. I know from experience that this is simply not true. Having read and interacted with a number of theologians who call themselves "Progressive Dispensationalists," I have learned that they do not all hold to the same beliefs in these areas. Some see a clear distinction between Israel and the Church, believe in the pretribulational Rapture of the Church, hold to a literal millennial Kingdom when Christ will reign over the whole earth from Jerusalem, and affirm a future for the nation Israel based on God's promises to them in the Old Testament. Others do, indeed, waiver in these commitments. The label "Progressive Dispensationalist" does not automatically identify a person's doctrinal stand on these crucial issues. And those who try to paint all individuals (or schools) with such a broad brush are guilty of misrepresenting the truth.

Moody Bible Institute requires all faculty members to agree with, personally adhere to, and support the school's doctrinal distinctives, including those listed above. These are not negotiable. And neither Dr. Stowell nor I will ever waiver in our commitment to these…and to all other…essentials of Biblical orthodoxy.

First of all, Dr. Dyer admits that there are professors at Moody who are teaching the new doctrine of Progressive Dispensationalism, which is something that has been previously denied by some of the leaders. The question now is how much of a deviation this doctrine is from Biblical orthodoxy, and how much harm it can do. Dyer maintains that, while some of the Progressive Dispensationalists (PDs) "waiver in these commitments," the teachers at Moody do not. We are glad to hear this assertion, but there are other areas of Dispensational orthodoxy which are not covered by the above three doctrinal beliefs:

Literal Interpretation. Moody has historically taught that the Bible is to be interpreted literally. However, as Dr. Walvoord, Dr. Lightner, Dr. Ryrie, Dr. Ice, Dr. Couch and many others have pointed out, the PDs' interpretation that Christ is now seated on the Throne of David is a serious departure from literal interpretation, and leads to spiritualization and allegorizing, which has always been deplored by orthodox dispensationalists.

Distinction in the programs for Israel and the Church. It is one thing to say that Israel and the Church are two different peoples, but, as Dr. Lightner demonstrates (as we quoted in our article last month), it is quite another to understand that the Lord has two different programs for Israel and the Church. The PDs tend to blur the distinctions between these two programs, and, if followed to their logical conclusion, would lead to post-Tribulation Rapture, amillennialism, and Replacement Theology.

It is clear, then, that PD represents a deviation from some of the main doctrines of historic dispensationalism. The next question is how much harm the new doctrine may do. Dyer asserts that the PDs at Moody are supporting the three doctrinal imperatives he outlines, and, therefore, are welcome to continue as professors in the school. However, we believe that the new doctrine harms believers in Christ in several ways. Dr. Tommy Ice, in his review (published by the Pre-Trib Research Center) of a book co-authored by a professor at Moody, Dr. C. Marvin Pate, entitled Doomsday Delusion: What's Wrong with Predictions About the End of the World?, indicates that there is a movement away from the clear declaration of the promise of the Rapture:

. . . As has been typical of a number of these kinds of books in the last few years, their antidote to date-setting destroys a Believer's hope in an imminent Rapture and replaces it with the schizophrenic notion that Christ's Kingdom is "already/not yet." Even though Pate is a professor at Moody Bible Institute, he is at odds with many of the beliefs that the school has historically been known for in the area of Bible prophecy. This seems to be the trend in our day at most of the dispensational schools such as Dallas Seminary (our alma mater), Grace Seminary, Talbot, and others…. Unless we missed it, Pate and Haines do not even mention the Rapture, except when referring to it as belief held by others. (Emphasis ours.)

In addition, there is a movement away from the support of modern Israel as a harbinger of the Second Coming of Christ. Because of their blurring of the distinction between the programs the Lord has for Israel and the Church, there is now very little interest in what God is now doing in the regathering of Israel for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, their promised Messiah. They see no correlation between Ezekiel's prophecy about the coming together of the Dry Bones and what is happening now, before our very eyes, in the new nation of Israel. Their attitude is that there may be a future for Israel in God's plan, but it has nothing to do with what is going on in the present. Thus, there is little teaching about the modern miracle of Israel and the preparation for the Tribulation, the Second Coming, and the glorious Millennial reign of Christ in the classrooms where Progressive Dispensationalism dominates or in the churches where their graduates preside. We praise the Lord for those schools, churches and individuals who continue to teach Blessed Hope of the Church and the truth of the regathering of Israel in these last days.


Zola Answers Dr. Dyer

I'm disheartened to see this sort of letter from a distinguished theologian like Dr. Dyer. The question is why he defends a doctrine he doesn't believe himself. I am sorry that Moody President Stowell doesn't personally attempt to defend Progressive Dispensationalism, because it is obviously by his orders that this erroneous doctrine is taught at all. There certainly is a big difference between a full professor of theology who has always loved Israel and an erstwhile fundraiser like Stowell. Broader doctrines make for expanded enrollments and larger donations, and that, in addition to everyday anti-Israelism, is the major reason for this strange departure.

Perhaps we should ask Dr. Stowell, "Are you teaching that God is working through Israel right now—today?" and request that he give you the courtesy of a personal answer rather than ordering a busy professor to defend the indefensible.



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Travels & Talks

Oct 15
Life Spring of Israel
Life Christian Center
13001 Gravois
St. Louis, MO.
(314) 843-5575

Nov 19, 10:30 a.m.
Orchard Hills Baptist Church
Garland, TX 75041
972-278-1586

Nov 24-27
Speaking on Caribbean cruise
Information: Call Joe Vera at 727-327-0268

Every Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Shalom, Shalom Messianic Congregation
Biblical Arts Center,
7500 Park Lane,
Dallas, Texas
214-691-4661




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Copyright © 2000 by Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All rights reserved. Brief passages may be quoted in reviews or other article. For all other use, please get our written approval.