Lightning Strike
By Charles KrauthammerThe Washington Post ...There is only one way this war will stop. The scenario would go like this: A lightning and massive Israeli attack on every element of Mr. Arafat's police state infrastructure — the headquarters and commanders of his eight(!) security services, his police stations, weapons depots, training camps and communications and propaganda facilities (radio, television and government controlled newspapers) — with a simultaneous attack on the headquarters and leadership of Mr. Arafat's Hamas and Islamic Jihad allies. Mr. Arafat has given Israel war; he now will receive it. He either flees (as he did Jordan when trying to overthrow King Hussein in 1970) or is deported back to Tunis (as he was from Lebanon in 1982).
In the current bloodshed, not a single suicide bomber has come from Gaza. Why? Because there already is a wall separating Gaza from Israel. Palestinians have lobbed mortars over it, but it is difficult to send suicide bombers through it. Such a wall built between the rest of Palestine and Israel is the only way to ensure the reduction of violence that everyone says is wanted. Strike and expel. Abandon settlements and consolidate lines. Build the wall. And then? And then wait. Wait for a Palestinian generation that will sign a peace treaty that it intends to live by. That really accepts a Jewish state as its neighbor. And that really forswears violence. Israel might have to wait decades for a genuine "peace partner." When that day comes, the wall comes down, and the New Middle East dawns. But until then, a lightning strike and a high wall are the only way.
Will Mr. Sharon do it? I am doubtful. His government still depends on
the very Israeli left that trusted Mr. Arafat and brought Israel to its
current crisis. But if he won't, the next government will. There is no
other way for Israel — short of national suicide.
Seminaries Continue Defense of Progressive Dispensationalism
Write to Dallas Theological Seminary about doctrinal issues and get a response from Insight for Living. One of our readers recently wrote to Dallas Seminary about his concerns over Progressive Dispensationalism, but his letter was shunted to and answered by an organization called Insight for Living, which we understand is a ministry of the former Dallas Theological Seminary president, Dr. Charles Swindoll. Our reader forwarded the letter to us. The respondent, Michael D. Balsbaugh, describes himself as a Pastoral Counselor who answers for the Seminary and defends Progressive Dispensationalism. I will list the arguments in his letter, and give a brief answer to each. "Some Dallas Theological Seminary professors do support a 'Progressive Dispensational' view." For several years the leaders at Dallas Theological Seminary and other seminaries tried to diminish the idea that a sizeable group of influential professors were endorsing Progressive Dispensationalism. Now that it has become the predominant viewpoint on the campuses, they are beginning to come out of the closet and admit that it is being taught in the classrooms. Furthermore, we hear reports regularly that Classical Dispensationalists are being fired or retired, and no more are being hired at these schools. "The Seminary has concluded that [Progressive Dispensationalism] is not incompatible with its statement of faith."
"Some . . . exaggerate the differences between dispensational viewpoints, crying heresy when the discussion is not at all regarding essential doctrines." Pastor Balsbaugh is correct when he says that the issues in Progressive Dispensationalism do not involve essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and that any charges of heresy would be exaggerated. However, I am not aware of any serious scholar who is charging heresy on this issue, so his argument is a straw man. What is at stake in Progressive Dispensationalism is not heresy but the integrity of the seminaries. Seminaries such as Dallas, Talbot and Moody Bible Institute were founded as dispensational institutions after many decades of intensive Bible study. The founders were determined that the schools would never swerve from these moorings, carefully constructed doctrinal statements that they considered airtight, and required the teachers to sign the doctrinal statement annually. Now the schools are departing from their dispensational moorings, and have represented to the public for years that everything is still the same as it has been. This is not being honest with the supporting public, nor is it being true to the purposes of the founders. When those of us who have remained faithful to the Word as taught by the schools through our beloved professors object to the drift and changes in doctrine in these institutions, it is we who are charged with disloyalty rather than the perpetrators of the changes. We are saddened, but we are not surprised. This is the way it has been with all the schools that were founded on Biblical principles and then drifted: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc., etc. "Dr. Ryrie defined his viewpoint as Dispensationalism Today when he wrote his masterful work in the 1960s. That of course implies that the dispensationalism of his day was not the same as the dispensationalism of an earlier day, including Scofield's." The Progressive Dispensationalists justify their departure from Classical Dispensationalism by alluding to Dr. Ryrie's classic book, Dispensationalism Today. They infer from the title that Dispensationalism had changed from the time of Scofield, Moody and Chafer to the time of Ryrie. They argue that, if it was all right for Ryrie to depart from original Dispensationalism, then it must be all right for the Progressive Dispensationalists to change Dispensationalism even further. Thus, they say, Progressive Dispensationalism is continuing that change, but not in essentials and not from historic Dispensationalism. The truth of the matter is that Dr. Ryrie, with whom I studied, only clarified a number of details in Dispensationalism, but did not depart in any substantial way from the basic tenets of Dispensationalism. The Progressive Dispensationalists, however, made a sea change in the doctrine, or, as they say, "a paradigm shift." The new form of Dispensationalism cut the doctrinal legs out from under Classical Dispensationalism. One of the main areas of departure was in the literal or normal interpretation of the Scripture. The Progressive Dispensationalists are more than willing to depart from a literal or normal hermeneutic (method of interpretation) to come to their strained conclusions about the Church, Israel and prophecy. One of their arguments is that since the apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on a few occasions utilize an Old Testament passage in a way that is different from the obvious intent of the original writer, they have the same authority. One of the few examples of this is Matthew's use of Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." It is clear that Hosea was referring to the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Matthew uses the text as prophetic of Christ coming out of Egypt after the death of Herod. The Progressive Dispensationalists argue that this opens the door for them to interpret numerous passages in ways unintended by the Biblical writers. No such authority is granted to interpreters of the Scripture, and this attitude toward the Word quickly becomes what the apostles describe as "twisting" the Scriptures. "I would urge you to study this issue for yourself . . . by picking up a copy of a book by . . . Bateman titled Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism." In his final paragraph, Pastor Balsbaugh appears to talk down to our reader by advising him "to study the issue for yourself." This assumes that our reader had not studied the matter and was ignorant about the issues concerning which he had written to the Seminary. Such advice is typical of the superior attitude of the apologists for the Progressive Dispensationalists, who tend to look upon their critics as being rather ignorant. All of this might seem to be hairsplitting over obscure methods of interpretation of the Bible. It appears one of the results of the methods of the Progressive Dispensationalists and their defenders is to obfuscate the clear meaning of the Bible so that only the anointed priesthood of scholars can truly understand what is written. The end result is a confusing array of doctrines about the role of Christ today, the Biblical Dispensations and the relationship between Israel and the Church. While they claim to believe in the future blessing of Israel in the Millennium, they deny the continuing covenantal relationship between God and Israel during the Church age, and especially the prophetic significance of the modern nation of Israel. Ask your pastor what he thinks is the significance of the modern state of Israel. If he does not believe that the existence of Israel today is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and is a strong indicator of the upcoming Second Advent of Christ, it is probable that he has drunk deeply of the cup of either Amillennialism or Progressive Dispensationalism. This does not necessarily mean that he is unclear about salvation issues, but it does suggest that his views on prophecy, at the very least, lack Biblical depth and authority. We would remind our readers to look for schools and churches that are on a good nutritious Biblical DIET and clearly teach the following significant truths: Deity of Christ, including His virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection Inerrancy of the Scriptures, with the whole Bible as the true revelation of God Eschatology, including the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation and the Millennium Truth about the modern state of Israel as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy
Is your church or school on this nutritious spiritual DIET?
Zola's Bulletin Board
ISRAEL
Petra Extension Begins March 7
Israel Tour Begins March 11 GREECE
Mediterranean Cruise Begins March 21
Biblical Greek Extension Begins March 26 Dates are tentative
To our usual cruise of the Mediterranean isles, we plan to offer a New Testament tour of Thessalonica, Philippi and Berea, in northern Greece. The luxury cruise and land tour would make this 10-day package perfect for those who have already experienced Israel with us. To request a brochure, please contact Tony (214-696-9760) during office hours or our answering service (800-966-3377) anytime.
According to the Chief of Security at an Oklahoma church where Zola spoke in August, some Oral Roberts Seminary students witnessed to Moslems near a mosque at Tulsa University. When one of the Christians made the mistake of touching the mosque, the Moslems insisted that his hands be cut off. Ironically, Tulsa University built the mosque to promote diversity.
CBS has fired David Dolan, who you may remember from our TV program and Israel tours. Arab spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi came into possession of private email from David to a friend. Although what he said about the Palestinians was "not that bad" and was confined to personal correspondence, Ashrawi put enough pressure on CBS that they finally terminated David. The Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times have been similarly stifled with, respectively, Arab litigation and intimidation. More later.
Israeli police have recorded more than 300 Israeli deaths in traffic accidents in the first seven months of this year, compared with about 150 Israeli casualties from ten months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. "Statistically it's a joke," says Rochelle Sobel of the Association for Safe International Road Travel (www.asirt.org). "In terms of personal safety you are far safer in Israel than in the States."
September 2001 Zola is hosting periodic tours to The Holy Land Experience in Orlando, FL. Please let us know whether you would prefer the weekend of Nov. 23 or Nov. 30. If you would like to extend your stay to include the weekdays in between, then we will provide you with a list of other sites and attractions in Orlando. For more information, please call Tony at (214) 696-9760 during office hours. You may also call 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) anytime.
Beginning in late November and into the winter months, Zola plans to be
in Florida leading groups to the new
Holy Land Experience in Orlando. If
you know a church that would like to host him when he's going to be "in
the neighborhood," they would save considerably on travel expenses.
Please contact Lawrence in our office at (214) 696-8844.
A Note From ZolaDear Friends, Well, this is our "back to school" issue of the Levitt Letter and please know that the answer is no! We are not going to let up on the seminaries. Now that they're back in class, let it be said loud and clear: these schools are either going to reform and go back to sound Bible teaching or they're going to have the brightest lights shined on them from all directions so that we can see what they're doing with our donations and our precious generation of future pastors.
The seminaries, on the other hand, are trying to erect buildings. Moody Bible Institute has even founded its own bank! When you have a bank, you are evidently planning some long-term investments in hopes of making big money. But you can't solicit big gifts or long-term investments if you persuade your donors that time is short. Obviously, if they think the Lord is coming this year or the next, they're not going to invest in 30-year notes! And as to the smaller donors with their very sincere gifts, they have to be persuaded that the institution remains unchanged and that, for example, the original principles of D. L. Moody are still being carried out at Moody Bible Institute. But the fact is they're resting on past laurels. There has been a fundamental change at both Dallas and Moody, which Dr. McCall and I, being familiar with both institutions, have noted over the years. When we wrote our string of bestsellers with Moody Press, our doctrine was checked down to the last letter of the last word to be sure that it was completely accurate to Scriptural standards. I well remember being questioned on this or that point about Israel and prophecy to make sure I was not making some small error. Nowadays, that would be a laugh. Some Moody professors don't even teach the Rapture. There's hardly a book on prophecy to be found in the Moody bookstore. Israel is simply unknown to that institution which once championed the soon return of the Lord based on the restoration of the Chosen People to their Promised Land. It's likewise at Dallas Seminary. I took Moishe Rosen's advice when I spoke there a few years ago and began my talk, "I am here like a marriage counselor to remind you to not forget your first love, Israel." Recently a Dallas Seminary student gave me the loaded phrase (which you will now find in letters from Dallas Seminary), "God will fulfill all His promises to Israel." I suppose they mean that He doesn't deal with them right now, but some great day He'll begin remembering His Chosen People. But even that obnoxious philosophy pales in comparison to the Progressive Dispensationalism professors who are teaching that the Kingdom has already started, in effect, since they claim that Jesus is now seated on the throne of David, and so we don't really need all this End Times gobbledygook with its overwhelming emphasis on Israel. And so, the little donors are treated as if they are stupid and the big donors as if they have all the time in the world for lucrative returns on their long-term investments, and the game goes on as Moody and Dallas more and more begin to resemble Harvard and Yale. Harvard University, it was recently published, is the richest university in the world, with an endowment of $19 billion. Interestingly, it was established as a Bible school, but is now worthless in that regard. The intellectuals coming out of those august universities wouldn't know God from Donald Trump or Bill Gates. How did we get into this situation? In a world where almost all of the media continually violate the commandment against bearing false witness, how could our seminaries do virtually the same thing? What was the motivation that started them down this ungodly path? We respectfully think it's simply an aversion to Judaism at the root of it all. The Bible is an Israeli book written from cover to cover by Jewish authors and published in the Holy Land for distribution abroad. I'm including both the Old and New Testaments. When we study it fairly, it is utterly impossible to take Israel out without butchering the entire message — but that is actually what has happened. Liberal churches believe incredible theologies which walk on tiptoe around eggshells to try to obtain salvation without reference to the Jew, Jesus Christ, or His message, "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). They don't like Jews. They don't get along with them and they suspect all kinds of strange things about the Jewish people. They approve, although in secret, when Israel endures the problems the Bible has predicted for her. They refuse to even comment on the crucible in the Holy Land, even though Christians have waited almost 2,000 years to see just such a pressuresome situation. In these days, only seminaries and liberals can ignore Israel. God is moving there so obviously that only those unfamiliar with Him could look elsewhere. And so, with your forbearance, we must continue this mission because it is terribly important. We're not trying to harm those institutions. On the contrary, we're simply attempting to turn them back to Scripture. Time has not run out for you to join us on one of our many exciting tours. We will begin with an intriguing weekend at the Biblical Arts Center here in Dallas, which, of course, houses the stupendous 124-foot-long painting called Miracle of Pentecost, which portrays the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. The Biblical Arts Center also has a splendid replica of the Garden Tomb and its front entrance is designed to resemble Jerusalem's Damascus Gate. The arts center is currently housing a magnificent exhibit called "Little Israel." These new tours will begin in early November. This fall, we'll again be taking groups to Orlando's new Holy Land Experience theme park. The first one runs from November 23-25, followed by a second tour November 30-December 2. Additionally, we plan to provide after-Christmas tours to this wonderful site in Orlando. As a reminder, I will be available to speak at churches in the Orlando area beginning Thanksgiving weekend and into the winter months. Our grand spring tour to Israel — which still remains safe for Christian pilgrims — begins March 7, 2002. We're planning to expand our Greek tour and take pilgrims along the steps of the apostle Paul, as it were, providing visitors with an extended journey of the Greek mainland with visits to the Biblical cities of Thessalonica, Philippi, Berea and others. This Biblical Greek tour can be taken separately or in conjunction with our usual tour to Israel. And finally, we're looking to add tours to Eureka Springs, site of the famous Passion Play, in late spring or early summer. Watch for more details! For more information, please call Tony at (214) 696-9760 during office hours. You may also call 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) anytime to request a full-color brochure. And, as always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
Wouldn't you hate to work for the New York Times News Service? The
assignment of some unlucky writer was evidently to make the Israelis
killed in the pizzeria bombing responsible for provoking the massacre.
That is, the victims were blamed for the crime.
The New York Times is truly a powerful and formidable enemy of Israel
and seems hell-bent to destroy that sister democracy with such
ridiculous reporting as printed below. It bears mentioning that there
were no casualties whatever when the Israeli army took over the Orient
House following this bloody bombing. — Zola
Symbols Become TargetsJerusalem — As they pound away like arm-weary boxers who refuse to give up, the Israelis and the Palestinians have turned to making targets of some of each other's important symbols. ...A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded pizzeria and restaurant, killing 15 people including himself and injuring 130. The restaurant was a popular place for families. It was also, in its way, a symbol of the strong desire among most Israelis to lead what much of the world considers a normal life. Places like that — a shopping mall, a disco, a restaurant — have frequently been the targets of young suicide terrorists sent by Islamic radicals. On one level, those sites are practical targets; the chances of taking many lives there are reasonably high. But those places also represent a Western way of life that most Israelis seem to have embraced. So bombing them may also be seen as attacking a basic element of Israeli hopes. Hours after the Jerusalem bombing, Israel retaliated with a devastating symbolic act of its own.
Early Friday, its army and police force took over nine Palestinian
offices in and around eastern Jerusalem. Most important of all was
Orient House, a building generally regarded by Palestinians as their
government House. It is, simply put, a physical symbol of their
yearnings for a state, with the capital in Jerusalem.
These "yearnings for a state," as the New York Times puts it, of which
Orient House was a prominent symbol, now seem to have been misplaced by
the personal greed of one of the so-called "heroes" of the Palestinian
cause, as the article below details. — Zola
Husseini's Orient House—$1.8 Billion ScandalWhen Palestinian Authority Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Faisal Husseini died suddenly May 30, at the age of 61, he was hailed by the Western media and international diplomats as a fallen hero of political moderation — an example of the kind of leader who could bring Arabs and Jews together. In some Arab quarters, his untimely death was blamed on the Israeli Mossad. But when Israeli troops took control of Husseini's Orient House Aug.10 in response to a renewed terror campaign, they found evidence of massive cor-ruption and misappropriation of over a billion dollars in funds and lands by the PA leader, according to an intelligence report by DebkaNet Weekly. In addition, the report says, the massive scandal was uncovered by officials of the gulf oil states Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates days before his mysterious death. The discovery prompted an angry confrontation between those representatives and Husseini, particularly over the disappearance of $1.8 billion transferred to the Orient House by those nations between 1996 and 1998. According to Debka's sources, the entire $1.8 billion — a fund for the development of tourism and new hotels in East Jerusalem — was instead funneled into Hussein's private bank accounts in Switzerland and Austria. The Orient House is owned by Faisal Husseini's heirs. The Husseinis are a prominent Palestinian clan in Jerusalem.
Each month I receive the usual brace of letters telling me that Israel
is terribly dangerous and that I just don't understand the situation
there. I especially don't take kindly to the suggestion that I still
take tours because they make money for me (we're breaking even now, and
I would stay home if I didn't believe in our tours' importance for both
Israelis and Americans). Though it is next to impossible to get some
people to understand, Israel is still safer than almost any city in the
United States, even at this time. Take a look at the following data
compiled by Lawrence Ford of our ministry office. And please, let's have
an end to this discussion. — Zola
FBI Data Confirms Dangers of U.S. CitiesHow safe are you? What's the likelihood of you being the victim of a violent crime in your own city? The "hotspot" in the world, the media tells us endlessly, is the city of Jerusalem. Let's use this as our reference city, matching it to cities in the U.S. of similar size (about 650,000 people). Matching crime for crime (in this case, murder), the following information for the year 2000 was obtained from the FBI, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Israeli Police.
Distortions by the media portraying every sector of Israel as a war zone just don't square with the facts. As to the chance of your being killed in a terrorist action during one of our Israel tours, please know that in Israel we visit only Jerusalem, Tiber-ias, the Dead Sea area and Petra. Granting that the "war" has the same "fury" as CNN describes, these are the real figures for those areas this year: Jerusalem — 15, Tiberias — 0, Dead Sea area — 0, Petra — 0. In a word, you would be as likely to be struck by a meteor as to be killed by a terrorist on a tour. Pilgrims who visit the Holy Land on guided tours are never taken to Gaza and the West Bank where Palestinians continue to provoke the IDF [Israel Defense Force]. Even with Arafat's latest Intifada, in which about 150 people have died among the entire nation of 5.8 million, it remains more likely for a visitor to New York or Los Angeles or Baltimore to be killed by in a drive-by shooting than it is to become a victim of crime or bombings in Israel. Rather than trying to persuade the rest of the world that Arafat is a peaceloving man and that Jerusalem is a battlefield, the international media ought to be focused on cities in America where violent crime runs rampant, and the State Department, which sits in the heart of our crimeridden capital, ought to be issuing travel advisories warning Americans not to visit Washington, DC, which is 100 times more dangerous than Jerusalem!
 Some letters have been edited for space. Dear Zola: Last month one program shook me up when you mentioned some Jewish programs designed to help the Jews to return to Jerusalem and also help them in their settlement. They may have been out of line in asking for help in certain areas. Right after your program was one of these types of programs and I am sending you the literature from them. They also showed pictures of some of the new settlers living in great need of help from other organizations because of the squalor and very poor housing conditions. They said you pass by and do not show their conditions to your tour people or others. Please recall your program and why you said what you did about other organizations. RC
Dear RC:
Two things: First, it's quite possible to take pictures of
new immigrants in very simple housing in Israel and
make them appear poverty-stricken. But the agenda is
to collect money for the particular charity in order to,
in part, support the charity and its leaders. I don't have
to tell people who watch religious TV that this is done
all the time. Second, my tours visit Biblical sites and
are not there to study social problems. They see whatever
conditions exist along the roads to those Biblical
places. I favor helping the underprivileged in Israel and
anywhere we can. But why not offer eternal life while
dispensing food, clothing and toiletries? We have previously
endorsed The Ebenezer Emergency Fund, PO
Box 26 Point Harbor, NC 27964; The International Christian
Embassy in Jerusalem, PO Box 1192, Jerusalem 91010
ISRAEL; Bridges for Peace, PO Box 1093, Jerusalem
ISRAEL; Blossoming Rose, 360 Pine St., Cedar Springs,
MI 49319; and Christian Friends of Israel, PO Box 1813,
Jerusalem 91015, Israel. While we cannot monitor their
stewardship, our ministry believes in their missions.
— Zola
Dear Zola: My husband and I rush home every Friday night to see your program. When we were children our mothers planted in our hearts a love for the Jewish people. Since we probably will never get to the Holy Land until the Lord comes, we cherish your programs. We love your music and the photography of the land of Israel. We feel we get the real news of the Holy Land. Thank you. Recently the Lord provided a way for us to give back to Him. Your ministry has helped us spiritually, and we would like to give back to the Lord through your work. Since we can't give on a regular basis, please accept this onetime gift. — LEF
Dear LEF:
Paul teaches that if we give to a ministry, we participate in what that
ministry accomplishes. In Romans 15:26-27, he points out that if
non-Jewish people profit spiritually by the things of Israel — the
Bible, the Messiah, the Kingdom — then they should return the favor
with material gifts. Thank you for your godly help.
— Zola
Dear Zola: We enjoyed your letter about "the church is not Israel" [Personal Letter, August 2001]. This tore up our church. Some of our people are claiming to be Israel and direct descendants of Abraham. They are Anglo-Saxon...not Semitic people at all. They say, "If we are not Israel, we are without a covenant, because the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31 is to Israel." Please comment on this. — JM
Dear JM:
The New Covenant is repeated in Hebrews 8:8 and goes
to all who believe in the Jewish Messiah. Ask your people
if they eat ham on white with mayonnaise or corned
beef on rye with mustard to test if they're really Jewish!
— Zola
Dear Zola: I deeply appreciate your monthly letter; I read every word on every page and find it most educational. I am a Christian, but have been attending a Messianic Jewish church and learning a lot; makes me wish I were more Jewish! Please continue to educate people on the importance of Israel and the Jewish people and their role in the drama of the End Times. I am confused on one thing however; I read the letter written by your friend, Moishe Rosen, regarding the Church and Israel. This must be some kind of teaching I'm unfamiliar with. Can you elaborate more in your letter? One of my Catholic friends tried to tell me that the Catholics were the original Christians!! I said, "No, they weren't. The Jews were!" Today she responded, "Yeah, Peter and Paul and all those guys were our first Saints!!" I tried to tell her Peter, Paul and all the others were Jews — she remains clueless! — MW
Dear MW:
Scripture was written by God, not for professors of theology, but for
all of us — the common man. God requires no advanced degrees to
understand His Word. He only requires faith, diligence, and trust in the
Holy Spirit. The main issue here is that those who believe the Church
has replaced Israel do not approach Scripture in a common- sense sort of
fashion. Moishe Rosen's point is clear: If God makes a promise to
Israel, then the fulfillment of that promise is for Israel, not the
Church, despite the fact that the Church may derive a benefit from
Israel. The Land was promised to Israel, not to the Church. Interpreting
Scripture any other way only confuses sincere believers with very
subjective methods of reading and understanding the Bible.
— Zola
Zola: [After] studying your April letter, the following came to mind: Rom. 10:16, 17. "But they have not obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Too many of the grand old Bible schools and seminaries have allowed the milk of the Word to go sour. What then will the professors teach and what will the newest ministers preach and how can the lost world be reached if the Word of Jesus Christ has been spoiled and breached? — MS
Shalom dear Zola and staff: It's maddening! Your music tape, Tell it on the Mountain, has been in my possession now for a week or less, and the songs are constantly on my mind. I wake up in the middle of the night singing, "Israel I Have Chosen, Jacob I Have Loved." It won't leave me alone all day, all night. Maybe I need to order some more tapes to escape this wonderful delirium. The songs speak of everything I love. — DL
Dear DL:
We have 18 albums. You can't escape!
— Zola
Dear Zola: I wish to thank you for your TV program and newsletter. They are informative and inspirational. What I love most is your forthrightness in answering letters and questions. You are honest and not afraid to tell the truth. I have joined the Messianic movement and am subject to persecution being that I am in prison and "Jew" is a dirty word in here. What bothers me more, however, is the Christian brothers who claim to love me, condemn me for my decision in wanting to worship the Jewish Messiah. Some even go on to say that Yeshua was not a Jew. — WJC
Dear WJC:
Thank you for writing. Bible knowledge is what's needed
in your prison. The ignorant everywhere despise the
Jews, but the least bit of real Scriptural knowledge would
solve that problem. I'd suggest you speak with your
chaplain about the situation you face. — Zola
Dear Zola: I agree somewhat with Moishe Rosen...but it annoys me to no end when I read your magazine. You keep praising the Jews and hold them blameless in everything. True they have built-up the country of Israel and everything is prosperous to the eye, but of course they are sowing it all in the flesh, they are not seeking God's will in anything they do. They have been continually disobedient to their Messiah ever since they crucified Him, Acts 4:10,11. But God shows no partiality, whether Jew or Gentile. His wrath is on all who disobey His commandments. There will be no peace in Israel until the Prince of peace comes to set up His Kingdom to rule in Jerusalem. So please, Zola, don't hold them blameless, for the natural man is never blameless until he submits himself to the Creator of everything, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. A Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave or free are all alike before Him. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — VK
Dear VK:
The vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 shows clearly
that God will bring the Jews back into their land in unbelief
at first — a prophecy being fulfilled right before
our very eyes. I hold them blameless for the unrest in
Israel, while the rest of the world seems to vilify them.
The simple solution to peace in the Middle East is what
it always has been — the Arabs need to put down their
stones and guns and quit hating the Jews.
— Zola
Dear Zola: In 1999 the IFCA [Independent Fundamental Churches of America] had their international convention in Eugene, Oregon, and since it was close, I attended. I have never been to one of these events, but I got there and found out that Dallas Seminary grads have a luncheon get-together. It was an extremely interesting and very intense meeting. Very quickly there was a visible and theological difference between the pre-1990 and post-1990 graduates! The issue of Progressive Dispensationalism came up. Dr. Tommy Ice was asked to make some comments on the discussions he has had with different professors. For the post-1990 grads, it was not an issue of doctrine, but of defending favorite professors. I later had lunch with three of these post-1990 grads, and acted stupid and asked questions. It was very apparent that they did not have the foggiest idea of what the issues were. They were certain they received the same education as I did. There was one recent grad from Covenant Theological Seminary, and he was very proud and comfortable with the recent changes at Dallas Seminary, because "they are moving closer to Reformed Theology." — Pastor BE
Dear Pastor BE:
I've noticed the same thing. Back before Progressive
Dispensationalism, it was fun to discuss with Dallas
Seminary people how God was working with Israel.
Now, either God is not working in Israel anymore after
4,000 years or the seminary has changed.
— Zola
Dear Mr. Levitt: Whenever I get homesick for Israel, I watch your show. I am Jewish, very Jewish, but I really appreciate the fact that Israel has Christian friends such as you. I am American, but my son and his wife are Israeli and my wife and I have spent many months in Israel from time to time. Right now, terrible things are happening in Israel. Jewish tourists have stopped visiting, but to your credit, the Christians are still coming. The Palestinian Authority is tearing up and destroying all of the evidences of the first and second Temples on the Temple mount and the Israeli government is afraid to stop them. The PA is also saying that there never was a Jewish Temple on the Mount or anywhere in Jerusalem. If you deny the existence of the Temple, you deny the foundations of Christianity as well as Judaism. I am very familiar with the New Testament and I know that many of the most important things that happened to Jesus, happened in or near the second Temple. The world is turning against Israel. More and more I hear and see statements that the Jewish people have no right to be in Israel, that it is Arab land, that the Jews (and by implication, the Christians) do not belong there. The Arab voices are strengthened by their total faith in Islam, and also even more by their oil. Even our own government is slowly turning toward the Palestinian view. There are many Christian friends of Israel in America and many organizations. None of these organizations have as high a profile as you and your organization. Jewish leaders should have come to you for help long ago, but they just don't realize that we are in trouble, all of us. I am asking you, on behalf of Jewish Americans and on behalf of Israel (my son has risked his life in a super elite Israeli fighting force and he may soon have to do this again), please do what only you can do to let Mr. Bush, our President, know that many of his supporters also support Israel and also support the right of Jews to return to Israel as is prophesied in both the Old and the New Testaments. — AK
Dear AK:
I deeply appreciate your letter and I am forwarding a copy of it along
with a note from me to President Bush. Please know that I believe he has
more of a heart for Israel than he is able to show publicly.
— Zola
Dear Brother Zola: AMEN, AMEN,AMEN. I teach in a small Seminary in an area where most preachers confuse Israel and the Church, and have done so for many years. In my theology classes, I receive many a strange look when I first state that they are totally different. But, praise His name, most students see the truth after they see it pointed out in Scripture. I am thankful for your work and pray for you daily. — JS
Dear Zola: I notice at the end of your TV program [Zola Levitt Presents], you featured videos ranging in prices from $79 to $19 to $8. I hesitate to accuse you of using Schroeder in an attempt to sell books and videos, but it does seem to appear that way. I hope that is not the case. I have never written you before, but I do so now as an admirer. Zola, I urge you to discontinue your sale of this secular attempt to gain favor with God and man and return to the Biblical principles you so eloquently proclaim. Instead of praise and encouragement, Dr. Schroeder needs the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for him, but don't promote him. DC
Dear DC:
Distribution of Bible teaching materials, which is worthwhile to
believers and unbelievers both before and after the Rapture, generates
only 20% of our income. The rest comes mainly from contributions. Since
you haven't made any purchases or donations to date, how would you
propose that we pay for producing and broadcasting TV programs and
printing and mailing newsletters?
Dr. Schroeder could come to faith anytime during his periodic fellowship
with Zola and our production crew. So far, his scientific knowledge has
helped many a Christian to believe more literally what the Bible says
about creation. Beyond that, thousands of unbelievers have overcome an
obstinate hurdle to belief in God — reconciling what they thought
were major differences between the Bible and sound scientific
principles.
Your admiration of our work for the Lord will increase if you come to
agree that we sell and ship teaching materials in accordance with God's
will to glorify Him.
— Mark Levitt
Presbyterian Minister Parts With Church
Bartlesville, Okla. — A minister has resigned from First
Presbyterian Church for the same reasons that some believe a whole
denomination could split. The Rev. Kent Adrian believes that the
Presbyterian Church (USA) no longer holds "a meaningful view on the
authority of Scripture...."
Actually, this denomination (PCUSA) split in 1973 over Scriptural issues
and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was formed. The PCA states
that "it separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States
(Southern) in opposition to the long-developing theological liberalism
which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority
of Scripture."
— Zola
Islamic Jihad "Paradise" CampsThe Jerusalem Post Islamic Jihad is running four camps in the Gaza Strip at which 8-to-12-year-olds learn the importance of becoming a suicide bomber, Channel 2 reported last night. At these "Paradise Camps," children undergo military training and view films of the "venerable martyrs" who die while killing Israelis. BBC footage screened on Channel 2 showed the children marching in formation and practicing martial arts. "We are teaching the children that suicide bombs make Israeli people frightened and we are allowed to do it," a camp counselor told the BBC crew. "We teach them that after a person becomes a suicide bomber he reaches the highest level of paradise." Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer called the footage shocking. "It shows how they are teaching their children to attack and plant bombs, while children in Israel are attending camps and singing songs of peace and life," he said. A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority told Channel 1 last night that the PA will order a closure to the camps. The PA also insists that at its official Fatah-run summer camps, the children are taught nothing of a military nature.
In the midst of battling the constant barrage of unfair reports in the media against Israel, sometimes you just have to roll your eyes and laugh a bit at the ridiculous extremes to which some will go to discredit the Jews, as the following piece makes me do! — Zola
Reporting The Bare EssentialsThe Jerusalem Post JERUSALEM (August 15) — The Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat al-Jadedah reported on its front page yesterday that "the occupation is using naked women to hunt down Intifada youth." The article said that last Friday, during a clash at the Karni Junction, a woman soldier suddenly appeared on top of a tank. "She started to take off her clothes in front of the demonstrators until she was [nearly] naked. Some of the protesters said they were disgusted by it, while others said the Zionist soldier made rude gestures at them," the Palestinian paper reported. "When they approached to throw stones at her, the female soldier whipped out a pistol from her underwear and shot at their heads," the paper said, adding that two were killed and nine wounded. Two Palestinians were in fact killed in clashes there Friday, after a mob hurled hand grenades at the troops and they returned fire. The IDF [Israel Defense Force] spokesman initially refused to even comment on the report, but later said it was completely ridiculous. "There is no truth to these lies, which are the product of Palestinian incitement and propaganda," the IDF said.
The fantasy of the pistol-toting naked woman soldier joins other
Palestinian claims denied by Israeli officials that the IDF was dropping
poisoned candy from airplanes and firing depleted uranium shells.
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Copyright © 2001 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.
Last month we ran Cal Thomas' straightforward proposal advocating the
eviction of the Palestinians from the Land of Israel. On the heels of
the latest bombings in Jerusalem, the piece below, excerpted from
WASHINGTON POST writer Charles Krauthammer, comes alongside Thomas' from
a different angle. Israeli restraint is not working and it's time to act
decisively. But will they? Write me and let me hear your opinion. Please
mark your envelope "Lightning." — Zola
Israel doesn't reoccupy Palestinian cities. Israeli troops stay only the
few days necessary to (1) begin building a wall of separation between
Palestinian and Israeli territory and (2) evacuate the more far-flung
Israeli settlements. With a new border consolidated, Israel withdraws.
Return to Index
The Seminary leaders have maintained all along that Progressive
Dispensationalism does not contradict the lengthy and detailed doctrinal
statement (now called "statement of faith") that all Dallas Theological
Seminary professors are required to sign annually. However, many
outstanding Biblical scholars do not agree with that assessment. Such
DTS theologians as Dr. Ryrie, Dr. Lightner, Dr. Toussaint, Dr. Ice, Dr.
Thomas and numerous others vigorously argue that the views of
Progressive Dispensationalism seriously depart from the dispensational
provision that there must be no confusion between the dispensations,
especially those of Law, Grace and the Millennium. One of the basic
tenets of Progressive Dispensationalism is that Christ is now seated on
the throne of David in Heaven. The throne of David is the manifestation
of the kingdom of heaven on earth when the Lord establishes it at
His return. To imagine that the Lord is reigning from the throne of
David now is to confuse greatly the dispensations of Grace and
Millennium.
It occurred to me recently that the reason Moody Bible Institute, Dallas
Theological Seminary, Talbot, Biola, and other schools have virtually
stopped teaching End Times prophecy is related to the love of money. Our
ministry teaches that the Lord is coming soon. This is what the Bible
instructs and it seems very apparent in our world today. Typically, when
I speak in a church and am asked when I think the Tribulation will
start, I can only say, "If it started tomorrow morning, it should
surprise no Bible student." I have said the same on national television.
I am not expending my efforts trying to cultivate long-term investments
or huge donations, but merely to teach what the Scriptures say about the
End Times.
Again, matching crime for crime (we don't have these terrorist murders
occurring in the U.S. at the moment), the homicide rate in any city here
of similar size to Jerusalem is exponentially higher than in Israel.
Even significantly lower population cities such as Kansas City and
Atlanta are tremendously more dangerous than Jerusalem. Take into
account that Jerusalem is not a country village or a Midwest state
capital; it's a highly visible, multi-ethnic international city. And
remember, this data did not originate from some pro-Israeli group, but
from three independent government sources. The facts are clear: living
in the U.S. is inherently more dangerous on a day-to-day basis than
living in Israel.