Revisited – Zola Promoted! 

Author’s note: In thinking on the many Heaven-Sent friends in ministry I’ve known over my many years, my spirit is convicted to once again post my memory of an especially gifted and powerful brother for the Great Cause of Christ.

I wanted this re-posted commentary to be relevant to these times and wanted it to be about a recognized personage that most of you will, I believe, remember well because of his profound presence through his TV ministry “Zola Levitt Presents.”

Nothing of the past could be more relevant to this present time than matters involving God’s chosen people, the Jews, and His chosen nation, Israel. Zola Levitt personified God’s Love for His nation and people. It is with a most Beloved memory that I present again this commentary about someone I look so forward to being with again one Eternal day.

This article was originally posted on April 24, 2006.

Zola Promoted!

It was at the Sherlock Bali prophecy conference at Branson, Missouri, a number of summers ago. Several of us were standing around the hotel lobby just outside the main conference room where the lectures and presentations were taking place. My great friend, Zola Levitt, was finished with his presentation and was making his way through the lobby.

Someone of our group had just asked where in the Bible it explains when the Old Testament saints will be resurrected. About that time, Zola grabbed me, and smiling, with that little laugh he always had, answered the question instantly when one of us asked it directly of him. He went into detail. He was one who was tremendously qualified to go into detail. There were few with the knowledge Zola had. Then, when he was asked when he might be coming out with another book, he patted my back and said, “Ask Terry; he’s my publisher.” (Zola wrote many chapters for me in my books of compilation.)

That bit of kindness, I assure, could have caused a mighty swelled head –if it hadn’t caused such a lump in my throat from the emotion in my humbled heart.

That’s just the kind of friend Zola was. I loved him very much and will, for all eternity. He was and is my brother forever.

Zola, of course, died last Wednesday, April 19, after a brief battle with one of the most virulent forms of cancer. He had been diagnosed in February of 2006.

When asked about the cancer that –barring a decision by the Lord to perform a miraculous physical healing—would end his life on earth, Zola, with that typical little humorous chuckle he was famous for, said, “If the Lord wants to give me a promotion, I certainly don’t object.” He wasn’t being flippant. He meant it with all his heart.

Zola received his promotion last Wednesday. Now his assignments will far exceed even the things to do for God’s service he was assigned while in this mortal flesh. His gifts were far beyond those given most of us. Perhaps that was because God knew His servant, Zola, would make full use of what he was given.

Zola Levitt certainly did that, and the world is a more eloquent realm for his having performed his services as a very special royal ambassador.

Iran Leader Uses Prophetic Language

Thinking about Zola made the recent, vitriolic talk by the Iranian leader all the more significant. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ranted about the thing Zola Levitt loved most, second only to His Lord and Savior–the nation Israel. About God’s chosen people, the Iranian tyrant said: “The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm” (“Iran Leader: Israel Will Be Annihilated,” April 14, 2006, Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press writer).

Those who follow the “Zola Levitt Presents” TV program or “The Levitt Letter” know Zola many times addressed Israel as the “fig tree.” He specifically dealt with the following prophecy, given by the Lord Jesus himself:

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matt. 24:32-33).

Those of us who recognize Israel as the key indicator of the lateness of the hour know that far from being “a rotten, dried tree,” like the Iranian dictator proclaims, the nation Israel is putting forth the new growth of its modern nationhood. It is the most productive nation in the Middle East by far and takes second place to no country in the world, so far as contributing to the advancement of civilization is concerned.

So, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s vile words are the antithesis of God’s prophetic truth. Israel is, rather than a dried-up tree, a live, vibrant one that is the center of the world of nations, especially from the viewpoint of international media and the international community. The Iranian president’s declaration that Israel “will be eliminated by one storm” will one day be proven satanically false by a Persian tyrant’s own forces. We see the prophecy concerning this in the following:

“Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land” (Ezek. 38:9-12).

We are told what will happen in this “storm” against God’s chosen people:

“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Ezek. 38:18-22). 

The modern-day Persian leader, Ahmadinejad, is deceived and deluded by the same creature that leads all who oppose God in the direction opposite of the Lord’s ways. My great friend Zola knew there is only one way, and that is Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

That’s why the newly promoted Zola Levitt, even before his elevation to a higher position, always ended his time before us with words about the Prince of Peace: “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.”

–Terry

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We Are So Close to Jesus’ Appearing

It almost feels a bit surreal. I have been aware of the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy at least since my seminary days in the late 1970s. As a young pastor, I spent many Sunday evenings teaching through the book of Daniel, highlighting its prophecies. During the past ten years, I have often written about the peace covenant that the antichrist will make with Israel (Daniel 9:27).

Now, as I watch the world clamoring to bring peace to the Mideast by seeking to impose a peace accord upon Israel, I wonder, “How much closer can we get to the Tribulation without the Rapture happening?”

Just this past July 28-29, the nations met at the UN to agree upon a resolution aimed at bringing peace to the Middle East. The US and Israel didn’t send representatives to the meetings, but almost every other country attended. The result of this assembly was a document entitled, “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.” The formal UN vote on the document is set for this September at its annual gathering.

The Prophetic Implications

In many ways, this conclave and resulting declaration are what we might expect to happen during the period of time leading up to the start of Daniel’s seventieth week.

First, the document uses the phrase “peace and security” five times. The words “peace” or “peaceful” occur twenty-eight times, while “security” appears twenty-four times. We are living at a time when the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:3 are coming to life:

“While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

In the context of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, the apostle refers to the devastation that will come upon the world at the beginning of the “Day of the Lord,” which happens after the Rapture. The world’s cries for “peace and security” tell us that our remaining time on earth is rapidly ending. Jesus is coming soon.

Second, the late July get-together of nations signals the future fulfillment of Zechariah 12:2-3:

“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.”

I believe the “siege of Jerusalem” is a reference to Armageddon, which happens at the end of the Tribulation. However, the recent conclave in New York appears to be a warmup to what’s ahead as the nations gathered to impose their will upon Israel. Do they really believe that taking land away from Israel will bring security to the nation? It didn’t work so well with Gaza.

Third, the text of Daniel 9:27 implies that the antichrist will take an existing covenant and make it stronger. It’s highly unlikely that the statement recently approved in New York will be the text that kicks off this last week of years, or what we know as the seven-year Tribulation. However, the fact that there’s such a declaration of peace already in place is a momentous step toward the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.

Roadblocks

Although the July 28-29 UN agreement is noteworthy, it faces at least a couple of roadblocks that, at least for the moment, keep it from resulting in the covenant of Daniel 9:27.

First, Israel will never agree to its terms. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often stated that a return to the pre-1967 borders, which the New York declaration demands, would be suicidal for Israel.

In Isaiah 28:14-18, the Lord referred to Israel’s future peace accord with the antichrist as “a covenant of death” and chastised its future leaders for agreeing to it. By the time Israel comes to terms with the antichrist, its leaders will accept the terms of the covenant. That won’t happen with the current UN plan, but it will when the antichrist comes to power.

Second, Israel can stand firm in its resistance to the UN accord because it has the strong backing of the US and President Donald Trump. We saw this in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that he would recognize a Palestinian State in September. The Trump administration quickly voiced its disapproval of Macron’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state.

Reuters quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio as saying that the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.” In a post on X, he said about Macron’s statement, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

President Trump has repeatedly voiced strong disapproval of the willingness of France, Canada, and other nations to formally recognize a Palestinian State. With his staunch support, Israel can emphatically say no to any UN imposition of terms that claim to “guarantee” its peace.

The Missing Piece

The covenant of Daniel 9:27 cannot happen until the antichrist appears on the world scene and is capable of assuring Israel that he can guarantee its future peace, at least for seven years. So, what needs to happen to take us from the calls to recognize a Palestinian State to the start of the Tribulation?

The Rapture is the missing piece to the puzzle. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, the man of lawlessness can’t make himself known until the Lord removes the Restrainer, which happens when He takes us up to Heaven. We won’t be here when the antichrist inks his deal with Israel.

Once the Rapture happens, the other events leading to the Daniel 9:27 peace covenant will rapidly take place. A greatly weakened America will create a void, leaving Israel without the protection of a powerful ally. The Bible doesn’t provide us with the details of how the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel might lead to the Daniel 9:27 peace accord or even if it will, but I believe that after the Rapture, prophetic events will accelerate even faster than their current rapid pace.

As you know, a powerful 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia on July 28, the last day of the New York meeting and its formalization of its intent to divide the Land God gave to Israel. Perhaps the timing of one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded was a coincidence, but I think it displayed God’s displeasure of what happened at the UN that same day.

We live at a time like no other. So many signs herald the rapidly approaching start of the seven-year Tribulation, and before that, our departure. Regardless of what happens at the UN this coming September, the New York declaration tells us that Jesus’ appearing is not only imminent but could possibly happen very, very soon.

Maranatha!!

-Jonathan