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On Judgment


December 1997


by Zola Levitt

Dear Friends,

he major news of the past month, or even of the year, seems to be the visit of the Chinese "president" Jiang Zemin. The only word that comes to mind for the picture of our government officials and corporate CEOs kowtowing before this dictator who tortures prisoners, kills them and sells their organs, conquers Tibet, etc. etc., is "shame." It is religious people, particularly Christians, who he is persecuting in China. It is a shame that America behaves this way in front of the whole world. It is a shame that, in biblical terms, it will be "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil..." (Isaiah 5:20).

The dictator lied about Tianamen Square, lied about Tibet-- saying that he had, in effect, freed the slaves as President Lincoln did-- and lied about dissension in China. He lied about everything except how much money that our already rich corporations can gather from pretending they're talking to a normal head of government. Our democracy seems to hold three things in this world above all else: cash, cash, and cash. In this manner we truly promote real evil. "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10).

It bothers me that we bow to the dictator of China, because we are bowing in like manner to the Arab dictators, which damages Israel and gets my interest. With the Chinese, we get a gigantic market to buy our products. With the Arabs, we get oil to run the machines to make those products. But in both cases, we are supporting evil and helping it to do its bloody work so that we can make a profit. That is wrong. Where the Chinese dictatorship is concerned, the wrong lies in the pain and death of the best of its citizens-- those who cry out for a voice in their government and control of their land. In the case of Israel, it is the survival of the nation itself that hangs in the balance as we bow to our masters in Saudi Arabia and the other Arab capitals who support the "Palestinians."

As we go to press, there is new trouble with an old Arab dictator we forgot to eliminate, Saddam Hussein. He is evidently picking another fight with us, and this causes the Israelis to line up for gas masks again. If we don't take care of this man this time around, we're liable to get what we deserve. I just fear for the sake of Israel.

The irritating thing about profit-taking by appeasing dictators is that we ordinary citizens don't get the profits. The money that comes from the Chinese markets or the oil wells of the Arab deserts only enriches our corporations, where it is not very well distributed among the workers. It was recently published that the American CEO gets as much as 212 times the pay of his average worker (maybe with the increased profits from appeasing Chinese and Arab dictators, that will become 424 times). A number of these CEOs have earned large bonuses by firing thousands of employees, creating widespread misery for their own again in the true Chinese- government spirit. China's major prophetic significance lies in its merchandising of nuclear weapons materials, particularly to hostile Moslem dictatorships such as Iran, Syria, and Pakistan. While Jiang said they were not doing it, he's obviously lying, and his promises to not pass on those materials in the future are about as trustworthy as his promises of the past were.

As reigning King of the East, one could expect him and his forces to turn toward the enemies of Israel, since that is ultimately the role they will play in Armageddon. They will march an army against that small Holy Land, which will then be occupied by the Antichrist at the end of the age. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared" (Revelations 16:12).

Apart from the effect on Israel, there is other biblical significance to the corporate goings-on. The offense and betrayal themselves fulfill the LORD's own prophecies of the End Times. On the Mount of Olives when the disciples asked, "What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3), He answered this way: "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:10-12). In regard to Israel, He said, "...and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake" (Matthew 24:9).

In the meantime, in a majority of Christian churches, congregations are "heaping to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3). They are hearing platitudes about what to wear to church and how to properly celebrate Christmas. We are, as usual, holding a tea party with the house already on fire around us.

I'm sorry for the glum tone of this letter, but events lead me to write this way. In reality, the coming end of this age is a triumph for all believers, who, like Enoch and Elijah of old, will be translated up and out of this hopeless world [Editor's note: we believe the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah-- not Enoch and Elijah]. The Jews, like Noah, will ride out the judgment in Israel, or outside of it, until the LORD returns. And the rest of the world, as I said above, will get what it deserves.

It only remains to be said that we should be witnessing at such times. When it does seem like the end is near, the Great Commission becomes more important than ever. Tell your Jewish or Gentile friend at least this much, "I'll be leaving," and then if you do, he won't believe any delusions of the Antichrist because you will have gotten there first with the truth. If he doesn't take you seriously-- and that is usually the norm-- then you will have at least set the stage for your friend to believe in the coming Tribulation. The Tribulation period is sometimes overlooked as a time of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles.

When the LORD returns and sets up His throne of judgment and separates the sheep from the goats, He will evidently find lots of sheep. With the Jews especially, you may be selecting one of the 144,000 who will testify of the LORD in the hard times to come. "Go tell it on the mountains." "Make disciples of all nations."

Borrowed from LEVITT LETTERS
December 1997 issue

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