The Jewish roots of Christianity

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Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity

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Episode: “ZLP: Our Past”
We review the series presented in 2019 — Warrior King, Divine Deliverance, Psalms of Ascent and Return to Eden. The Harts interview Mark Levitt and Dr. Jeffrey Seif and show a video retrospective: 40 years of Zola Levitt Presents.

Caption transcript for “ZLP: Our Past”

  • 00:01 ♪♪♪
  • 00:05 male announcer: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God
  • 00:08 for Israel is that they might be saved.
  • 00:11 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek,
  • 00:14 for the same Lord over all is rich unto all
  • 00:17 that call upon him.
  • 00:20 "Zola Levitt Presents."
  • 00:22 ♪♪♪
  • 00:29 David Hart: Thank you so much for joining us today on
  • 00:31 "Zola Levitt Presents," I'm David Hart.
  • 00:34 Kirsten Hart: I'm Kirsten Hart.
  • 00:35 Jeffrey Seif: And I'm nostalgic Jeffrey Seif here.
  • 00:37 And I say nostalgic, I'm thinking back to the old
  • 00:39 Mickey Mouse days.
  • 00:41 I remember at the end there was a song,
  • 00:42 "Now it's time to say goodbye."
  • 00:44 Now, we're not saying goodbye, we're saying hello, but we are
  • 00:49 changing a name.
  • 00:51 "Zola Levitt Presents" is going to morph a little bit.
  • 00:53 Same program, same people, but...
  • 00:56 David Hart: A lot has changed in 40 years.
  • 00:58 This is a change.
  • 01:00 Bible prophecy, a lot has stayed the same, yes?
  • 01:03 Jeffrey Seif: Yes, and a lot has changed with this ministry, not
  • 01:06 least of which is the fact is that Zola Levitt has not
  • 01:09 presented for well over a dozen years.
  • 01:11 He's gone on to his reward.
  • 01:13 And the thinking was that the ministry needed to reflect
  • 01:17 more what Zola was all about rather than build
  • 01:20 around his person, his name.
  • 01:23 Kirsten Hart: Some of you are watching us right now
  • 01:25 and thinking, "What are they talking about?"
  • 01:28 If you only watch us here on a station, a local station,
  • 01:33 or Daystar, please know that we are remaining the same.
  • 01:37 The three of us will be here.
  • 01:39 The set will look the same.
  • 01:40 Zola Levitt Ministries is now presenting this program
  • 01:44 as "Our Jewish Roots."
  • 01:46 And also, just to let you know, you can find us on YouTube, we
  • 01:51 have our own YouTube channel, and on Facebook, and levitt.com.
  • 01:55 So, much is staying the same.
  • 01:57 Just the name is changing.
  • 01:59 Jeffrey Seif: Yes it is, and I think it's
  • 02:02 a good thing personally.
  • 02:04 Zola in his day--now of course, it's been well over
  • 02:07 a dozen years.
  • 02:09 People that have watched this program for years have seen me
  • 02:11 for many of them teaching, and we've been carrying
  • 02:15 on with the work, but we just kept the name.
  • 02:18 It's a brand name, in effect, in Christian television.
  • 02:22 This--under this name has gone on for over 40 years.
  • 02:25 Most programs don't go four seasons.
  • 02:28 And so, there was some reluctance to change the name,
  • 02:31 but finally the board had prevailed.
  • 02:35 Let's do it.
  • 02:36 So, it was done.
  • 02:38 David Hart: You just got back from Israel and did
  • 02:39 a whole series.
  • 02:41 We also do dramatic reenactments there and it seems like we're
  • 02:44 trying to do a lot more with less finances.
  • 02:47 We need your support and we thank you for that.
  • 02:50 What's up for this year, do you think?
  • 02:52 Jeffrey Seif: Well, a lot of good things.
  • 02:54 New series coming out.
  • 02:55 We haven't rolled back production at all.
  • 02:59 New series, a redo of a series on Paul, a great series
  • 03:04 on Joshua just rolled out.
  • 03:07 We have just so many good things in the can.
  • 03:09 Need the help.
  • 03:10 Kirsten Hart: And we're building on the legacy of Zola Levitt,
  • 03:13 and I think he would like this.
  • 03:15 Jeffrey Seif: I think so as well, too,
  • 03:18 that we've been carrying on.
  • 03:20 I mean, it would be one thing if Zola went to be with the Lord
  • 03:21 last year and then we're, "Uh, uh, what are we going to do?"
  • 03:24 But it's been well over a dozen.
  • 03:25 David Hart: I'd like to tell our folks, our viewers,
  • 03:27 to don't panic, don't worry.
  • 03:30 It's all staying the same except for the name change.
  • 03:32 Jeffrey Seif: I wonder if we care more than they do.
  • 03:33 At the end of the day, people have their own issues and their
  • 03:36 own problems.
  • 03:37 David Hart: True.
  • 03:38 Jeffrey Seif: People in their living rooms, in their homes,
  • 03:40 in their head, what they call this television program is I
  • 03:44 think less important at the end of the day to them.
  • 03:47 The anxiety, don't panic, is probably with us, you know,
  • 03:50 because will it carry on?
  • 03:53 That's why people vote with their dollars.
  • 03:55 If you like what we do, please show it at year end by making
  • 04:00 a generous donation and say to us, by virtue of your
  • 04:03 so doing, "We support you.
  • 04:05 Call it what you will.
  • 04:06 We're all about the good news to the eyes of the Jews and we
  • 04:09 love what you're doing."
  • 04:10 Kirsten Hart: We are going to carry on into 2020.
  • 04:12 New programs, new vision, but right now on "Zola Levitt
  • 04:17 Presents," we wanna give you a look at what we brought you
  • 04:21 in 2019.
  • 04:24 David Hart: 2019 began with the story of David,
  • 04:26 originally presented in 2009.
  • 04:29 It's "The Warrior King: David-like Leadership
  • 04:32 in Goliath-like Times."
  • 04:34 ♪♪♪
  • 04:44 ♪♪♪
  • 04:54 ♪♪♪
  • 05:04 ♪♪♪
  • 05:14 male announcer: And so it was that Saul would use his sword
  • 05:18 one last time.
  • 05:21 ♪♪♪
  • 05:31 ♪♪♪
  • 05:34 Jeffrey Seif: The expression, "To fall upon one's sword,"
  • 05:38 speaks of someone taking their own life.
  • 05:41 And we're at a place in David's life where he's learned that his
  • 05:46 nemesis has fallen upon his own sword.
  • 05:52 male announcer: In the anointing of David, we witnessed the birth
  • 05:55 of the new kingdom, a kingdom which we prayed
  • 05:59 would never pass away.
  • 06:02 ♪♪♪
  • 06:12 ♪♪♪
  • 06:17 Jeffrey Seif: I'm coming to you from the City of David.
  • 06:21 At the southern part of what's known as the Temple Complex
  • 06:25 today lie these ruins that have been here for centuries.
  • 06:30 And I'm coming to you, yes, from the Acropolis, the very
  • 06:34 place, if you can imagine that.
  • 06:37 It's one of the benefits of teaching here from Israel.
  • 06:40 We don't just tell the Bible story, we can give individuals
  • 06:43 a window into it, and what a story this is.
  • 06:50 male announcer: From the beginning, our Creator
  • 06:52 revealed his will to the common man.
  • 06:56 Individuals listened to his call and responded in obedience.
  • 07:01 From the first Hebrew Avraham to the culmination of salvation
  • 07:05 in Messiah himself, the Lord faithfully intervenes with his
  • 07:13 "Divine Deliverance."
  • 07:16 David Hart: In our new series, "Divine Deliverance," we
  • 07:18 examined how the Lord offered a message of salvation
  • 07:22 through 12 significant Bible characters, beginning
  • 07:24 with faithful Abraham and culminating with
  • 07:27 the Messiah himself.
  • 07:29 There is enlightened dramatic reenactments from the past
  • 07:31 series, along with Zola's music, completely reorchestrated
  • 07:35 and sung by me and Kirsten.
  • 07:37 ♪♪♪
  • 07:42 ♪♪♪
  • 07:49 Jeffrey Seif: Deliverance comes in different ways
  • 07:52 on different days.
  • 07:54 In this program, deliverance comes through a beauty contest,
  • 08:00 and the winner is Esther, as it says in the text, chapter 2,
  • 08:06 verse 17 of the book that bears her name.
  • 08:09 male announcer: In 593 BC, Ezekiel was among the exiles
  • 08:14 by the River Chebar in Babylonia.
  • 08:16 And the heavens were opened and he saw visions of God.
  • 08:23 A whirlwind came out of the north
  • 08:26 and a brightness was about it.
  • 08:31 Jeffrey Seif: Hebrews call it the "galut."
  • 08:34 It's a word for exile.
  • 08:36 Jews were dispossessed, thrown out of the ancestral homeland.
  • 08:40 They, in effect, were refugees.
  • 08:44 ♪ Thank God you had died for me. ♪
  • 08:58 ♪♪♪
  • 09:05 ♪ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. ♪
  • 09:10 ♪ Jerusalem, may they prosper ♪
  • 09:16 ♪ love you, Jerusalem. ♪
  • 09:19 David Hart: 2019 saw the return of our eight-part series
  • 09:22 examining Psalms 120 to 134.
  • 09:26 These psalms may have been sung by ancient Jews going
  • 09:29 up to the temple in Jerusalem, but they are surprisingly
  • 09:32 appropriate and timely for believers today.
  • 09:35 With appearances by Eitan Shishkoff and singing
  • 09:38 by the great Marty Goetz, here are some highlights from our
  • 09:41 series, "Psalms of Ascent."
  • 09:46 male announcer: If it had not been the Lord who was on our
  • 09:48 side when men rose up against us, they would have
  • 09:52 swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us.
  • 09:58 Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as prey to their teeth.
  • 10:03 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven
  • 10:07 and earth.
  • 10:11 Jeffrey Seif: To be sure, war is unpleasant business.
  • 10:16 Whether it's an ancient soldier adorning a breastplate
  • 10:19 and a sword or whether it's someone stepping into a modern
  • 10:23 tank, still if you can imagine what goes on in the minds
  • 10:27 of individuals that are thrown against the prospects of their
  • 10:31 own annihilation.
  • 10:33 Eitan Shishkoff: God keeps his Word, and that sometimes it
  • 10:37 takes a few centuries for it to happen, but the Lord does not
  • 10:41 forget and he is reestablishing a community of believers
  • 10:45 in Yeshua, just as it was with the apostles in the first
  • 10:48 century right here in Israel in our times.
  • 10:54 ♪ The Lord of hosts is with us. ♪
  • 10:57 ♪ The God of Jacob is our refuge. ♪
  • 11:04 ♪ When the nations rage and all the kingdoms fall, ♪
  • 11:10 ♪ he says, "I Am, I Am." ♪
  • 11:13 male announcer: "Zola Levitt Presents."
  • 11:15 David Hart: Just last week, we wrapped up an encore
  • 11:17 presentation of "Return to Eden."
  • 11:20 In this series, Dr. Seif detailed
  • 11:21 God's response to the fall into sin by Adam
  • 11:24 and Eve in the garden of Eden, beginning with the creation
  • 11:27 of a special relationship with the people in a land,
  • 11:30 eventually leading to the Messiah.
  • 11:35 Jeffrey Seif: It's a long journey, hundreds and hundreds
  • 11:38 of miles over tough, uncharted real estate to make that trek.
  • 11:43 Something's gotta be stimulated within your heart of hearts
  • 11:46 to do it.
  • 11:48 Much as Abraham made that journey sometime back, it's
  • 11:50 interesting, Hebrews have made their way back to the ancestral
  • 11:54 homeland here, and many others too.
  • 11:57 Christians particularly come here in the tune of millions
  • 12:01 to walk where Jesus walked.
  • 12:03 There's just something about being in what's called
  • 12:06 the Holy land.
  • 12:07 "God cut a covenant with Abram, saying, I give this land
  • 12:13 to your seed."
  • 12:14 It's not just that it's given to him, that it's given
  • 12:18 to his progeny.
  • 12:20 And it's not just given for the moment, it's given
  • 12:23 in perpetuity.
  • 12:24 Now, this is a nice day here modern Israel,
  • 12:26 and the land is abuzz.
  • 12:29 People are taking time off.
  • 12:30 They work very hard to cultivate all of this to bring the miracle
  • 12:34 of Israel out of the Earth into the modern world.
  • 12:37 And there's activity, there's music, there's a kind
  • 12:40 of bustling atmosphere that brisks here.
  • 12:44 ♪♪♪
  • 12:49 ♪♪♪
  • 12:55 David Hart: We've brought so much this last year and we
  • 12:58 couldn't do this without our executive director, also
  • 13:01 the firstborn of Zola Levitt.
  • 13:03 We have Mark Levitt with us today.
  • 13:05 We're so glad you're with us.
  • 13:06 Kirsten Hart: And you're our boss, so you're our favorite.
  • 13:09 Mark Levitt: Well, good to be here, thank you.
  • 13:11 David Hart: So, you've been with the ministry for quite
  • 13:14 a while.
  • 13:15 How'd you get started?
  • 13:17 Mark Levitt: Well, in 1974, when I was 14 years old, I helped
  • 13:19 manage Zola's inventory of Bible teaching study booklets
  • 13:22 and audio cassettes.
  • 13:24 His office was in a temporary building in our backyard.
  • 13:27 The house's prior owner was a potter with a kiln back there
  • 13:31 in which he baked the clay that he'd shaped.
  • 13:34 Little did I realize I was being baked and shaped for a mission.
  • 13:37 Kirsten Hart: That's good.
  • 13:39 Mark Levitt: I also ran a lawn mowing business
  • 13:40 out of that building.
  • 13:42 Kirsten Hart: Multi-purpose room and building, that's good.
  • 13:45 Mark Levitt: Fourteen years later, I had a management degree
  • 13:47 and business experience, and became
  • 13:49 this ministry's manager.
  • 13:51 Kirsten Hart: Your dad founded all of this, I mean, years ago.
  • 13:55 You must have been five.
  • 13:56 Were you just five when he started all this?
  • 13:59 Mark Levitt: No, actually I was about 14 when he began teaching,
  • 14:03 and then the ministry came to fruition, and added the CBN
  • 14:07 and TBN networks and many local broadcasters.
  • 14:11 In 1983, Zola founded the group tour company,
  • 14:13 the Israel tour company.
  • 14:16 Over the next 36 years, we hosted 100 tours,
  • 14:19 never canceled one.
  • 14:21 Shortly thereafter Zola and Jeff created our correspondence
  • 14:24 course, a 12 month program with diplomas for those--
  • 14:27 Kirsten Hart: That we love.
  • 14:29 Mark Levitt: Oh, good, good.
  • 14:30 Kirsten Hart: We just, I mean, learn so much.
  • 14:31 That's a wonderful course.
  • 14:33 David Hart: So, you're talkin' about your dad, and we are sad
  • 14:36 that we never experienced being with him.
  • 14:40 He died in 2006, and it must have really shaken things up
  • 14:45 in the office and with the whole ministry.
  • 14:47 Tell us about how that happened.
  • 14:50 Mark Levitt: Well, it did, and then Dr. Jeffrey Seif
  • 14:52 and Zola's widow, Sandra, took Zola's place
  • 14:57 on television and in the newsletter.
  • 14:59 We continue to uphold Zola's original vision of teaching
  • 15:02 the Jewish roots of Christianity, the continuing
  • 15:06 significance of Israel and prophecy.
  • 15:08 Zola and Sandra led the tours and spoke in churches.
  • 15:11 Several years later, Sandra retired, remarried, became
  • 15:15 active with BSF, Bible Study Fellowship, where she is now
  • 15:17 a leader.
  • 15:19 Then Jeff pursued some personal goals after five years
  • 15:21 at the helm, including another PhD.
  • 15:24 After Myles and Katharine's 5 1/2 years, Jeff returned
  • 15:26 more knowledgeable than ever.
  • 15:28 Kirsten Hart: We enjoy being with him.
  • 15:30 He's funny, he's smart, and also the backdrop in Israel is just--
  • 15:34 I mean, it's just amazing.
  • 15:36 That's what we're known for on this program is
  • 15:39 the teaching is in Israel.
  • 15:40 How many times have you been?
  • 15:42 Mark Levitt: I've been about four times.
  • 15:43 Kirsten Hart: And are you ready to go back again?
  • 15:44 You should go with us on a tour.
  • 15:46 Mark Levitt: That's a great idea.
  • 15:47 That's a great idea.
  • 15:49 Kirsten Hart: We're on I would say a precipice, but we're just
  • 15:51 about to start something brand new.
  • 15:53 We're only changing the name of the program.
  • 15:56 Everything else is remaining the same.
  • 15:58 Tell us about what that looks like in the ministry.
  • 16:00 Mark Levitt: Well, we ministry workers remain sentimental
  • 16:03 about Zola's legacy as founder, later teacher.
  • 16:07 And over the years, his name recognition has faded a bit,
  • 16:13 so we believe now with a new program title, maintaining our
  • 16:18 tradition of teaching about the Jewish roots
  • 16:19 of Christianity, the continuing significance of Israel
  • 16:23 in prophecy, we can move ahead with a fresh program title,
  • 16:27 "Our Jewish Roots."
  • 16:29 Kirsten Hart: I think it's brilliant.
  • 16:30 We're excited about the change and new vision for 2020.
  • 16:34 Just real quick, as our boss and the head over the whole
  • 16:38 ministry, what do you see as the biggest challenge that we're
  • 16:41 about to enter with 2020 coming up?
  • 16:44 Mark Levitt: Well, our ministry needs more broadcasters
  • 16:47 and more viewers.
  • 16:49 In the 14 years that passed since Zola's heavenly birthday,
  • 16:53 several of our networks went away.
  • 16:55 Going forward, we'll continue the same quality, on-location,
  • 17:00 Messianic Bible teaching with a fresh name that will
  • 17:03 attract more broadcasters and viewers.
  • 17:06 Kirsten Hart: Good.
  • 17:07 Well, it's an honor for us to sit with you.
  • 17:08 You're my favorite boss.
  • 17:10 Mark Levitt: Thank you.
  • 17:11 David Hart: Thank you for joining us today.
  • 17:13 It's been a great.
  • 17:14 We're excited about 2020, but right now we want to show
  • 17:16 you some excerpts from the last 40 years.
  • 17:19 I think you'll enjoy this.
  • 17:22 ♪♪♪
  • 17:32 ♪♪♪
  • 17:42 ♪♪♪
  • 17:47 ♪♪♪
  • 17:53 male announcer: From Dallas, Texas, join Zola Levitt and this
  • 17:56 evening's guest, Bob Breunig of the Dallas Cowboys,
  • 18:00 and authors Tom McCall and Ethel Barrett, telling us what
  • 18:03 they know about Hanukkah and Christmas.
  • 18:06 From Leipzig, Germany, Johann Sebastian Bach.
  • 18:09 And we'll be taking a mini-cam look at Christmas
  • 18:12 in the Metroplex.
  • 18:13 And now, "Zola Levitt: LIVE."
  • 18:28 Zola Levitt: Hello again.
  • 18:30 Well, the best way I can tell you what we're all doing here
  • 18:31 and what--
  • 18:34 ♪♪♪
  • 18:44 ♪♪♪
  • 18:52 Zola Levitt: Commandments, huh?
  • 18:54 male: Where you come? Zola Levitt: From America.
  • 18:56 male: Welcome, first time here? First time?
  • 18:58 Zola Levitt: No, I've been here before.
  • 19:00 male: All the best to you. Zola Levitt: Thank you.
  • 19:02 male: What is your name?
  • 19:03 Zola Levitt: Zelek Ha' Levy.
  • 19:05 [speaking foreign language]
  • 19:07 Your father's name?
  • 19:08 Zola Levitt: Joseph.
  • 19:10 male: Joseph Ha'Levy. Your wife's name?
  • 19:12 Zola Levitt: Yvonne.
  • 19:14 male: Yvonne. Your children's name?
  • 19:16 Zola Levitt: What is this? I'm making a film.
  • 19:18 I really can't stop. Look at the camera.
  • 19:26 And so in that instance, I was being prayed for by one
  • 19:32 of the local rabbis.
  • 19:34 Zola Levitt: Not so much this side or that side, but watching
  • 19:37 the pilgrims and knowing how they're gonna react when we turn
  • 19:40 the bend in the road.
  • 19:42 When I know I can say, "Ladies and gentlemen, the sea
  • 19:44 of Galilee, or the Mount of Beatitudes,
  • 19:48 or the Mount of Olives," and just watching the faces.
  • 19:50 So, every one of those is special.
  • 19:53 Zola Levitt: It's the first of the feasts that God gave
  • 19:55 Moses on Mount Sinai and it has been celebrated all that time
  • 20:00 through those millennia, through the inquisitions,
  • 20:03 the crusades, the concentration camps.
  • 20:05 Everywhere the Jews were, Passover was always celebrated.
  • 20:10 Zola Levitt: Solomon's temple was a wonder of the ancient
  • 20:12 world, I should say.
  • 20:14 You can put the Great Pyramid of Egypt down three times
  • 20:18 within the walls, and the walls are similar now.
  • 20:21 We're looking straight at the southern wall.
  • 20:24 Sandra Levitt: All of a sudden we're seeing Delilah, who is
  • 20:26 just this horrible, horrible woman that did nothing
  • 20:30 except to further herself.
  • 20:32 And just, nightmare, you're right.
  • 20:35 It's every parent's nightmare.
  • 20:37 Jeffrey Seif: So, we're looking at an eight-part series.
  • 20:39 Now we're looking at one that got away.
  • 20:41 A lesson to learn about how not to be in the world, as we
  • 20:44 continue on with our story of women in the Word.
  • 20:49 Jeffrey Seif: Just finished raining in the Gaza.
  • 20:54 Gaza's right off the Mediterranean Sea,
  • 20:56 and we do get downpours every now and again.
  • 20:59 But in the break in the rain, we're getting some work done
  • 21:01 and this young lady's putting out the wash.
  • 21:04 This fellow's taking care of the roof.
  • 21:07 He'd do well to be careful.
  • 21:08 Jeffrey Seif: I believe Jesus is the hope of the world.
  • 21:11 The King of the Jews is the hope of the world.
  • 21:13 The Lord, when he ignites passions in people like these,
  • 21:17 it's beautiful.
  • 21:18 Sandra Levitt: I agree.
  • 21:20 And here's the start of the March of Bisingen.
  • 21:23 Jeffrey Seif: Here in Bisingen lies the beginning
  • 21:26 of the infamous Death March in 1945.
  • 21:29 Jeffrey Seif: Work will make you free.
  • 21:34 That slogan first came to my attention over the gates
  • 21:37 of Auschwitz and here at the front gate of Dachau.
  • 21:42 ♪♪♪
  • 21:46 ♪ Smile Israel. ♪
  • 21:50 ♪ The time to favor Zion, ♪
  • 21:52 ♪ the time to favor Zion has come. ♪
  • 21:56 ♪ The time to favor Zion, ♪
  • 21:58 ♪ the time to favor Zion has come. ♪
  • 22:05 ♪ The time has come. ♪
  • 22:07 Katharine Weiss: Beautiful music from Ted.
  • 22:08 I love hearing his passion for the Lord in the worship
  • 22:12 that he sings, yeah.
  • 22:14 ♪♪♪
  • 22:33 Katharine Weiss: Here we are in modern Israel on Jaffa
  • 22:36 Street, and we're seeing the miracle of the rebirth
  • 22:39 of Israel, because we're also seeing that God extends his
  • 22:43 blessing from Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob.
  • 22:46 Myles Weiss: And when Jacob awakens from his dream, he
  • 22:49 renames this place from Luz to Bethel, where he awakens.
  • 22:53 male: And joining me now in the studio are a couple
  • 22:55 of new faces that you're going to be seeing in the coming weeks
  • 22:58 and months.
  • 23:00 May I introduce Dave and Kirsten Hart.
  • 23:02 Welcome to "Zola Levitt Presents."
  • 23:03 Kirsten Hart: Thank you. We're thrilled to be here.
  • 23:05 David Hart: We're thrilled, and we're so honored.
  • 23:07 ♪♪♪
  • 23:15 David Hart: The Lord has done some amazing things
  • 23:17 in the last 40 years through Zola Levitt Ministries,
  • 23:20 "Zola Levitt Presents,"
  • 23:21 and I have a feeling there are some things that we
  • 23:24 may never know about that have happened through this ministry
  • 23:27 until we get to heaven.
  • 23:29 You spent some time with Zola.
  • 23:31 Jeffrey Seif: I go back with him over 30 years when I began
  • 23:34 the journey, and I've known him and the ministry for many years.
  • 23:36 I was sat at this desk for many years in his wake.
  • 23:39 David Hart: Spiritual life, did that change you at all
  • 23:41 through working with him, or?
  • 23:44 Jeffrey Seif: No, I-- well, I think our spiritual life
  • 23:46 continues to grow, and I grew more professionally
  • 23:50 by virtue of my association.
  • 23:53 And it's nice and it's lost in modernity, by the way.
  • 23:56 And by that I mean in certain trades, you start off as
  • 24:00 a journeyman, an apprentice, and you train under a master.
  • 24:04 And Zola really was a master at this, a master communicator.
  • 24:08 He was early in.
  • 24:10 He was the first, actually, as TV was emerging, to teach
  • 24:15 the Jewish views on Christian television.
  • 24:20 And you know, I benefited by virtue of association
  • 24:23 professionally with him, learning.
  • 24:25 You know, I'm not him.
  • 24:27 I'm my own man in the way I do it, but certainly my association
  • 24:31 with him was was very helpful personally.
  • 24:34 David Hart: Sure.
  • 24:35 Kirsten Hart: He was a pioneer.
  • 24:36 I mean, no one had done that before, right?
  • 24:38 At least on television.
  • 24:39 Jeffrey Seif: No, I mean, he-- most pastors get a pulpit
  • 24:41 somewhere with a choir loft behind them, a few banners
  • 24:43 or some stained glass.
  • 24:45 All of a sudden, people are looking at this guy, Zola,
  • 24:47 and he has Israel.
  • 24:48 He takes people there.
  • 24:50 Not only that, there's the name, Zola.
  • 24:51 That doesn't sound like Reverend Harris.
  • 24:53 Not only that, he would wear these first century garb.
  • 24:56 He looked it, and he took them to the--he gave people a look
  • 25:00 at the Book through the views of the Jews,
  • 25:04 and he left an indelible mark.
  • 25:05 Kirsten Hart: And now this ministry is building
  • 25:08 on his foundation.
  • 25:10 Jeffrey Seif: It's been building on it since--you know, I mean,
  • 25:11 even when he was alive, I developed this Institute
  • 25:13 of Jewish and Christian Studies.
  • 25:15 I had my own innovations at play while he was still walking
  • 25:18 the earth in his day.
  • 25:19 And in the wake of all that, I was here five years after his
  • 25:23 passing, solo teaching at the helm principally.
  • 25:25 And we really haven't lost a beat because our viewers are
  • 25:29 mature enough to realize that the vision is more important
  • 25:32 than the visionary.
  • 25:33 Kirsten Hart: As we will continue on into 2020,
  • 25:35 even with a new name, but we continue on.
  • 25:39 Jeffrey Seif: Yeah, we carry on.
  • 25:40 Kirsten Hart: New things to say and do.
  • 25:41 Jeffrey Seif: And speaking of carrying on, it's the end
  • 25:44 of the year.
  • 25:47 And I don't, and you know, we don't.
  • 25:49 It's really bragging rights to this ministry.
  • 25:51 If you look at a 30 minute program, we really spend any--
  • 25:54 we rarely spend any time talking about money.
  • 25:56 I want to ask you to put your money where my mouth is.
  • 26:01 That is to say, if you find value in broadcasting the Jesus
  • 26:07 story and the Jewish story, putting those two together where
  • 26:10 they touch and kiss, if you value that, please.
  • 26:15 Let me tell ya, it doesn't happen on the cheap.
  • 26:17 We really need you to get behind.
  • 26:21 And I want to tell you that God blesses those who bless Israel.
  • 26:25 He curses those who curse.
  • 26:27 It's a new year.
  • 26:29 There's a new day.
  • 26:31 And start off the year by sowing some seed in this field, please.
  • 26:37 It's good field.
  • 26:38 There's a good harvest to come.
  • 26:41 Help us to facilitate it, please.
  • 26:43 Like, now.
  • 26:44 David Hart: A new season is what I believe this is.
  • 26:47 We're retiring the name, "Zola Levitt Ministries Presents."
  • 26:53 Kind of a loss, you think, or excitement?
  • 26:55 Jeffrey Seif: You know, wintertime, the trees leave--
  • 26:58 they lose their leaves, but new growth comes in the spring.
  • 27:01 It's the nature of things.
  • 27:03 And our viewers realize they don't live forever, we don't
  • 27:06 live forever, but the Word of the Lord carries on
  • 27:09 l'dor v'dor, from generation to generation.
  • 27:12 Kirsten Hart: It does.
  • 27:14 If you're watching this program and you're thinking, "What are
  • 27:17 they talking about, 'Our Jewish Roots'?"
  • 27:19 This is the new name of "Zola Levitt Presents."
  • 27:23 The ministry stays the same.
  • 27:24 The three of us will still be here, same desk, same backdrop,
  • 27:28 same website, same Facebook page.
  • 27:31 No worries.
  • 27:32 Don't worry about that.
  • 27:33 It's just simply we are changing the name of our program
  • 27:35 to the heartbeat of our ministry, and it's the heartbeat
  • 27:38 of the ministry that we've had for 40 years under Zola
  • 27:42 and under you also.
  • 27:43 So don't worry about that.
  • 27:45 And this is actually, oh my gosh, our last time signing
  • 27:49 off as "Zola Levitt Presents."
  • 27:50 David Hart: We also want to wish you a wonderful, happy holiday.
  • 27:54 And we end our program like this.
  • 27:57 Jeffrey Seif: Sha'alu shalom Yerushalayim.
  • 28:00 Kirsten Hart: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
  • 28:04 ♪♪♪
  • 28:14 ♪♪♪
  • 28:20 CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING 1-800-688-6621 WWW.ABERCAP.COM
  • 28:25 male announcer: This has been a paid program brought to you
  • 28:27 by Zola Levitt Ministries.

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