FROM JOSHUA & CALEB COLSON,
THE BEARDED BIBLE BROTHERS^®

During the month of October this year, Jews continue celebrating the fall Feasts of the Lord. Yom Kippur — the great Day of Atonement — leads to Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. Jewish people probably have more holiday time off than any other group — we have much to celebrate and remember.

As we have often noted, the seven Feasts of the Lord noted in Leviticus chapter 23 are “Pillars in Time.” These mo’edim (“feasts,” Lev. 23:2) aren’t merely God’s appointed times; they are literal prophecy!

John Parsons, the gifted scholar who writes the monthly Hebrew Lesson in our Levitt Letter, has studied the Hebrew Scriptures to understand their deeper meaning. (Please see his Hebrew primer.) On his website, Hebrew4Christians.com, John discusses the mo’edim and explains the patterns in God’s cycles of time:

Instead of thinking of time as a linear sequence of events (i.e., the measurement of linear, progressive motion), Jewish thinking tends to regard it in terms of a spiral or “helix,” with a forward progression delimited by an overarching (and divine) pattern that recurs cyclically through the weeks, months, and years of life.*

Albert Einstein, while studying field theories and the effects of gravity on light, deduced that time-space is curved. Therefore, some people think that time is circular, where reaching the end of time would then return to the beginning. While this is a fair assumption, it’s not quite reality.

As Parsons explains, the Hebrew word for “year” — shanah — shares the same root as the Hebrew words for “repeat” and “change.” Thus, he states: “The idea of the ‘Jewish year’ implies ongoing ‘repetition’ … or an enduring ‘review’ of the key prophetic events of redemptive history as they are relived in our present experiences.”

Think of the implications! Like the helix code of our DNA, time is moving forward in a cyclical motion. Specific events repeat, connected to the previous events, as so-called pillars or points in time. The mo’edim are prophetic — recurring pillars that man cannot move — even though Daniel 7:25 explains that the Beast will try to change the mo’edim during the Tribulation. The appointed times point to our coming eternal redemption; likewise, they are necessary reminders of the past.

This is how God must see beyond time — past, present, and future together as one helix. Isaiah 46:9–10 asserts: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done….” The Lord sees the end from the beginning — He is the Alpha and Omega.

Everything God does has a purpose; there’s “a time for every purpose under Heaven” (Ecc. 3:1). He knew you before time and purposed you for His good pleasure. You’re not an accident of evolution. Everyone has a calling, a destiny, a purpose! Therefore, seasons are important — they lead us step by step along the path of time, so we grow and press on to fulfill our destiny.

Throughout Scripture, Yom Kippur is associated with the great and terrible Day of the Lord — the Day of Judgment that concludes the Tribulation. But there is more than one Day of the Lord, and they are usually linked with the Year of Jubilee. Judgment and restoration mark these days: Evil people get their recompense, while the righteous receive their redemption. Good and evil actions happen simultaneously. On that final Day of the Lord, Yeshua will rescue His Jewish people in Jerusalem from annihilation while treading the winepress of His wrath and decimating the Beast’s evil forces.

The past three years of the fall mo’edim have been memorable for us. On Yom Kippur 2022, Caleb was rushed to the emergency room with a ruptured appendix. At the same time, Zola’s son Mark Levitt was pitching the Bearded Bible Brothers as a new TV program to Ken Berg (our former television show producer for four decades). During the 2023 fall mo’edim, we were in Israel to create our first television series, Roadmap to Armageddon, as the new teachers of Zola Levitt Ministries. While filming on the final day of Sukkot — October 7, 2023 — Hamas invaded Israel.

Last October 2024, Zola Levitt Ministries brought its television production in-house, and we brothers became the producers, after which we traveled to Maine to film our first series as the Bearded Bible Brothers. God has brought radical changes to ZLM and our lives during these cyclical seasons. Who knows what life-changing events God has in store for the fall mo’edim this year?

We believe that the Lord works everything together for our good (Rom. 8:28). As you read Sarah Liberman’s letter that follows, remember God’s promises to and love for Israel.

Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim! — “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:6),

P.S. Year by year, your faithful love gifts continue to fund our Gospel outreach to Israel and everywhere else. Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!

FROM SARAH, OUR SABRA
ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Shalom from the Holy Land. In the early hours of November 24, 2021, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency, or ISA) banged on the door of an unsuspecting Israeli Jewish woman of Persian descent. They blindfolded and handcuffed her in front of dazed family members and confiscated all the phones and computers in the house.

For over two months, Afsana Mazloumian’s family didn’t know what had happened to her. They went to the nearest police station, only to learn that they couldn’t contact her or know her location; nor could they tell anyone that she was gone.

Afsana made aliyah (a Jewish person’s immigration to Israel) from Iran at age 17 but never forgot her beloved family who remained in Iran or her Persian heritage. One day a young contractor named “Rambod Namdar” contacted her on Facebook. Claiming that he was from a wealthy Jewish family in Iran and was considering making aliyah, he asked for her help. Afsana was delighted and replied that she would do anything he needed.

While she never saw Rambod except for his Facebook profile picture, he sent her voice messages in which he spoke a mixture of Hebrew and Farsi. Among many other requests, he asked her to transfer money to another woman in Israel, whom he claimed was in financial need, and to photograph locations of interest to him in Israel.

Only after Afsana sat in front of ISA investigators did she discover that Rambod was an Iranian handler who had recruited several women and was building a spy network within Israel. The money she transferred to the other woman was actually payment for assignments performed. Thus, the unsuspecting Afsana was formally accused of contact with a foreign agent, a crime that carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Spy Games

A disturbing reality has recently emerged in Israel. In the past two years, over 50 cases have gone to court accusing ordinary Israelis of colluding with Iranian intelligence. While no specific motive fits every situation, the primary enticement appears to be financial, though sometimes the payouts were not large.

The Iranian spy playbook followed a predictable pattern. Persian-or Russian-speaking operatives first approached Israelis online — often via the Telegram app — and asked them to perform simple “errands.”

Some who agreed to assist were Jewish immigrants from the Caucasus region. Others included a Bedouin teacher and an IDF soldier who revealed information about successful Iranian strikes that Israel did not disclose during the 12-Day-War in June 2025.

In January 2025, police noted that two 21-year-old IDF reservists — including one from an Iron Dome unit — passed “sensitive material” for as little as $50. Others received thousands of dollars in cash and/ or cryptocurrency, with three Russian nationals acting as couriers inside Israel. Several reports describe a Turkish facilitator and meetings in Turkey to secure contacts.

The pattern followed classic tradecraft: normalize minor tasks, test obedience, and then escalate. Initial activities seemed harmless, such as hanging a poster, filming a street, or tagging a wall. Eventually, the missions involved sensitive surveillance or even kinetic preparation. In one such case, a handler allegedly offered to fly two young Israelis abroad for weapons training to assassinate a “top Israeli scientist.” Another suspect admitted to moving a grenade between dead drops and filming a missile interception.

Often, the Israelis supposedly had little or no idea about the severity of their actions. Though the Iranian operatives offered “easy money” and promised no consequences, those assurances proved worthless.

Easy Money, Heavy Price

This espionage activity shocked and appalled most people in Israel. Many consider the spies to be traitors, even if their actions were deemed small. But while the interior minister sought to revoke citizenship for suspects convicted of espionage, the courts have emphasized deterrence in sentencing.

In July 2025, Israeli counterintelligence officials launched “Easy Money, Heavy Price.” This public-awareness campaign warned Israelis that cooperating with Iran can lead to a life sentence in prison. Radio and social-media spots cautioned, “For NIS 5,000 [about $1,500], is it worth ruining your family?” The initiative publicized the widespread anger and anxiety about Israelis spying for Iran. Clearly, the social stigma against this activity is severe, and the state is broadcasting it loudly. In addition, the ISA promoted a “see something, say something” effort to encourage Israelis to contribute tips about anyone who might be involved in espionage.

Iran’s Successes

During the June 2025 12-Day War, Iran was more successful than Israel cared to admit related to hitting sensitive locations. These included secret bases, important military infrastructure, and other meaningful targets — including the large hospital that was damaged in the south of the country. It’s highly likely that the activity of Israeli accomplices enhanced the accuracy of Iran’s knowledge about those locations.

Reports from Israel, however, stressed that the war’s tempo was determined by strategic choices and capabilities such as Israeli airpower and the U.S. involvement, not by a handful of crowdsourced spies. Still, even marginal value matters in a short, intense campaign; thus, the counterintelligence drag on Israel — investigations, prosecutions, public messaging — was real.

What’s Next?

Clearly, Iran has industrialized micro-recruitment: broad online outreach, small payouts, and many tasks. The country is willing to weaponize almost anyone — teens, immigrants, the unemployed, even reservists — for surveillance and/or intimidation. This remains a concern because quiet reports inside Israel suggest that Iran and Israel are preparing for a second round of this conflict.

As Bible believers in Israel, we take comfort that “indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). We are so grateful for your prayers and ask that you continue to stand with God’s purposes for Israel.

Im tirdefu lada-at oto —“Press on to know HIM!” (Hosea 6:3 NLT)

Many blessings from Israel,

Sarah Liberman

 

P.S. I join Joshua and Caleb in thanking you for continuing to support this ministry.

A Wonderful Pilgrimage

Fall is an ideal time to visit Israel. Joshua, Caleb, and our television production team are returning there this month to film a new Bible teaching series. In addition, Todd Baker and his teammate August Rosado traveled to Israel in September for another Gospel outreach to the people of Israel.

Spring also is a wonderful time to experience the land of the Bible. Israel is welcoming and hosting tour groups, so won’t you please join us? Our Bible study pilgrims — accompanied by Joshua and Caleb — will visit Biblical locations that bring Scripture to life.

To reserve your place or receive more information, contact Sandra, our tour manager, at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or via levitt.com/tours.

Spring Tour 2026 options
Deluxe — Israel Mar. 16–Mar. 26 $5,488
Grand Petra — Israel & Petra Mar. 16–Mar. 29 $6,888
Prices include tips, taxes, and airline surcharges (subject to change).

Bearded Bible Brothers^® TV programs in October

This month, we complete The Lobstermen series, which reveals what it takes to be a fisher of men — a lobsterman. This is followed by three stand-alone programs featuring discussions with several notable guests who discuss anti-Semitism, Iran, Israel, and more.

The Lobstermen

The Last Trumpet! — The Lobstermen follow Caleb’s lead to a traditional autumn experience at Treworgy Family Orchards as the brothers teach about the upcoming Rapture of the Bride of Messiah.

Stand-Alone Programs

Olivier Melnick and the Rise of Antisemitism — Joshua and Caleb meet their friend Olivier Melnick of Shalom in Messiah Ministries. Following Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, no one could have predicted the meteoric rise of anti-Semitism against the Jewish people — except Olivier!

Showdown with Iran — The Bearded Bible Brothers join Dr. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries to learn more about Iran’s endgame for Israel. Joshua and Caleb also talk with Avi Lipkin, who shares his take on Iran’s next steps of retaliation against the Jewish State.

Bearded Bible Banter — Joshua and Caleb have started a podcast called the Bearded Bible Banter. This program features portions of their interviews with Chaim Malespin, Joshua Aaron, Jeff Futers, Christian Widener, Mondo Gonzales, and others.

For an expanded description of each BBB TV program, please visit levitt.com/schedule.