Because the American and Israeli struggle with Iran unfolds, some American Christians are talking of the struggle in biblical phrases, mapping end-time prophecies directly to present occasions within the Heart East.
In a sermon on March 1, 2026, as an example, John Hagee, founding father of Christians United for Israel, described the struggle as a part of a divine plan. “Prophetically, we’re right on cue,” he mentioned. Later, he prayed that “God Almighty is brought onto the battlefield and the enemies of Zion and the enemies of the United States can be destroyed before our eyes. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered.”
In the meantime, Christian singer and activist Sean Feucht referred to “the end-time open doors of what (God) is going to do in Iran when this regime is prayerfully removed.”
This kind of apocalyptic idea has roots within the nineteenth century, when many American preachers became towards extra literal readings of the Bible. The ones readings additionally emphasised the Bible’s account of God promising the “Holy Land” to Abraham and his descendants. However Christian Zionism’s affect on politics has grown during the last half-century, as I write about in my e-book “Zeal for Zion.” As of late, that mindset appears to be transferring into the halls of the American executive and the army.
Finish of an age
“Dispensationalism” is a Protestant concept that human historical past is split into other ages, or dispensations, that every spread God’s plan for the arena. Church buildings that embody it, which have a tendency to be evangelical, imagine that the present dispensation is coming to an finish. However that point can also be ushered in most effective through nice struggling, a length referred to as “Jacob’s tribulations.” Israel is where the place they imagine those tribulations will start, and the place they are going to culminate in Jesus’ 2d Coming.
Within the U.S., essentially the most tough manifestation of dispensationalist and apocalyptic idea is Christian Zionism. The time period refers to many Christians’ robust strengthen for Israel, rooted within the biblical account of God’s covenant with the Hebrew other folks.
Even sooner than Israel was once established, conservative evangelicals have lengthy been enamored of the speculation of a Jewish go back to Zion. Within the Forties, Protestant emphasis on those biblical narratives influenced American public opinion and helped make the case for a Jewish state.
However within the first twenty years of Israel’s historical past, from 1948-68, fundamentalist Christians had few direct allies amongst both Israeli or American Jews. Neither evinced a lot hobby in operating with conservative Christians, a few of whom have been excited by missionary paintings. Why would Jewish teams best friend themselves with Christians searching for to transform them?
Turning level
The results of Israel’s 1967 struggle with a coalition of Arab states modified that scenario. From Syria, Israel conquered and occupied the Golan Heights; and from Jordan, East Jerusalem and the West Financial institution of the Jordan. From Egypt, Israel gained the Sinai Peninsula, from which it sooner or later withdrew, and the Gaza Strip.
As Israeli journalist Gershom Gorenberg famous, “The Six Day War did more than create a new political and military map in the Middle East. It also changed the mythic map, in a piece of the world where myths have always bent reality.”
Israeli infantrymen pray on the Western Wall after the seize of Jerusalem all over the Six Day Battle in June 1967.
ullstein bild/ullstein bild by way of Getty Pictures
In some evangelicals’ view, Israel’s victories within the Arab-Israeli wars have been the triumph of divinely ordained just right over evil. For them, God’s plan in historical past, published to humanity within the Bible, was once now unfolding within the Holy Land. Many conservative Christians view the Jewish go back to Israel as a prelude to the 2d Coming.
This theology had seemed sooner than the 1967 struggle. However in a while, it positioned its hope at the achievement of a slightly explicit state of affairs: that the federal government of the Jewish state would rebuild the traditional Temple in Jerusalem and thus set the level for the tip of days. With the go back of Jesus, the historical undertaking of the Jewish other folks can be fulfilled. Many Jews would perish, and the remnants would turn into the forefront of believers in Jesus.
This state of affairs, as soon as promoted through small teams inside some Protestant denominations, had through the Nineties turn into broadly subtle in pop culture. The “Left Behind” collection, apocalyptic novels impressed through the biblical E-book of Revelation, bought over 80 million copies.
Tim LaHaye, co-author of the ‘Left Behind’ collection, indicators books in a Christian e-book retailer in Spartanburg, S.C., in 2004.
David Howells/Corbis by way of Getty Pictures
After the assaults of September 11, 2001, hostility towards Islam additionally fueled Christian conservatives’ strengthen for Israel. Televangelist Pat Robertson, as an example, mentioned Islam was once “violent at its core.”
Round the similar time, in an important political shift, many American Jewish organizations welcomed Christian Zionists’ strengthen. As Israel’s remedy of Palestinians attracted extra complaint, the Israeli executive and a few Jewish teams within the U.S. started to reconsider their courting to conservative Christians.
Into executive
As of late, then again, it kind of feels Christian Zionism’s affect has risen to a brand new stage in executive.
For the reason that moves on Iran started on Feb. 28, 2026, the Army Spiritual Freedom Basis, a watchdog staff, reported over 200 proceedings about commanders telling troops throughout branches of the U.S. militia that the present struggle with Iran was once a part of a divine plan, invoking biblical concepts in regards to the “end times.”
“Anytime Israel or the U.S. is involved in the Middle East, we get this stuff about Christian nationalists who’ve taken over our government, and certainly our U.S. military,” Air Drive veteran Mikey Weinstein, the root’s president, advised The Mother or father.
An extra signal of Christian Zionism transferring into executive was once the 2025 appointment of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. A few of the maximum influential and outstanding Christian Zionists, Huckabee, a Baptist minister, for years led “Holy Land tours” to Israel.
“I believe it is a special place because God made it special,” Huckabee advised conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, who was once assassinated in September 2025. “I believe the Scripture, Genesis 12: Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed. I want to be on the blessing side, not the curse side.”
