Why Evangelicals Often See Israel-Related Policies as Signs of the End Times

If you haven’t noticed, American evangelicals have a fascination with the end of the world.

The president’s recent promise to move the American embassy to Jerusalem sparked numerous headlines and proclamations tied to evangelicals saying that the end is near. This interest in the end is not new.

“A Thief in the Night,” a 1970s-era thriller about the end of the world, begins with a ticking clock and a warning about the second coming of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark: “Keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when I will come, at evening, at midnight, early dawn or late daybreak. Don’t let me find you sleeping!”

Made by the executive producer of “The Blob,” the film has been seen by more than 300 million people, according to Christianity Today. Shown at churches, colleges and youth group meetings, it was part of the evangelical world’s fascination with the end times for decades.

That same fascination drove sales of end-times books such as “The Late Great Planet Earth” and the “Left Behind” series and inspired songs like “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” recently featured on the hit television series “The Leftovers.”

And the end times — or at least biblical prophecies about them — help explain why American evangelicals are so supportive of Israel.

Eighty percent of Americans with evangelical beliefs say the rebirth of…