Bombs for the Apocalypse? Ted Cruz, Trump, and Evangelical End Times Theology
How Dispensationalism Drives American Foreign Policy and Military Aggression
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In a recent interview, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), stumbled and fumbled when pressed about his views on how the Bible supports a pro-Israel foreign policy stance.
None other than Tucker Carlson sat across from Cruz, incredulous as the politician dribbled words and became increasingly agitated.
"The Bible says that God blesses those who bless Israel. If you want God’s blessing, you have to support Israel."
Beyond the disorienting feeling of actually appreciating Tucker Carlson’s line of inquiry in this one, single moment (he doesn’t by any means get a pass on all his other shenanigans), the interview segment revealed a deeper story of evangelical views of Israel and how that impacts foreign policy.
The conversation has reached an alarming urgency following former President Trump's announcement of direct U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Dispensationalism and the End Times
The recent bombing ordered by Trump—justified as preemptive defense against Iran's nuclear ambitions—can be traced back to evangelical dispensationalist theology, which holds that Israel’s geopolitical security and dominance are essential precursors to the second coming of Christ.
Trump's action underscores how these theological beliefs are not abstract; they have direct, dangerous, and deadly consequences.
At the root of Cruz’s beliefs, and now Trump’s bombing of Iran, is a theological perspective known as dispensationalism.
Dispensationalism divides history into distinct "dispensations" or periods through which God interacts with humanity differently.
Dispensationalism emerged prominently in the 19th century with John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish theologian who emphasized literal interpretations of biblical prophecy, particularly the apocalyptic visions in the Book of Revelation.
His views were further popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible (1909), edited by Cyrus I. Scofield, which became the Bible of choice for millions of evangelical Christians, particularly in the United States.
Scofield’s Bible annotated the text with dispensationalist interpretations, firmly entrenching these views in American evangelical culture.
Dispensationalism takes the prophecies in the book of Revelations literally.
Adherents to the tradition believe in a fiery apocalypse that would make Dante’s Inferno seem like a holiday at the beach by comparison.
Dispensationalism has a long history tracing back more than a century, but the Ted Cruz and Trump manifestations also have more contemporary roots.
Look to the Left Behind series series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins from the 1990s into the early 2000s that reached millions of evangelicals with apocalyptic visions of the end times.
These books, and later movies, reinforced a vivid and dramatic portrayal of the end times, including the "rapture"—a moment when Christians are suddenly taken to heaven before a period of tribulation on earth.
Planes falling from the sky, global chaos, and intense persecution depicted in these novels and movies shaped the apocalyptic imagination of millions of evangelicals.
These beliefs have also found purchase in charismatic and Pentecostal circles.
Dispensationalism and U.S.-Israel Foreign Policy
Integral to dispensationalism is the theological necessity of Israel’s prominence.
Dispensationalists view the modern state of Israel, established in 1948, as fulfilling biblical prophecy and marking the beginning of the "end times."
Pre-millennialism—a view of the end times—specifically argues that Christ will return only after a period of severe tribulation, culminating in an Armageddon-like final battle centered in Israel.
Thus, Israel’s geopolitical success and security are seen as necessary preconditions for Christ’s return.
All of this leads to a skewed and facile stance of foreign policy concerning Israel.
Evangelical dispensationalists, like Senator Cruz, see unequivocal support of Israel as an essential religious obligation—not a matter of foreign policy informed by research and reason.
This leads to an uncritical endorsement of Israel’s government, even when the actions it takes result in significant humanitarian crises, such as the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza or aggressive military actions like recent strikes on Iran.
As Cruz so fumblingly demonstrated, many evangelicals view the Israel of the Old Testament and the modern political state of Israel as synonymous.
They are not.
Conflating the biblical Israel—a historical religious community with whom God made specific covenants—with the modern state of Israel is a profound theological error.
Modern Israel emerged from 20th-century contextual global realities, particularly the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Just because they share a name does not mean they have the same biblical significance.
Dispensationalism also asserts that Israel must rise to a prominent and powerful place among the nations as part of God’s divine plan prior to the second coming of Christ.
The believe that Jesus will return only after a period of intense tribulation is part of a “pre-millennial” eschatology.
It says that a period of intense suffering will precede the eternal millennium of Christ’s rule. Thus the term PRE-millennialism.
Under dispensational pre-millennialism, all good Christians support the state of Israel because that is what will bring Christ back.
So, to hasten Christ’s return—the ultimate good—Christian’s in the United States must support and protect Israel at all costs.
A Light to the Nations
But what happens when Israel’s modern-day political leaders instigate violence?
Biblically speaking, Israel was intended as a “light to the nations,” modeling justice and righteousness (Isaiah 49:6). Today, the church shares this commission, meant to demonstrate compassion, justice, and peace (Matthew 5:14-16).
Uncritically aligning U.S. foreign policy with dispensationalist theology undermines these biblical principles, particularly when it excuses or endorses violence and injustice.
When dispensational theology directly informs foreign policy without critical reflection or moral accountability, it creates not only geopolitical dangers but theological distortions.
Such an approach neither glorifies God nor serves humanity. It diminishes the ethical witness of the church and endangers global peace.
Pre-strike prayer by Hegseth: “King Jesus, we come humbly before you, seeking your face, seeking your grace, in humble obedience to your law and to your word,” Hegseth prayed after asking attendees to bow their heads. “We come as sinners saved only by that grace, seeking your providence in our lives and in our nation. Lord God, we ask for the wisdom to see what is right and in each and every day, in each and every circumstance, the courage to do what is right in obedience to your will. It is in the name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, that we pray. And all God’s people say amen.”
Post-strike he gave honor to God.
Sometimes we ask for wisdom and courage to do the right thing and then do what we want to do anyway.
The Left Behind series stoked the imagination and the politics of a lot of people who, like with Da Vinci Code, did not remember that fiction is fiction. One irony with dispensationalism is that they forbid speaking in tongues because they say the supernatural gifts ceased when the New Testament was completed. This did not stop the Pentecostal + prosperity doctrine leaders from embracing the view of Israel. I confess that as a high school student I read and believed Hal Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth. As well as Mike Warnke the Satan seller... Thanks Jemar for bringing us back to the study of history, the only way to keep from being misled down a trail of mistakes.