President Donald Trump’s decision to announce that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital drew effusive praise from many American evangelical Christians — largely because they believe it will bring about the apocalypse.

Christian theologian Diana Butler Bass explains on Twitter that having the state of Israel take full control of Jerusalem is part of many right-wing evangelicals’ mythology for what they believe will bring about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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“For decades, conservative evangelicals have been longing for this recognition,” Bass writes. “They believe it is necessary in order to regain control of the Temple mount. That is important because rebuilding the Temple is the event that will spark the events of the Book of Revelation and the End Times.”

Bass makes it clear that she does not believe Trump himself is looking to bring about the end of the world, but she thinks that many of the evangelicals who have lobbied him on this issue absolutely are.

“You can’t discount those evangelical advisers… almost all of whom take these End Times prophecies literally,” she writes. “Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God’s will to these Last Days.”

To this end, says Bass, these evangelicals are actually praying that Trump’s move destabilizes the Middle East and causes chaos and suffering.

“They want war in the Middle East,” she writes. “The Battle of Armageddon, at which time Jesus Christ will return to the Earth and vanquish all God’s enemies.”

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Read the entire tweet storm below.

I suspect that most secular commentators do not understand the religious dimensions of this story. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

That is important because rebuilding the Temple is the event that will spark the events of the Book of Revelation and the End Times. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

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Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God's will to these Last Days. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

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For certain evangelicals, this is the climax of history. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

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People believe this. Really believe this. Have given their lives to these ideas, sing about them in their churches, evangelize others, teach them in Sunday schools. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

You wonder why the high support numbers among white evangelicals? Those numbers have surprisingly little to do with policy (other than abortion) or even "earthly" morals. But they have everything to do with unfolding of God's purpose. — Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

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