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Christian Zionism refers to a movement within Christianity which supports the state of Israel based on the belief that the creation of Israel is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Christian Zionists believe Israel's creation, and the eventual restoration of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (where the Dome of the Rock mosque currently lies) are prophecied events which must be fulfilled prior to the rapture[1] or Second Coming of Christ depending if they are dispensationalists.[2] This belief system is popular with many of the religious right in the USA, particularly in fundamentalist and evangelical Protestant churches, as well as being present in other countries where the latter were exported.
Christian Zionism in the United States is strongly associated with dispensationalism and belief that we are living in the End Times.[3] Christian Zionism was popularized in the 19th century by C. I. Scofield and his annotated Bible, which became a fundamental work in the development of Christian Zionism and dispensationalism. Hal Lindsey's 1970 book, The Late Great Planet Earth, proposed that Armageddon would result from a final conflict between the Soviet Union and Israel.[4] In 1981, Jerry Falwell said, "To stand against Israel is to stand against God. We believe that history and scripture prove that God deals with nations in relation to how they deal with Israel",[5] proof-texting this to Genesis 29:21.