To the evangelicals, there is a certain sublime arrogance involved in simply crowning oneself "God's chosen people." Indeed, lacking any definitive new word from God, it would seem sublimely smug - and human - to presume that the original covenant between God and the Jews no longer exists. Furthermore, it would entail ignoring roughly 80 percent of the Bible (the Old Testament) and the biblical prophesies, all of which talk about the restoration of Israel prior to the Second Coming. Isaiah, for example, foretold that in the last days, "the Lord shall set his hand again the second time ... and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel ... from the four corners of the earth ... and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off." (Isaiah 11: 11-13). Ezekiel 37: 22 proclaims that God will ".make them one nation in the land of Israel ... and they all shall have one shepherd ... they shall be my people . and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify. Israel." The New Testament speaks of the dismantling of Israel (which occurred in 69 AD) and the scattering of the Jews across the earth. Both Luke and Mathew prophesize that the Jews will gather again in Israel prior to the advent of Christ's Second Coming.

Get it? Israel is a major player in the big judgment. Hence the support among the evangelicals.

While the restoration of Israel seemed inconceivable for much of Western history, it became a reality in our generation. In 1948, Israel was re-established as a nation. In 1967, the Holy Land was restored when Israel regained Jerusalem.

Thus continues the restoration, hauled along, in part, by the evangelical's unwavering faith in God's duty to fulfill His words.