Chris Matthews was on Hard Ball (singular) Wednesday to drunk-splain why President Trump directed that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and set in motion the process of moving the US embassy to that city.

Via Daily Caller:

“And a couple more points about this. Don’t think this isn’t related to Alabama next week. It is related. It is the Christian evangelicals down there with their crazy ideas about Israel, which is, I don’t know, mythical,” Matthews stated.

“They don’t understand the situation over there and how tricky it is ethnically, how tricky it is tribally. They don’t care because it’s a religious belief. Trump’s playing to that this week. You watch him,” he continued.

In fairness to Matthews, he seems to be describing something that is widely believed on the secular left.

For decades, conservative evangelicals have been longing for this recognition. They believe it is necessary in order to regain control of the Temple mount.

— 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

Yes, of course, there are all sorts of political and secular motives for Trump's action. But you can't discount those evangelical advisors. Almost all of whom take these End Times prophecies literally.

— Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

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

They've been waiting for this, praying for this. They want war in the Middle East. The Battle of Armageddon, at which time Jesus Christ will return to the Earth and vanquish all God's enemies.

— Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) December 6, 2017

Why evangelicals are 'ecstatic' about Trump's Jerusalem movehttps://t.co/fdhjDPufiM

— Kenny_ANTI_gop (@Hope012015) December 6, 2017

By the way, the recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital will bring cheers from the death cult wing of the Evangelicals, who believe that this is a necessary step toward Armageddon. (Because of course, God would wait for Trump to do something before making a decision.)

— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 6, 2017

Theologian explains how Trump’s Jerusalem move is right-wing evangelicals’ dream come true https://t.co/musPXQp65p

— Raw Story (@RawStory) December 6, 2017

I’m not an evangelical, but I’m theologically literate enough to recognize that what is being described here is a variety of dispensationalism and the two are not the same thing. I think you have to be a special kind of stupid to believe that Trump is timing this announcement to fire up tens of thousands of Darbyite dispensationalists to turn out to vote for Roy Moore. But this is a strange year so who the hell knows.