There was a time in Washington when the word "rapture" was used to refer to rapscallion senators chasing exotic dancers, or a president enjoying a pizza with an intern.

But now, when you hear the word "Rapture" whispered in political circles, it refers to the biblical vision of a terrible final war in Jerusalem between the forces of light and darkness and the consequent ascension of "saved" Christians, snatched up to Heaven from their cars, computer terminals and food courts.

A mere two months ago, Democratic leaders were rapturous about their future, thinking that louche C.E.O.'s and a logy economy would combine to give them back the House and strengthen their control of the Senate as they headed into 2004.

Now, with the White House's success in changing the subject to Iraq, Democrats see a future in the wilderness. They fear that President Bush ? who alienated some Jewish voters during his campaign when he brought Jesus into the debate but pleased many after he won with his unquestioning support of Israel ? may be able to use a victory over Saddam to fulfill one of the Republicans' fondest dreams: a realignment of Jewish voters from liberalism to conservatism.

Such a revolution would build upon the alliance that began in the Reagan era between conservative Jews and evangelical Christians.

These days, the partnership is benefiting from the sense of a mutual enemy: Islam. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who has said Islam "teaches hate," goes further on "60 Minutes" tonight, when he asserts, "I think Muhammad was a terrorist."

Evangelicals fervently support Israel for theological reasons of their own, based on a literal reading of the Book of Revelation that entwines the Jewish commonwealth with the Apocalypse and Second Coming. As Mr. Falwell instructs: "You and I know that there's not going to be any real peace in the Middle East until one day the Lord Jesus Christ sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem."

Desperate Democratic senators and despondent liberals mutter that Jews are being snookered. You think the first coming of Christ was bad for the Jews? Just wait.

When the Rapture comes, they grouse, the holy alliance between Christians and Jews will suddenly become unholy, with Christians levitating and Jews left behind to deal with the Antichrist, plagues, sores, boils, frogs, the endless syndication of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and locusts from the "bottomless pit," each with a human face, horse's body, scorpion's tail and a sting that torments for five months.

"This is a grim comedy of mutual condescension," says Leon Wieseltier, the Jewish scholar and literary editor of The New Republic. "The evangelical Christians condescend to the Jews by offering their support before they convert or kill them. And the conservative Jews condescend to Christians by accepting their support while believing that their eschatology is nonsense. This is a fine example of the political exploitation of religion."

On "60 Minutes," Mr. Falwell boasts to Bob Simon: "It is my belief that the Bible Belt in America is Israel's only safety belt right now."

Mr. Simon reports that Zion's Christian soldiers say they are a bigger source of support for Israel than American Jews, a notion Mr. Wieseltier calls "insulting to the American Jewish community."

The Christian Coalition is holding a Christian Solidarity with Israel Rally on the Mall on Friday. Speakers include Mr. Falwell, Pat Robertson, Tom DeLay, Jesse Helms, Oliver North and the onetime Gary Hart companion in monkey business Donna Rice Hughes. (I guess they couldn't get Jessica Hahn.)

In addition to donning Christian "spiritual armor" against Israel's enemies, says the coalition's president, Roberta Combs, participants "will pray for a reform of our nation's soul by casting aside abortion, pornography, drugs and other manifestations of moral decline."

Influential Jewish conservatives, inside and outside the administration, have been fierce in supporting a war on Saddam, thinking it could help Israel by scrambling the Middle East map and encouraging democracy.

But the Democrats are terrified that a resounding Bush war victory will unleash frogs in 2002, boils in 2004 and political Armageddon. What prophet in which desert would ever have dreamed that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would turn out to be Trent Lott, Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert and Don Nickles?