Pro-Trump Pastor Hopes Israel War Sparks Jesus' Return

Pastor Greg Locke, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, said this week that he hopes the war in Israel will "usher in the coming of Jesus."

During a sermon earlier this week, Locke spoke about the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas militants and said "Israel should make the Gaza Strip a parking lot by this time next week."

"The Muslim religion hates Jewish people to the core of who they are," Locke said. "What they ought to do is evacuate up there on the hill and get a great big missile and blow that wicked Dome of the Rock plumb off where it's standing right now, so we can get that third temple rebuilt and usher in the coming of Jesus."

The Dome of the Rock is in Jerusalem and affiliated with the Islamic religion. In a statement to Newsweek, Locke said: "I did not say that destroying the Gaza Strip would usher in the second coming of Christ. I said destroying the Dome of the Rock would make way to build the third temple, which in turn will usher in the second coming of Christ."

"Other than that, I stand 100% by what I said. The Palestinians live on land that belongs to Israel, and nothing is going to change that. The Jews are the chosen people of God, and they will be protected as a nation during this time," Locke added.

Over the weekend, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say the country is "at war."

"We will take strong revenge for the black day they gave the people of Israel. We will operate everywhere and with all of our force. This war will take time and it will be difficult but we will win," Netanyahu said earlier this week.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched numerous attacks on the Gaza Strip overnight and the fighting between Israel and Hamas has resulted in over 2,000 deaths.

The White House issued a statement on Wednesday following President Joe Biden's call with Netanyahu, which said: "The President explained that he had just been briefed by his national security team. He detailed the U.S. support that had arrived or would soon be on its way to include ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors, the world's largest aircraft carrier, and other defense material."

"The President underscored the need for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas's brutal atrocities, which are akin to the atrocities of ISIS from many years ago. The Prime Minister provided an update from Israel and the spirit of the Israeli people as they unite to protect their country and their people against Hamas and all other threats," the statement added.

Following several Israeli Air Force strikes on Gaza this week, Netanyahu said, "We have only started striking Hamas ... What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations."

The U.S. provided new military equipment to Israel on Monday and the IDF issued a statement: "We are grateful for the US backing and assistance to the IDF, and to the State of Israel in general, during this challenging period. Our common enemies know that the cooperation between our militaries is stronger than ever, and is a key part in ensuring regional security and stability."

Update: 10/16/23, 10:53 a.m. EST. This story has been updated to reflect a corrected transcript of Locke's remarks.