Q. Is the current struggle over the Temple Mount a sign of the end times?

A The answer to that would be “yes” and “no” so let me explain. The struggle over the Temple Mount is nothing new. It has been going on for thousands of years. Solomon predicted that if Israel ever turned away from the Lord and His Torah the Temple Mount would be a proverb among the peoples (2Chr 7.16,19-21). Battles over the area predated Moses going back to Abraham (Gen 14.1-18). Deut 12.10 says that when Israel finally has rest from their enemies a Temple would be built and they would worship Him there. King David fought over the Temple Mount and finally secured peace. I Kings 12 documents how Israel lost access to the Temple through rebellion and even set up another religious system to keep people from going south to Jerusalem to worship. Pharaoh Shishak plundered the Temple and it’s treasuries in 1 Kings 14. We have the episode in 2 Chr 22 with Baal worship in the Temple, Joash abandoning the Temple and serving idols in 2 Chr 24. Not to mention obvious battles with the Assyrian, Babylonian and Roman conquests spanning over 800 years. For nearly 1900 years Israel and Jerusalem were conquered by different nations. In our lifetime we have seen British control of Jerusalem then Israel becoming a nation in 1948 which leads us up to your question. So, you can see that struggling over that area is nothing new and it will even continue into the Birth-pains and Messianic Kingdom (Rev. 20.9). The next question would be “What can we expect in the near future?” I believe a possible scenario will look something like this and this is based on what has happened before. The High Holy Days will fit prominently into the timing of all this. Everything discussed from now on will be based on Scripture and/or history. Israel will very soon gain total control over the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock will be removed. They will feel secure enough to erect a Temple. Seven days prior to the korbanot (offerings) services beginning, the area, the Altar, the vessels, the priesthood , the worshippers will need to be cleansed with the ashes of the Parah Adamah (red heifer-Num 19). This will begin on the 24th of the month of Elul (Hag. 1.15). The korbanot will begin to be offered on Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation (Ezra 3.1-6) which will be the first significant Rosh Ha shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation but the foundation for the Temple will not be laid yet. You do not need a Temple building to offer the korbanot, all you need is the Temple Mount and the Altar. It is believed by some that the day the offerings begin on the Temple Mount Altar the believers will be caught up to Heaven in the Natzal (catching away) . True believers will see the acquisition of the Temple Mount, the red heifer and the cleansings according to the Torah before this event happens giving them ample warning to prepare and warn others of the impending events, mostly falling on deaf ears and scoffing.. When you see this start happening there will be at least seven days before the time for the Natzal and the Birth-pains begin. Unbelievers ,PETA and professing believers will go out of their minds when this happens. Many false teachers will condemn Israel for the” barbaric practice”. Theologians will go on religious and secular talk shows to discuss why the Temple services have been done away with and how this is such a tragic event. Israel will be hated among the nations and apostate Christianity will be at the forefront, as she always has been. The media will stir up the masses to try and pull political strings to stop this from happening with major opposition coming from America. But America’s days are numbered and the opposition here will be quickly silenced by God Himself. There is no escape or pardon for this nation. The United States will be destroyed by a Russian attack 8 to 9 days after these offerings begin. Our nation’s crimes before God are too numerous to mention. This sets up the scenario for the false messiah to rise to power in Europe because of the sudden power vacuum left by the destruction of America. He is given immediate power to defend Europe from an attack and he signs a defense treaty with Israel on Yom Kippur, beginning the 2,520 days of the Birth-pains or Tribulation period. Three years later the second significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur begins and Russia will invade Israel. Russia has tried to invade Israel before on a Yom Kippur in 1973 and will now return to finish the job but will be destroyed (Ezek 38-39), leaving the false messiah in power in the west. The powers of the east and south come against him for the remaining three and a half years culminating in his final defeat during the third significant Rosh Ha Shanah to Yom Kippur of the Tribulation period. So as you can see the struggle over the Temple Mount is ancient, present and future. There is nothing new under the sun.