Is Muslim Control over the Temple Mount "Hampering" Bible Prophecy?

Is Islamic Control Over the Temple Mount "Hampering" Biblical Prophecy? [Excerpts]

While talk today about Rapture predictions are increasing in regularity, some biblical prophecies affecting Christians, Muslims and Jews have stood in place for millenniums.

One such prophecy concerns the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel, which is said to be the site where all the nations will gather to worship when the Messiah returns.

The Temple Mount has been one of the most hotly disputed religious sites of worship for the past few centuries and has been one of the main points of tension between Israel and Palestine, as both Jewish and Muslim authorities have been locked in a stalemate over what to do with what is believed to be a temple visited by the presence of God.

Dr. Randall Price, a distinguished research professor at Liberty University and executive director at the Center for Judaic Studies, explained at length that the Temple Mount is of prime significance to the current political and religious stalemate gripping the region.

He described it as "the most volatile acreage on earth…"

"The temple is tied with Jewish destiny," he said. "God's presence was once at the mount. It left, but it has promised to return – but it needs a temple to return to. The temple is mentioned in the Biblical prophecies as the place where all the nations will come together – even Jesus said that the temple will be a house of prayer for all people."

"If we look at the Jewish scriptures, the last nine chapters of the Book of Ezekiel say clearly that a temple will stand again in the future. They even give a description of the dimensions and give directions for rebuilding the Temple. It really can not be spiritualized away – it is a literal temple that was destroyed, and the prophecy says it will be rebuilt."

The Muslim authorities had previously acknowledged the Jewish claim that the Temple Mount was where the Temple of Solomon, also known as the First Temple, was built. Recently, however, those same authorities began to revise that history and said that no temple ever existed there.

"They said that not a single stone in the whole city of Jerusalem indicated a Jewish presence. As a result, they began their own work to enlarge the 35-acre platform and put a new Mosque on the platform, which was agreed to by the Israeli government," the professor said.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/is-islamic-control-over-the-temple-mount-hampering-biblical-prophecy-67956/

[TBC: See the reprint of the Temple Mount Guide for documentation of the original Muslim acknowledgment of Israel's presence in the land: http://www.thebereancall.org/content/1924-temple-mount-guide]