As to the Temple being rebuilt- if the article I posted is correct, and the Tribulation is wrapped up in 2017, and we, like God, determine all of this by going according to the Jewish calendar, then midpoint to 2017 would be 2013. That means construction on the Temple would have to begin sometime this year. (This is also going according to the Jewish New Year, which begins in the fall. We are currently in the Jewish year 5770 which started on nightfall September 20, 2009. The Jewish year 5771, our 2010, will begin nightfall September 10, 2010. That date would start the countdown to the date on the Jewish calendar which would be our 2013).
That is what makes this particular prophecy very interesting.
All of this is speculation and remains to be seen whether or not it will happen. We certainly don't have long before we know for sure.
http://www.templeinstitute.org/gra-churva-holy-temple.htm
“Regarding the Rumor about the Building of the Holy Temple on March 16th, 2010, and the Story that Lies Behind It”
...AS EXCITING AS THIS STORY IS, the true story, from which the current version has taken certain poetic license, is even more exciting...
...HAVING EXAMINED THE HISTORY of the Churva synagogue, and the source of today’s current excitement, it can be stated that heart of the matter is not a prophetic prediction of a precise building-of-the-Temple date...
I don't see how. There are too many events that have yet to transpire. The Temple construction being the most obvious. The Temple is worshiped in for 3 1/2 yrs before the AC stops it (Dan. 9:27). Also, Israel flees and is protected for 3 1/2 years after this happens. IOW, the Temple has to be completed and in use at the start of the Tribulation.
Another event that has to occur is the 7 yr treaty. There isn't anyone on the world stage right now that can put that together. The discussion about Israel joining the EU doesn't fit because they don't have the power to enforce any treaty.