Bob. You state in this quote that the judgement in Dan.7, takes place "just before Jesus comes". However, I don't believe that's what prophecy reveals. Look at Dan.7:21 and 22. Here the angel is interpreting the vision for Daniel.
(NIV) 21) " as I kept looking, the horn was making war with the saints and overpowering them 22) until the Ancient of Days came and judgement was passed in favor of the saints..."
Question. What does the word "until" imply?
Until He came AND judgment was passed in favor of the saints.
So then we have persecution of the saints for 1260 years.
Then the judgment begins when the Ancient of days comes AND ends with judgment passed in favor of the saints.
The point of "the judgment takes place BEFORE the 2nd coming" is that at the end of the chapter we have the 2nd coming.
The Ancient of days in vs 9-10 is not coming to Earth --- He is coming to the court room.
This is where the Ancient of Days comes to the court room
Dan 7
9 “I kept looking
Until
thrones were set up,
And the
Ancient of Days took His seat;
His vesture
was like white snow
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire.
10 “A river of fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;
The court sat,
And
the books were opened.
once the court room is setup
The
Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days - in that court room to receive a kingdom.
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like
a Son of Man was coming,
And
He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
He receives a kingdom from the courtroom work where the Ancient of Days is presiding.
14 “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and
men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
That kingdom is not realized until the 2nd coming when all the Earth is handed over to Christ to whom that kingdom belongs according to the courtroom event.
Then read vss. 23-26, paying attention to vss. 25,26) "...and they[saints] will be given into his [Little horn/papacy's] hand, for a time, times, and a half a time, 26) but the court will sit in judgement and his [little horn] dominion will be taken away...".
So the little horn has power over the saints until the court sits and passes judgment in favor of the saints.
Of course we know from history that the "little horn lost it's power in 1798. Therefore, if we will allow this prophecy to speak to us, it seems that this judgement was seated in 1798, and the Ancient of Days ordained that the Little Horn's dominion be terminated.
Other prophecies support this as well, should you be interested.
The only timeline in Dan 7 is the 1260 days of the dark ages.
The court sits in judgment AND that judgment removes the dominion of the little horn - however to this very day - the papacy exists and is the most powerful single Christian denomination on planet earth. So not "terminated" - not even yet.