Your POV with respect to this present time is, IMHO, correct with respect to the fourth beast of Daniel 7:1-12, and if we consider that the Little Horn will have influence over the fourth beast and it is the Little Horn that speaks pompous word about God.
In Daniel 8 it is the Little Horn that is given an army to trample the Sanctuary of God in Jerusalem and God's earthly Hosts for a period of 2,300 years. and the time of this trampling began when Jewish Scholars, around 250 BC began translating their Holy Books in the Greek language. Around 100 years later one of the four segments of the Greek Empire entered the temple to deface it and we have what we understand to be the Maccabee Revolt.
Around 100 years later the Roman Empire's army was under the influence of the Little Horn and Rome began trampling Jerusalem and God's Earthly Hosts and in 70 AD it resulted in the Temple being destroyed and many Jews being killed and captured to be sold into slavery to all the nations of the earth. In effect, this was the visitation of the iniquities of the fathers upon their children and their children's children which is to last for a little over 2,000 years and it will end in around 25 years time when the kings of the earth will be gathered together at Armageddon where they will be Judged, at the same time that the wicked fallen heavenly hosts are judged with no place for them to be found in heaven, and they, the judged heavenly hosts, will be gathered together with the judged kings of the earth and imprisoned for many days to await the time of their punishment. Isa 24:21-22. In the book of Revelation we are told that after one thousand years of being locked up in the Bottomless pit, that the pit will be unlocked and the kings of the earth will rise up out of the pit first, to be then followed by the four beasts of Daniel 7:1-12 to then have dominion over all of the people of the earth and these four beasts will be seen as a single entity. This combined beast will speak out blaspheme against God and by the encouragement of the Little Horn, now called the false prophet, the people will begin to worship the beast.
It is at this time that we will see the Anti-Christ, and the False Prophet and Satan try to wrestle away from God His saints, but to no effect.
@marks your question(s) show your biased ignorance as to when the prophetic words of God, given through the Prophets, are to happen because of your so called "literal" reading of the cookie cut scriptures that you read.
You asked me the question in response to my post,
What I mean is that "Christians" today have a self righteousness attitude, and sense that God would not want them to be refined by "fire."
They look for a logical understanding as to what is happening at this present time, particularly in the USA, one of the heads at this present time of the third beast of Daniel 7:1-12, not understanding the sin that they have collectively committed against God and the punishment that is to come upon them for that sin and is happening at this very moment. The USA is going to be stripped bare of its wealth and effective powers with a nose ring through its nose to be lead with the other nations to Armageddon to be judged for its trampling of God's Sanctuary and His earthly Hosts.
As Christ States, "Let him who has ears to hear, hear, and him who has eyes to see, see."
Sadly, the many prophets today cannot hear or see, what has and is transpiring and there are many people who are following these blind and deaf "leaders" within Christian circles. Another mountain for us all to go around to experience the same lesson that we are not learning. That lesson is for us to put our trust in God alone and not in men who willingly tickle our ears with their "fancy" words.
Why is that so?
Because we do not read all of the scriptures and understand the storyline of the End times at all.
Shalom
