re-post (originally posted in 2015 before the Daniel Dilemma posts)
What is to follow is supposition. What I am going to say I have not heard or read before from anyone else that has studied the book of Daniel. What I do want to make clear is a do agree that Daniel like the rest of the entire Bible is real, that God is real and the book of Daniel was written in the sixth century B.C.
Those that agree that Rome is the legs of iron and that is divided into two separate kingdoms. One based in Rome the other based in what once called Constantinople and is now called Istanbul. There are those that say the Roman Empire ended, but that is not what is started. It is saying that it broke apart. This has come to pass this is the present form of what was the Roman Empire.
The important line is “but they shall not cleave one to another.” So we have an empire that was once whole and became divided in half. One having adopted Christianity, the other half adopted Islam. Within both these religions are different factions that do not mix together, they do “not cleave one to another.” It also states that the cultures within them will not get along with each other as well. Again this describes how things have been since that empire broke apart. We have been in wars for centuries.
In essence the entire world structure we now live within is formed from the former Roman Empire, both the Christian as well as the Islamic side. Everything fits this scenario. So what is holding back the return of Christ? The saints are. God is waiting for those that were chosen before the very creation of this planet. God has always known who will accept Him and those that would deny Him.
Does this negate free will? By all means no. It is still within our control if we decide to accept Him or deny Him, He just knows the outcome, but He is not going to tell us, because for us to come to Him willing and with a fully open heart is the only way we can come to Him. It is black and white, right and wrong, no middle ground.