Study Desk

"Then in his place one will arise who will ^(C1)allow an ^(F1)oppressor to pass through the ^(F2)Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle.

"And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the majesty of kingship has not been conferred; but he will come in a time of tranquility and ^(C1)seize the kingdom by intrigue.

"And the overflowing ^(C1)forces will be flooded away from him and smashed, and also the prince of the covenant.

"After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.

"^(F1)In a time of tranquility he will enter the ^(C1)richest parts of the ^(F2)realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers did not, nor his ^(F3)ancestors; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.

"And he will stir up his strength and ^(F1)courage against the ^(C1)king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, because schemes will be devised against him.

"Those who eat his choice food will ^(F1)destroy him, and his army will ^(F2)(C1)overflow, but many will fall down slain.

"As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on ^(C1)evil, and they will ^(C2)speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, because the ^(C3)end is still to come at the appointed time.

"Then he will return to his land with much ^(F1)plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

"At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but ^(F1)this last time it will not turn out the way it did before.

"For ships of ^(F1)(C1)Kittim will come against him; therefore he will withdraw in fear and will return and curse the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and pay attention to those who abandon the holy covenant.

"Forces from him will arise, ^(C1)desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the ^(C2)abomination ^(F1)of desolation.

"And by ^(C1)smooth words he will ^(F1)turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be ^(C2)strong and take action.

"And ^(F1)(C1)those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will ^(C2)fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.

"Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will ^(C1)join with them in ^(C2)hypocrisy.

"And some of ^(F1)those who have insight will fall, to ^(C1)refine, ^(C2)purge, and ^(F2)(C3)cleanse them until the ^(C4)end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

"Then the king will ^(C1)do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and ^(C2)boast against every god and will ^(C3)speak ^(F1)dreadful things against the ^(C4)God of gods; and he will be successful until the ^(C5)indignation is finished, because that which is ^(C6)determined will be done.

"And he will show no regard for the ^(F1)gods of his fathers or for the ^(F2)desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will boast against them all.

"But ^(F1)instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, precious stones, and treasures.

"And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to ^(F1)those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.