The King Who Exalts Himself

This king does as he pleases, exalts himself above every god, and speaks monstrous things against the God of gods, prospering only until the decreed wrath is completed. He shows no regard for traditional gods or inherited loyalties, but instead honors a god of fortresses with costly wealth and distributes authority and land to those who acknowledge him. His rule is defined by self-magnification, militarized devotion, and transactional reward rather than reverence or truth.

T³⁶hen the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. ³⁷He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all. ³⁸And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses— a god his fathers did not know— with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. ³⁹He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.

At the time of the end, renewed conflict erupts as the king of the South engages him, but the king of the North sweeps through many lands with overwhelming force. He invades the Beautiful Land, extends power over Egypt and surrounding peoples, and is enriched by conquest, yet alarming news from east and north drives him into destructive fury. Even so, after pitching his royal tents near the beautiful holy mountain, he comes to his end with no one to help him, showing that final sovereignty still belongs not to the conqueror but to God.

⁴⁰At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. ⁴¹He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites. ⁴²He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. ⁴³He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him. ⁴⁴But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. ⁴⁵He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.[’’]