29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.
30aFor ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 And forces shall be mustered by him, aand they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall1 corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out greatexploits.
33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet formany days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by1 intrigue.
35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, ato refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because itis still for the appointed time.
36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall aexalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.
37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, anor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.
We have been warned that this is coming. There is always the possibility that God will not require that of us, and that He will take some—perhaps all of us—to the Place of Safety. Whatever the case, we need to take advantage of the time given to us to take the opportunity to stand firm in these days of training—our lives right now, when we are dealing with smaller tests of life—so that, when truly dangerous conditions arise, we will stand firm.
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