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               intersectional conflict, as Ironside interprets it.  In this case, this entire
               passage does not refer to the world ruler. Another view is to identify the
               king of the north as the Antichrist and the future world ruler. This is the
               position  of  Young,  who  states,  “The  two  opponents  are  the  Anti-christ
               and the king of the South, who begins the battle by pushing or butting

               (cf. 8:4) against his enemy.”       65
                  The best interpretation, however, is that the main actor, the king of

               11:36,  is  the  final  great  world  ruler.  Leupold  supports  this  view  and
               considers the entire section to indicate a defeat of the invading armies
               and the triumph of the king until the end. He writes, “The variety of the
               resources  that  are  to  be  employed  against  the  Antichrist  indicate  how
               great  his  power  must  be  at  the  latter  end—‘chariots,  horsemen,  and
               many ships.’ But the Antichrist will not be slow to repel the attack. He
               himself shall ‘come into these lands,’ that is, the lands of those who have

               assailed  him,  and  ‘shall  sweep  along  and  pass  through.’”   The  major
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               revelation here, therefore, is that the king of 11:36, although engaged in
               bitter struggle, continues to dominate the situation until he comes to his
               end at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

                  His  counterattack  on  those  who  have  assailed  him  results  in  his
               entering  into  their  countries  and  occupying  “the  glorious  land”—
               referring to the Holy Land and many other countries, including Egypt. It
               appears, however, that he does not completely restore the situation, as it
               is stated that Edom and Moab and most of the Ammonites escape. His

               victory is such that he is able to increase greatly his treasures of gold
               and  silver  and  obtain  precious  things  from  Egypt.  From  this  point  on,
               however,  his  authority  is  supported  only  insofar  as  his  military
               campaigns  are  able  to  occupy  various  countries.  His  world  empire,
               apparently originating in a decree that at that time was not contested, no
               longer  remains  intact.  What  is  pictured  in  these  verses  is  an  extended

               military campaign that begins with the Antichrist’s forces invading Israel
               and then moving south into Egypt and northern Africa.




                                        THE FINAL BATTLES (11:44–45)


                  11:44–45 “But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and
                  he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to
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