For ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart; then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant; he will work his will against those who forsake the holy covenant—prophesying Roman naval forces (from Cyprus, Kittim) confronting Antiochus and forcing his withdrawal from Egypt, after which he will redirect his fury toward Jewish persecution, particularly targeting those Jews who maintain religious fidelity. The identification of Kittim with Rome establishes that pagan imperial power serves divine purposes by checking Jewish persecution's perpetrator. The shift to internal persecution represents intensified malice.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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