The King and the Covenant

15. Who are ‘those acting wickedly against the covenant,’ and what relationship have they had with the king of the north?

¹⁵ The angel now says: “Those who are acting wickedly against the covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words.” (Daniel 11:32a) Who are these ones acting wickedly against the covenant? Again, they can only be the leaders of Christendom, who claim to be Christian but by their actions profane the very name of Christianity. During the second world war, “the Soviet Government made an effort to enlist the material and moral assistance of the Churches for the defence of the motherland.” (Religion in the Soviet Union, by Walter Kolarz) After the war, church leaders tried to maintain that friendship despite the atheistic policy of the power that was now king of the north.b Thus, Christendom became more than ever a part of this world​—a disgusting apostasy in Jehovah’s eyes.​—John 17:14; James 4:4.

16, 17. Who are “those having insight,” and how have they fared under the king of the north?

¹⁶ What, though, of genuine Christians? “As regards the people who are knowing their God, they will prevail and act effectively.

Daniel 11:32b,

They both ‘prevailed’ and ‘stumbled.’ They stumbled in that they were persecuted and suffered intensely, some even being killed. But they prevailed in that, for the most part, they remained faithful. Yes, they conquered the world, just as Jesus conquered the world. (John 16:33) Moreover, they never stopped preaching, even if they found themselves in prison or in a concentration camp.