Scholars intensely debate the identity of "the king." Some argue it continues to describe the historical tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes. However, most commentators see a significant shift here to a future figure, identifying him with the Antichrist of the New Testament (2 Thess. 2:4), the Roman Empire, or the Papacy. This verse is seen as a pivotal transition in the prophecy from a historical ruler to an eschatological one.