“Those who forsake the holy covenant” were those who formed the papacy. It then goes on to tell how “they,” (the papacy) shall take away the “daily” and set up the “abomination of desolation.” But this prophecy never identifies the papacy as a king. In this prophecy all the kings have been nations. The king of verses 30-32 would be the nation that set up the papacy and placed it in power to rule. It would make sense then, that the king in verse 36 would be the nation that was the staunchest supporter of the papacy during it’s dominion of 1260 years. The foremost nation involved in the persecution of God’s people. This nation was France.