Daniel closes chapter eleven with a prophetic picture of the final siege by the totalitarian “king of the north” against the remnant of spirit-begotten Witnesses, and then says: “He will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him.” His political rival for world domination, the democratic “king of the south,” will also be brought to his end with no one to help and save him.​—Daniel 11:45.

3, 4. Who were Michael and the “sons of [Daniel’s] people”?

³ How will such utter destruction of both “the king of the north” and “the king of the south” come about? Jehovah’s prophetic angel explained it to Daniel, saying: “And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people. And there will certainly occur a time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, every one who is found written down in the book.”​—Daniel 12:1.

6. Who will survive the coming “time of distress”?

⁶ This unprecedented “time of distress” is the “great tribulation” of which the Revelation by means of Jesus speaks and which was illustrated by the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. as foretold by Jesus Christ. (Revelation 7:14; Matthew 24:21, 22) It is with this “great tribulation” that this now closing “time of the end” reaches its grand finale! During that unparalleled “great tribulation” or “time of distress” the symbolic “king of the north” and “the king of the south” will not escape destruction, but there will be others who will escape.