[5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing there, one on this bank of the stream and one on the other bank of the stream. 6 Then one said to the man clothed in linen, who was up above the waters of the stream: “How long will it be to the end of these marvelous things?” Then one said to the man clothed in linen, who was up above the waters of the stream: “How long will it be to the end of these marvelous things?” 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was up above the waters of the stream, as he raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens and swore by the One who is alive forever: “It will be for an appointed time, appointed times, and half a time. As soon as the dashing to pieces of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things will come to their finish.”]
The end of dashing to pieces comes to an end after the 42 months. It is during those 42 months that the chosen ones as well as the GC are experiencing the tribulation upon them for refusing to support the 8th king.
Jesus does away with the 8th king after the 42 months when he comes.
In Daniel, Jesus is also said to be the stone that crushes the image. The image as a whole represents the 8th king, just as the beast as a whole is the 8th king.
It is clear that when the 8th king comes to power and the time for the MOTB is here, there can on be two camps of people. One's who make up the 8th king and support him/take the mark, etc. And one's who refuse to take the mark/refuse to support him.
This is the basis of judgment that God uses to see who really belongs to him or who belong to Satan. Those that take the mark are judged to belong to Satan and will be killed off when Jesus comes. Those that refuse it are judged to belong to God and they will be part of the GC and some will rule with Jesus.
Because Jesus also does away with the MOL when he (Jesus) comes after the 42 months, this means that the MOL and 8th king come to their end at the same point and by the same means.
It makes no sense and could serve no purpose to claim that the MOL is a separate entity during the time the 8th king is ruling. And that this MOL is causing an apostasy that God allows to take place in order for people to be judged.
No one refusing the 8th king and living under his captivity and the tribulation that that will bring upon themselves for do so, none of these will be engaging in any separate apostasy with the MOL.
Only those that take the mark and support the 8th king would be ones that would be ones that would engage in any apostasy from the MOL. But what point and purpose would that serve, those that take the mark will be judged to be killed and so will those that engage in the apostasy from the MOL will perish/not be saved/will be killed.
The only thing that can make sense in this regard is if the apostasy having to do with the MOL is the supporting the 8th king, which is thereby rejecting God.