——>We cannot know ahead of time who these personalities are...
Protestant Reforms had no problem identifying the Antichrist power generally as the Papacy and the Pope as THE Antichrist...from bible prophecy. Anyone who can’t see/understand that will certainly be deceived (and already is). It’s not just “one guy”.
1. It will rise to be a great power after the fall of the pagan Roman empire (after 476 A.D.). See Early Church Fathers on Antichrist.
2. It will be a geographically small nation (a little horn).
3. It will rule over many people, nations, and tongues (it will be universal).
4. It will be headquartered in the city of seven hills, Rome.
5. It will be a religio-political entity — a political city-state ruled by a priest-king.
6. Its priest-king will make great and blasphemous claims.
7. It will claim authority over all kings.
8. It will claim its power to change the holy times and laws of God as its mark of authority.
9. It will be an apostate church, that makes the nations drink her cup of apostate doctrine.
10. It will be a “mother” church, with apostate daughters coming from her.
11. It will be a persecuting power, killing the faithful saints of Jesus Christ as heretics.
12. It will hold power and authority for 1260 years following the fall of pagan Rome.
13. It will suffer a deadly wound that will end 1260 years of dominance and persecution.
14. It will be revived after the deadly wound, and all the world will wonder at it’s revival.
Ah yes THAT Jack Chick tract.
Keep reading. You’re wrong.
The Vatican is on the other side of the Tiber. It was never part of old Rome.
Read history too. Protestantism never existed before 1517.
It will rise to be a great power after the fall of the pagan Roman empire (after 476 A.D.).
The "pagan Roman empire" was pretty much gone by AD 476. All of the emperors including and after Theodosius the Great (ca AD 380) considered themselves Christians.
The Roman empire (that's what they called themselves!) continued to exist in the East until 1453.
Besides, what do you think happened in 1736 (= 1260 + 476)?
It will be headquartered in the city of seven hills, Rome.
List of cities claimed to be built on seven hills (it's a long one)
The important one to note on that list is Jerusalem. Unless you think Cincinnati plays a role in the end times.
Vatican Hill, BTW, is not one of the original seven hills of Rome.