The role of the antichrist will be filled by satan (Isa 14, Eze 28, 2 Thess 2:3-4), when he returns, halfway through the tribulation (Dan 7:7-8, 8:13-14, 9:27, 11:20-21, Rev 8:1, 9, 11:1-2, 13:11-18). He will claim to be Jesus, and any other savior from other religions. The antichrist will appear to be everything that most Christians expect Jesus to be when He returns, but it will not truly follow what the scriptures say about Jesus’ return. He will be a cheap impostor, just as he carries a cheap imitation bow and rides the white horse (Rev 6:1-2), with the purpose of uniting the world in a one world religion (Rev 13:11-18). And most importantly, he will come before Jesus’ return!
He will be given miraculous power, by God, to perform miracles and signs to deceive the world to believe that he is the savior that everyone has been waiting for (Rev 13:13-14). This deception will unite the world religions and convince the world that the differences between religions, and their respective messiahs, are merely misunderstandings of their scriptures (Rev 12:9, 13:11-18). The world, for a while, has been promoted the idea, by religious leaders and public figures, that all religions are equal, and even that they the same. This has been used to prepare the world for this deception of antichrist.
The deception of antichrist and his one world religious system will be allowed by God to separate those who have studied and know the scriptures very well from those who have not (2 Thess 2:7-12, 2 Tim 2:15). Only the best biblical students (the elect) will be able to pass this test and know that antichrist is not Christ (Matt 24:24, Rom 11:7-11, Rev 12:9). Those who know who antichrist really is will not bow to him in worship or receive the mark of the beast (Rev 20:4). This is because these people are sealed with this knowledge by the Holy Spirit, and they will pass this test and overcome (Rom 11:4-5, Rev 7).
Everyone who receives the mark of the beast, because they were deceived, will fail this test, and will be taught and disciplined in the period immediately following Jesus’ return, the Millennium (Eze 44, Rev 20). This will lead to a third, and final, test at the end of the Millennium when satan is released to try to deceive the world one last time (Rev 20:7-9).
