What if everything you thought you knew about the Antichrist and the Beast Empire… was wrong?

For centuries, Protestant Christians have pointed to Rome, claiming the Pope and the Papacy is the Beast of Revelation. But today, an alternative theory is gaining traction—what if the final Antichrist is not a Pope, but a Middle Eastern Islamic ruler?

One of these views will be dead wrong… Both cannot be right!  But which one?

https://youtu.be/AjGX6eg6HpA

Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin had no doubt—the Papacy was the great Beast of prophecy. But today, scholars are questioning that interpretation, pointing instead to a revived Islamic empire as the final Beast.

Here’s the shocking part: both theories make compelling biblical claims. But they can’t both be right. Are millions of Christians being deceived?
By the end of this video, you’ll know exactly which interpretations hold up… and which ones fall apart.

These two theories aren’t just theological debates—they completely change how we view the end times.

If the Papacy is the Beast, then Western Christianity has been compromised for centuries… and the final deception is already here.

But if the Antichrist is Islamic, then we’re looking at a rising threat from the Middle East, and biblical prophecy is unfolding right now before our eyes.

So, let’s break this down. What does Scripture actually say? Which view has the strongest biblical foundation? And most importantly—what does this mean for YOU?

Let’s take a look at each of the beasts and we’ll begin to understand what all this means.  Daniel chapter 7 is where we find this prophecy.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.

Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’

After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

The four beasts are:  A lion with eagles wings, a bear, raised up on it’s side with three ribs in its mouth that was told to devour much flesh, a creature like a leopard with four wings like a bird on it’s back and four heads – and dominion was given to it.

Then a fourth beast – terrifying and dreadful.  Exceedingly strong.  Iron teeth that devoured and broke in pieces everything.  Anything that was left it stamped with it’s feet.  It was different from the other beasts and it had 10 horns.

Let’s start with the winged lion. 

Daniel 7 verse 4:

The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

The first beast is Babylon – Specifically it’s King Nebuchadnezzar.  Let’s read Daniel chapter 4

The king has a dream and Daniel interprets it as follows:

This is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,

that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,

and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.

Babylon as a whole, but specifically King Nebuchadnezzar spends 7 years as a beast of the field.  His hair grew out like feathers of a bird and his fingernails did also grow like the talons of an eagle.  For a time, his mind was lost.  But just as the stump remained, so did the kingdom, and his position waited for him.

And then, after the 7 years, he was restored and he and his kingdom were given his mind back – the mind of a man.  And his hair, like feather of an eagle – were plucked from him and his sanity was restored.  He stood up on two feet once again and so did his kingdom.

The Second Beast

And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’

The bear is Medo-Persia and the three ribs in it’s mouth are the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon – which Medo-Persia conquered by force.

Let’s look at Daniel chapter 8

I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

This ram is Medo-Persia, notice how the bear had one side higher than the other, just as the ram has one horn higher than the other.  The one horn, the higher one, came up last.  Persia came last to form Medo-Persia, and is the stronger of the two sides.

I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

Just as we saw in Daniel 7, three kingdoms are devoured in its mouth.  Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.

Daniel chapter 8 verse 20 confirms this kingdom:

As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.

The bible tells us exactly what we need to know to understand and interpret the message.  We just have to pay attention.  

The Third Beast

After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The leopard represents its swiftness and cunning ability to conquer.  Specifically, this refers to Alexander the Great.  The four wings symbolize Alexanders four generals who aided in the swiftness of Alexander and his kingdom.  The four heads reinforce the importance of the generals and how, even though they worked under the leadership of Alexander, they each were intelligent in their own way.

Daniel chapter 8 verse 20 gives us more clues and insight into this.

And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Alexander died at the age of 32 – he was the great horn between the eyes of the goat.  When that horn was broken, his four generals rose up to take power.  Now, there is an interesting point of note here – there were actually 5 families that rose to power after the death of Alexander – so why does the prophecy note only four?  And who were they?

If you deep dive into this, from a historical point of view, what you’ll find is that after Alexander died – for the next 50 years there was a lot of intrigue, complications, and subterfuge.  But the families that arose were:  Antigonus, Cassander, Ptolemy, Phillip, Demetrius, Seleucus, and Antipater.  Wait, what?  There are 6?  Sort of, if not more actually.  If you want to really get into this, I would suggest reading about this topic from Joel Richardson.  For the sake of this discussion – I’ll be keeping it simple. 

Alexander died, his significant other was pregnant with his child.  Alexander also had a brother named Phillip, named after their father.  The temporary rulers of the time, after Alexanders death, decided to split the kingdom into two parts – one part to Phillip and one to the child, once its born, but only IF it were a male child.

They decided that until that time came, they would all be co-regents.  They, in the mean time, divided the kingdom into smaller provinces.  23 to 26 or so.  You could say then, in a way – that 26 horns came up after his death.  Now of course, the bible only notes four.  Very quickly after his death, as I noted, there was all kinds of intrigue and subversion, and within just a few years, the four primary heirs emerged.   Cassander, Cassander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus.

Now, there is a lot of really interesting story and history here if you really wanted to get into it.  But this isn’t the time nor the place.  My point is – for anyone out there who says, “no wait, that’s not really how it happened” – Let me just say, the bible is right and the bible doesn’t need to explain all the ins and outs of the politics and succession of Alexander.  Because in the end, we had the four who took over the remains of the kingdom.

Daniel 8:23 reads:

And at the latter end (this means the end of days) of their kingdom (this is the kingdom of the four generals), when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise (This is the Antichrist).

His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.

I want to read this again, but filling in the ambiguity with what we know

And at end of days from the kingdom of the four generals, when the sinners of this world have reached their limit, the Antichrist, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.

We are told right here, where the Antichrist will arise from.  The area of the kingdom of the four generals.

As we progress in this discussion, keep in mind how kings and kingdoms are represented.  As beasts and horns. 

The Fourth Kingdom

Daniel 7 verse 7 and 8

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

The rise of Rome began around 625 BC and took place over centuries. The city was founded in ancient Italy and grew to become a powerful empire that controlled much of Europe and the Mediterranean.

The Greek city-states were conquered by the Romans in 146 BCE, which marked the end of Greek independence.

The traditional view is that Rome, or the Roman Empire, is the fourth beast of Daniel.  After the fall of Rome, smaller kingdoms emerged out of the fallen kingdom:  England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, France, and the Dutch.

Daniel 7 verse 23

“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.”

The argument that is made, is that as part of the fourth beast, these colonizing kingdoms went out and devoured the whole earth, trampling it down, and breaking it into pieces.  And in this way, this is how it is different from the other three beasts that came before it.

This “fragmented Rome” idea and observes how Western European kingdoms—descended from the ruins of the Roman Empire—eventually ventured across the globe in the Colonial Era. Powers like Spain, Portugal, England (later Britain), France, and the Dutch did indeed “devour the whole earth” in a sense, subjecting large parts of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific to their control. This viewpoint sees the prophecy’s language (“devour… trample down… break it to pieces”) as fulfilled not merely by the ancient empire but by this extended Roman cultural and political lineage.

While Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece each were large empires, Rome’s reach, organization, and durability were indeed exceptional in the ancient world. Even after the Western Roman Empire’s “official” fall (traditionally dated 476 AD), its cultural, legal, and ecclesiastical legacy continued. This continuity is often referred to as the “Byzantine Empire” in the East (the Eastern Roman Empire) and the “Holy Roman Empire,” “Latin Christendom,” or various European successor kingdoms in the West.

Rome’s administrative and cultural DNA carried on in European society (law, Latin-based languages, the concept of universal empire/power, etc.).

Where earlier empires were regionally vast, the European powers (descendants of Rome) became truly global colonizers.

But what about the 10 horns?

As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.

This verse suggests that at some point, out of this world devoured and broken into pieces, that is – conquered by colonialism and divided amongst various kingdoms, ten kings will arise – ten leaders who will work together to rule over the whole world – or at least, they will attempt to.  I note this because there are some nations who oppose the final beast and the antichrist, and thus it’s important to note that even under a new world order, there will be those who dissent and fight against this regime.

But as Daniel 7 verse 24 states, another shall arise after them, different from them, and he shall put down three of them.

And so we see how the Antichrist rises to power – by destroying three of the ten, and causing such fear over the others that they choose to elect him ruler over all.

In this way, Rome was the fourth kingdom that morphed into a global but broken kingdom – parts of the culture, laws, administration, Latin-based language, and religion (especially that of Christianity) has been carried around the world and persists today.

The Statue Dream

King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream about a metallic statue that he cannot understand and demands his court magicians, enchanters, and wise men not only provide an interpretation but also describe the dream itself. When they protest that no one can fulfill such an impossible request, the king—enraged—orders the execution of all Babylon’s wise men.

Daniel, upon learning of the decree, cautiously and with discretion, approaches Arioch, the captain of the guard, and asks for an explanation. He then requests an audience with Nebuchadnezzar, promising to reveal and interpret the dream if given time. This sets the stage for Daniel to seek divine insight and save both himself and the other wise men from certain death.

Picking up this story in Daniel chapter 2 verse 31

“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.

The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,

its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.

You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,

and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.

Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.

And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.

As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Daniel has given us the starting point for these kingdoms which are represented in the dream by various metals and body parts.

Starting at the top, we have Babylon – and again, specifically Nebuchadnezzar.  This is 100% in line with what we read earlier in Daniel 7 about the winged lion.

The chest and arms of silver is Medo-Persia, just as we reviewed earlier.

Following the chest and arms is the waist of bronze or brass depending on your translation.  This is Greece.

These first three pieces align with the dreams Daniel tells us about in chapter 7 – with regards to the beasts.  Does the next part of the statue align with the fourth beast?

And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

Let’s also take a look at Revelation 17 starting in verse 8

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;

they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.

As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.

These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.

There is familiarity here.  Ten horns remind us of the ten toes, for example.  But there is also new information here – and more kingdoms.

In Revelation, we see five kingdoms that were, one is, and one yet to come.  Then there comes an eighth that comes from one of the seven, and goes to destruction. 

We already know some of these kingdoms from Daniel 2 and 7.  Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.  We know that the “one that is” is Rome.  Rome was the empire that existed when Revelation was written, when Jesus lived, and when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem.

But what about the first 2, prior to Babylon?  This is Egypt and Assyria.  Both countries tormented Israel and the people of Israel prior to Babylon, or Neo-Babylon, to be precise.

The five countries that have fallen then, in order are:  Egypt, Assyria, Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.

The one that existed at the time of Johns writing was:  Rome

That leaves one yet to come, then the eighth, of which it is ruled by the Antichrist.

The question is then, is the fourth beast of Daniel, the one that followed Greece, in which case, it would be Rome – the sixth kingdom?  Or is it the eighth and final kingdom?  Maybe the seventh?

Well, let’s also not forget the feet and toes of the statue – we haven’t discussed those yet either.

And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.

As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

So what do we have left to understand? 

1. The feet and toes of the Statue, The 10 horns of Daniel 7, and the 10 kings of Revelation.
2. The seventh and eighth kingdom of revelation

The ten toes of the statue and the ten horns remind us of the ten kings from revelation.  These are one and the same.  These kings receive power for only a tiny amount of time, and only in conjunction with the Antichrist.  This means that the feet and toes of Daniel are the rulers of the final world empire overseen by the Antichrist.  This is the eighth kingdom of Revelation.

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.

Also, as we read in Daniel 7, As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.

The phrase in Revelation 17:12—“The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast”—raises an interesting paradox. How can they be kings but not yet have power?  What power can they hand over to the Antichrist, if they have not yet received any power? 

Revelation 17 verse 9 hits the nail on the head.  Not by giving us an answer, but by just stating the obvious.

This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;

Let’s take a look at this verse, though.  The seven heads are what the woman has sat upon.  Okay, so the woman has sat upon each of these kingdoms:  Egypt, Assyria, Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome – that’s six. 

So what’s the seventh kingdom?  It comes after Rome but before the final antichrist kingdom.  What do all the previous kingdoms have in common?  They all persecuted Israel and her people.

Thus, the seventh kingdom must also have persecuted the people of Israel and must have come after Rome, as all of these are in succession.

These leaves us with only two viable options:  The Holy Roman Empire and The Ottoman Empire. 

While I believe the feet and toes to be the final beast kingdom and not the seventh, what’s interesting is that both can be noted as having been fragmented into two pieces, just as the feet of the statue were separated.  The Holy Roman Empire fragmented into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church (Papacy) whereas the Ottoman Empire was split at the start and was separated into Sunni and Shiite Muslims. 

The splitting of the Muslim groups happened about 632 AD, after the death of Muhammad but before the Ottoman Empire arose, whereas the Schism of the Holy Roman Empire happened in 1054. 

The Ottoman Empire officially formed in 1299 and lasted until 1922.

The Holy Roman Empire formed in 800 and lasted until 1806, though as noted, it split in 1054.

As I noted, I don’t believe these to be the final beast empire, but as with all prophecy, we have to consider this to be indicative of what is to come.  Remember that the final beast empire, though ruled over by the Antichrist, is split into seemingly ten regions ruled over by ten kings – even if only for a short time.  This means that there is fragmentation that will exist just as both the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire had.

Both of these empires had gaps between the previous one (Rome) and their own formation, and thus, neither should be held in higher opinion than the other as a candidate for the seventh empire.  This also implies that there can be a gap between the seventh and eighth kingdom as well. 

What makes the Holy Roman Empire a strong candidate:

The Holy Roman Empire saw itself as the continuation of Rome, with its emperors crowned by the Pope.

If the 6th kingdom is Rome, then a Christianized version of Rome (HRE) makes sense as the 7th.

The HRE was deeply tied to the Catholic Church, which had a significant influence over kings and emperors.

The concept of a unified Christendom under a powerful emperor aligns with the idea of a dominant world system.

The HRE engaged in religious persecution, including the Crusades, Inquisitions, and forced conversions.

Some believe that the Roman Catholic Church played a major role in persecuting true believers, aligning with Revelation’s theme of spiritual corruption (e.g., the Whore of Babylon).

The HRE was never fully unified, much like Daniel’s vision of the feet of iron mixed with clay (Daniel 2:41-43).

Its decline led to the rise of secular Europe, possibly paving the way for the final beast kingdom.

What Makes the Holy Roman Empire a Poor Candidate?

Unlike the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, the HRE was mostly European in influence.

The Holy Roman Empire did not overthrow the previous empire: Rome.  It just morphed into it’s new version of itself.  All previous empires conquered each other, making this as the sixth one unique in this aspect.

What makes the Ottoman Empire a strong candidate:

The Ottoman Empire controlled Jerusalem from 1517 to 1917, meaning it had direct influence over biblical prophecy locations.

The Ottomans restricted Jewish immigration to the Holy Land, aligning with the idea of a kingdom hostile to God’s people, directly preventing the people of Israel from returning to the land.

The Ottoman sultans were also caliphs, meaning they ruled as both political and religious leaders.

The empire united much of the Muslim world, which could foreshadow a future revived Islamic empire.

Some scholars argue that the 8th kingdom (final beast) will be a revival of the 7th (Revelation 17:11).

If the 7th kingdom was the Ottoman Empire, then a revived Islamic Caliphate could be the final beast system under the Antichrist.

The Ottomans imposed dhimmi laws, taxing and restricting non-Muslims.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-1917), where over 1.5 million Armenian Christians were massacred, showed the potential for extreme religious oppression.

The Ottomans collapsed after World War I, but modern Turkey and movements like the Muslim Brotherhood have pushed for a return to an Islamic Caliphate.

If the 7th kingdom “must remain only a little while” (Revelation 17:10), the Ottoman collapse could fit this prophecy as it ended in 1922.

What Makes the Ottoman Empire a Poor Candidate?

If the 6th kingdom is Rome, some argue that the 7th should have a clear Roman connection.  However, the Ottomans were Rome’s enemy, rather than its successor.

Some end-times scholars believe the final Antichrist will be a European leader, not an Islamic one.

The Holy Roman Empire aligns more with Western prophetic traditions.

So where does this leave us in understanding what the seventh kingdom is?

• The HRE is the best fit if the 8th kingdom is a revived Roman Empire.
• The Roman Catholic Church’s historical power makes the HRE a prime suspect.
• This aligns with interpretations that see the Antichrist emerging from a European power.

• The Ottoman Empire makes more sense if the Antichrist is an Islamic leader.
• The Ottomans were the last great empire to rule over the Middle East and Israel.  Maintaining the historical lineage of kingdoms remaining in that region.
• If the final beast system is a revived Islamic Caliphate, then the Ottomans are the perfect 7th kingdom.
• If the Antichrist is part of a revived Caliphate, it aligns with Daniel.  Remember as part of the third beast, we are told the Antichrist arises from the area of the kingdom of the four generals.  Somewhere in the area of Turkey, Syria, Iran, or Northern Africa.  Currently all Muslim controlled territories.

The Final Verdict for the seventh kingdom must be the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire better fits Revelation 17:11, which says the 8th kingdom is a revival of the 7th.

The modern push for an Islamic Caliphate (revival of the Ottoman system) makes it a plausible precursor to the final beast system.

While the Holy Roman Empire has theological connections, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the biblical lands and had direct control over Israel, making it the strongest geopolitical and prophetic candidate.

If we are witnessing the rise of the final beast kingdom, we should watch:

The Middle East, particularly Turkey, for signs of a revived Ottoman-style Caliphate.

The European Union and the Vatican, in case the Holy Roman Empire model is re-emerging.

While I don’t believe that the Vatican or European Union align well with biblical prophecy, I don’t believe we should rule it out – though my focus and attention, when watching for the rise of the final empire, would be the Middle East.

Based on the information we’ve reviewed thus far, my interpretation on this is as follows: 

1.  At some point, MOST of the world gathers together and decides that there should be a coalition of ten leaders – these leaders have some power, but not absolute power.  (“The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast”) – this implies that they do not have independent sovereignty, but are figureheads – maybe ambassadors.  A modern parallel would be the European Union or the United Nations, where influential figures or representatives of nations have power in a collective sense, but not absolute sovereignty over independent kingdoms.
2. After these ten leaders ascend, another arises – forces out three, possibly killing them, and then forces or convinces the others to make him the absolute supreme leader.  (I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.)
3. Once the little horn, the Antichrist has absolute power, he begins his reign of terror and the eighth kingdom arises.

This means that the eight kingdoms of Revelation 17 are as follows:

Egypt, Assyria, Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, The Ottoman Empire

What comes next?  The final beast kingdom.

For over 500 years, Protestant Reformers held one conviction: The Roman Catholic Church is the prophesied Beast of Revelation.

• Revelation 17:9 describes the woman who rides the Beast as sitting on seven hills—a clear reference to Rome, the city of seven hills.
• The Papacy’s claim to divine authority fits 2 Thessalonians 2:4, where the “man of sin” exalts himself as God in the temple.
• Daniel 7:25 predicts the Antichrist will “change times and laws,” which some Protestants link to the Catholic Church’s alteration of the Sabbath and church traditions.

For centuries, the Papacy persecuted those who opposed its authority. Many saw the Pope as the Antichrist, leading a global deception in the name of Christ.

But is this the Beast of the Last Days? Or have we been looking in the wrong place?

Now, let’s turn to the second interpretation—one that’s shaking up end-times theology.

• The Beast of Revelation 13:2 is described as having the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. These match the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece—all of which were centered in the Middle East, not Rome.
• Daniel’s prophecies speak of a final kingdom that crushes and devours (Daniel 2:40-43). Many scholars argue that the Islamic Caliphate, not Rome, fits this description perfectly.
• The Antichrist honors a god of war (Daniel 11:38), and Islam’s concept of jihad matches this characteristic more than Catholic doctrine.

Some argue that Islam’s goal of global domination, its history of persecuting Christians and Jews, and its deep-rooted hostility toward Israel make it the perfect candidate for the final Beast.

Could the Antichrist rise from the Muslim world, leading a revived Islamic empire against Israel and the Church?

Where these views agree:
✅ Both see the Beast as a religious and political system.
✅ Both believe the Antichrist will persecute true Christians.
✅ Both expect the mark of the Beast to be a form of religious control.

What This Means for You

Whether you lean toward the Papal Antichrist theory or the Islamic Caliphate theory, the warning is the same: Scripture tells us the end will be marked by deception, false prophets, and persecution of believers.

The real question isn’t just who the Antichrist will be…
It’s whether you’re standing on the truth when the deception comes.

I’ve shared my thoughts – that the final beast will arise from the Middle East.  Most likely as a revived caliphate of some sort. 

Let me know in the comments which you believe is correct.