Why this matters in the first place? The reason this truly matters is because the Church has been looking for two random people, or one random person and the pope. We must fix the broken cog first, which is: Relationship.

The question is not: Who is the Antichrist? or: Who is the False Prophet?

The proper question is: What is the Biblical Relationship Between the False Prophet and the Antichrist? or What is the proper Biblical order of the members of the unholy trinity?

In order to understand who the end time emissaries of evil are, all one needs to do is to extrapolate the relevant information from the Scriptures and apply it to current reality (since we are at the end of Church history). This is achieved by breaking down the Major Markers Manifesting in the Manuscript of the Most High into First Principles and Second Principles.

First Principles: Relationship, Royalty, Region.

Second Principles: Resemblance - Rending Realm - Reckoning - Role - Religion

You only need the First Principles. Then you can apply the Second Principles to verify its authenticity.


Relationship:

The current Church teaching is not the "How" Satan will counterfeit the Trinity, but is the "Goal" of Satan's counterfeit trinity.

The current Church Doctrine of the Unholy Trinity is:

Satan = unholy father

Antichrist = unholy son

False Prophet = unholy spirit


The proper Biblical Relationship Between the members of the Unholy Trinity is:

False Prophet = unholy father

Antichrist = unholy firstborn son

Satan = unholy spirit / spiritual father


When one understands that Satan is the original unholy spirit, then we can adjust the order of the unholy trinity into its proper place.


Royalty:

The Scriptures are clear that the Antichrist is a Prince who becomes King (Daniel 9:26; 8:23; 11:36; Revelation 13:2; 17:10–11). Since he is a Prince, then his father must also be a Prince or a King.


Region:

This is broken down into three distinct areas: Land Limits (Boundaries), Latitude and Longitude.

Land Limits: Roman Empire (Daniel 2:37–43; 7:7, 17, 23–24; 9:26).

Latitude and Longitude: North and West (Daniel 8:5, 9; 11:40) - especially Daniel 8:9.

So the First Principles of the Scriptures are this: A royal father and his firstborn son that come from the North-Western Roman Empire.

At this point, you can Google: Roman Empire map. Then circle the North-Western area. Then apply: Royalty (Prince and King), father and firstborn son. Then you'll have the answer. Then apply the Second Principles to verify the answer.

And please don't say we cannot know because of 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8; because that's the exact same passage Dispensational Premillennial scholars use to say there is a two-stage revelation of the Antichrist (one before the Tribulation (vv. 3, 6) and one after the Restrainer is removed (v. 8)), such as Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum who teaches this same two stage revelation when he wrote: “The identity of the Antichrist will be revealed on two occasions. The first revelation will occur before the Tribulation and will be for believers... There is to be a revelation of the identity of the Antichrist that precedes the Tribulation, and it is for believers living at that time. The Rapture of the Church may or may not have already occurred by then... Therefore, the revelation to believers before the Tribulation may be to the Church if the Rapture has not yet occurred.” - (Fruchtenbaum, Rise and Fall, 6–7. PDF e-book).