Misconceptions regarding the roles of the Antichrist and False Prophet, and why the False Prophet is more pivotal to the end times than most people think:

Three Big Misconceptions About the Antichrist and the False Prophet

There are three common misconceptions about the Antichrist that many Christians assume to be true: 1. The Antichrist demands worship. 2. The Antichrist has people killed for refusing to worship him. 3. The Antichrist implements the mark of the beast.

But if we actually read Revelation carefully, we find that the Bible never attributes these actions to the Antichrist—it is the False Prophet who does all of them.

Who actually demands worship?

Many assume the Antichrist forces people to worship him, but Revelation 13:12 says this about the False Prophet, not the Antichrist:

“And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:12)

It is the False Prophet who compels people to worship the Antichrist. The Antichrist does not demand worship for himself; rather, he is the one being promoted by the False Prophet.

Who actually has people killed for refusing to worship?

Again, the Bible does not say that the Antichrist kills those who refuse to worship him. Instead, it says this about the False Prophet:

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:15)

It is the False Prophet, through the image of the beast, who orchestrates the killing of those who refuse to worship the Antichrist. The Antichrist himself is not the one carrying this out.

Who actually implements the mark of the beast?

Many people assume the Antichrist enforces the mark, but the Bible says this about the False Prophet:

“And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16-17)

It is the False Prophet who enforces the mark, not the Antichrist.

So what does the Antichrist actually do?

The Bible portrays the Antichrist primarily as a boastful, blasphemous world leader (Daniel 7:8, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). He is not the one issuing the commands for worship, killings, or the mark—that’s the False Prophet’s role. Instead, the Antichrist is the recipient of the False Prophet’s efforts, being exalted as a kind of false messiah.

This misunderstanding has led to a lot of false assumptions about how the end times will unfold. The Antichrist is certainly an evil figure, but it’s the False Prophet who willingly acts as his enforcer--or proxy--directing worship toward him, instituting the mark, and carrying out persecution.