Wow, so many ideas on here and all of them are wrong.
The "BEAST from the SEA" of Revelation 13 is a group of Nations/Political Powers. These are a collection of northern ISLAMIC nations. This "BEAST" has been present throughout history going all the way back to Egypt and Moses day.
Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots is the ISLAMIC religion, but it is more than that, it is also a city, and this city is MECCA.
John gives us a big hint about this religious city.
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness (which can also be translated "desert")
. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Neither NYC nor Rome or even Jerusalem can be found in the wilderness or desert. Of all religious cities in the world, only MECCA is found there. John gives another clue. When Babylon (MECCA) is destroyed, the people will weep and throw dust on their heads. This is not a Catholic or western practice, but it is a Muslim practice.
19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth!
This city is also located by a sea of which ships will see her smoke. MECCA is located near the Red Sea where the largest shipping lane in the world is found. Arab kings worship MECCA and have gotten rich on her oil. There are no wild desert beast in NYC or Rome.
39 "Therefore the wild desert beasts shall dwell there with the jackals, And the ostriches shall dwell in it.
41 "Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
The Beast from the North will destroy Mecca. Babylon is not New York City and it is not Rome. Catholics have doctrinal issues but they acknowledge the true God and Jesus His Son, so while the Pope is somewhat of an illegitimate figure doctrinally, the Catholics do not attempt to totally replace or deny Christ as ISLAM does.
ISLAM is the FALSE religion that is spoken of so much in Revelation. It is successor of a line of false religions going back to the Tower of Babel. it is the current Baal. It is the current Diana that was worshiped in Ephesus in Paul's Day. They all have the same Satanic symbol of the Crescent and the Star. This symbol can be found all the way back to Egypt and has been present in all 7 historic beast kingdoms since. ISLAM has a False god, ALLAH and a false prophet, MUHAMMAD. The method of worship by ISLAM is identical to the worship of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel's day.
Dan 3:
4 Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."
compare to:
Rev 13:
7 ...And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
peoples, nations, and languages = tribe, tongue, and nation
Those who do not worship the image will be killed. In Daniel's day you had to fall down and bow to the image. It is the same for ISLAM today!! It will be the same in the future.
As for the "ANTICHRIST" he comes from modern day Turkey. I'm going to throw a name out here for a guy to watch. He fits MANY, MANY descriptions of Daniel and he was just elected president of Turkey in August. Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
God is likely not happy with any religion that promotes false doctrine, but a religion that has taken over 1/4 of the world which totally replaces Him? He is going to HATE!!! 
