1 Cor 10:31 has some very good analysis.  If this is the time, the players seem to already be lining up for sure.  I too agree that the false prophet could be a pope, a Marian apparition, or perhaps someone in the Protestant sphere like Rick Warren who is courting more and more often the world religions. (Witness his Syria trip, his trips to Africa, his unwillingness to proselytize the Jews, etc.,)  Being a Southern Baptist would give him a certain amount of staying power with the home crowd, but then again, after millions disappear, the crowd left will mostly be willing to follow anyone who makes them feel better about themselves.