What if the next pope IS the AC (Hal Lindsey says that the FP would be from Israel since he is the beast that rises from the “land” but the AC is from the “sea” and who better to lead the revived roman empire then the pope) and then Sharon wakes up saying he was shown by god that this man IS the messiah and should be listened too??? Sharon coming out of a 7 year coma would be considered a miracle and he is a well respected person to begin with so if he were to endorse a man as messiah claiming to have been shown this man by god during his coma it might carry some weight with people.
 
In fact EVEN if the AC isn’t the pope if Sharon wakes up and endorses whoever it is as the messiah as shown him by god then that could get him the Jewish support he needs.
 
Whether Sharon would then be the FP I don’t know but just the endorsement would certainly move things along.
 
Paul