who could this be ? Yes, your first though might be right,
From all that scripture indicates, it looks like this coming one-world leader will rise to power by peace and by flattery and by clever deceit (Daniel 11:21,24). By his supernatural craft, wisdom, and clever political maneuvering, he will temporarily solve today’s pressing military, political, and economic problems and will effect a peace pact between the conflicting superpowers, ideologies, and religions of the world.In fact, he’s even going to ultimately claim to be God, when all the time he’s a phony and a fake, the Devil in disguise, “Satan himself, transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14–15).—The Antichrist.
If there was ever any place where a mastermind’s compromise agreement was needed, it’s Jerusalem. Anyone who could solve this crisis would certainly be considered a mastermind and a genius and a superman, and no doubt all the world would wonder. And that’s who it will be, the Antichrist.