The book of Revelation is not sequential but a spiral of parallel events that have shorter and shorter time spans until the return of Jesus Christ. The Church Age began at Pentecost and ends at the Rapture. The seals began at the merger of Church and Roman State. The trumpets began with World War I. The Tribulation begins with a seven year covenant. The reign of the unholy trinity of Satan, Antichrist and False Prophet begins half way through the Tribulation. The seals, trumpets, Tribulation and reign of Antichrist end at the Second Coming. Since we are about one hundred years into the Laodicean period, four horses are on the run and five trumpets sounded before the Tribulation. The beginnings of three world wars are falling into place. We are so far into the End Times that we see Revelation being fulfilled.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars - Chapter 20: Players in the Game, Chapter 25: World War III, Revelation Outline, Timeline of the Tribulation

21st Century Revelation's premise is that we are living in the End Times right before the Rapture. Four  horses are on the run and five trumpets have sounded during the Church Age. The sequence of events is the Rapture, Tribulation and Second Coming. Half way through the Tribulation, the unholy trinity of the Satan, Antichrist and False Prophet rule.

Ask you now, and see whether a man does travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it (Jeremiah 30:6-7).

Satan Rules Through the Antichrist and False Prophet - Revelation 12:9, 17

In the sky, a woman appeared who was about to give birth. Israel gives birth to Jesus and the Church. The planets and stars aligned on September 11, 3 BC (birth of Jesus) and September 23, 2017 (preceding the Rapture). See First Coming, Revelation 12 Sign. Then a red dragon appeared with ten heads and seven horns. The dragon is Satan and ten heads are ten nations that give their power to the Antichrist. After the woman gave birth, the child was "caught up" or raptured before the dragon could devour the child. There is a war in heaven. Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven and down to earth to persecute the woman and remnant of her children for three and a half years, the second half of the Tribulation.

There appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, to devour her child as soon as it was born (Revelation 12:3-4).

Antichrist Rules the Beast (World Government) - Revelation 17:12-13

The Antichrist is a man empowered by Satan and claims to be the promised Messiah. He rules a political, religious and economic world government during the last half of the Tribulation. His character and purpose is opposite Jesus Christ and he fights God's people. He is the "Man of Sin," "Little Horn" and he leads the Beast.

What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him.
----Paul Henri Spaak, Prime Minister of Belgium, President of the UN General Assembly, President European Parliament

The Beast, sometimes synonymous with Antichrist, is described as a ten-nation supranational government from a lion (United Kingdom), bear (Russia) and leopard (Germany) (Revelation 13:1-2). These national leaders give power and allegiance to the Antichrist. He leads this empire and rules the world. See Daniel's Dream, European Union.

Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time (1 John 2:18).

False Prophet Rules the Second Beast (World Religion) - Revelation 17:3

Many false prophets exist but the False Prophet is a great religious ruler. Through many signs and wonders, he leads the world in worship of the Antichrist. He looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon and rules the second beast, world religion.

As the Antichrist leads the political system (the beast), the False Prophet leads the religious system (woman). The Bible depicts true religion as the Bride of Christ and false religion as the Whore of Babylon. The Antichrist and False Prophet control the people through the world economy.

He exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell there to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men (Revelation 13:12-13).