What does the false prophet cause the people of the earth to worship?
The false prophet causes earth's inhabitants to worship the first beast, the Antichrist and counterfeit, instead of the God of creation. That first beast is also described as the healed Roman empire, whose deadly wound was healed. Through miracles and deception, the false prophet convinces people to give worship to this beast.
Les explains that the false prophet will have a great religious organization at his disposal and enough power to convince those under his religious umbrella to worship not the God of creation but the Antichrist, the counterfeit. He causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, or that empire again, whose deadly wound was healed. Les ties the first beast to the healed Roman empire rather than merely an individual. The false prophet also does great wonders, making fire come down from heaven in the sight of men, and he deceives those who dwell on the earth by means of those miracles. Satan has power to perform miracles, as Pharaoh's magicians in Egypt did, and they receive their power from Satan.