The principal powers at work during the Christian Age are the same throughout. They are:

Jesus of Nazareth, the One and Only
Son of God

He is ignored by most, but He is indeed Lord of Lords and King of kings, Rev 19:16. He is THE major power of the Christian Age. He is a conquerer!

“And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.”
Rev 6:2 WEB

Jesus has complete authority.

… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28.28 WEB

All authority where? “In heaven and on earth.” As God has operated in the past, so now Jesus rules the nations, and has,

“26 … appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
Acts 17:26-27 WEB

He must reign (presently and continuously) until ALL His enemies are destroyed, 1Cor 15:24-25.

Mystery Babylon the Great

This is a religio-commercial entity. It evidently dominates world trade for the entire Christian Age. It does not control all of it, but it is evidently a central facilitator of world trade. It is pictured in Rev 18:11-13 as selling a little bit of everything, and so rich that “she” drinks out of gold cups, and is extravagantly clothed with gold and jewels in Rev 17:3-4. It says that,

“The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,”
Rev 18:9 WEB

She is the arranger of wars and conflicts on earth. Why? To make money out of those conflicts. It says,

“In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Rev 18:24 WEB

What a staggeringly comprehensive statement!

And she rides the Satanic dragon that has seven heads and ten horns, Rev 17:3! She rides the Mystery of Lawlessness, the seldom noticed “beast” organization of Rev 13:1-2, of which there are seven “heads,” directors.

The Mystery of Lawlessness

The mystery of lawlessness is a much smaller organization than Mystery Babylon the Great, and is opposed to Mystery Babylon, but also allows itself to be used for her purposes. It is a very highly leveraged satanic organization, a dragon (compare Revelation 12), and is already in operation in the first century, 2Thes 2:7. It is guided by a directory of seven men/kings, and it directs ten centers of power. It hates the harlot, and before the end will destroy her at God’s instigation, Rev 17:16-17.

None of the these powers are absolute, except Jesus the Christ. The others plot and plan and coerce as best they can, and have whatever triumphs God allows. In history they have both many victories and many dismal defeats. In worldly terms they are intimidating, but they are doomed from the start.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901