My bad, I thought you were saying the scripture supported the idea that we are gone before Antichrist shows up.
OK, I'm not going to pull any punches with this explanation. I don't ask anyone to accept it if they don't want (nor should any believer until they've studied about it more in God's Word, and prayed about it).
Do you remember our Lord Jesus said many are called, but few are chosen? (Matt.20:16). What's the difference between being called vs. being chosen? This could get into Bible topics like predestination, but I'm not going to go deep in that. If we look at the OT patriarchs and prophets, and Christ's Apostles, with Apostle Paul especially, we discover that God directly chose them.
Apostle Paul especially, Jesus struck him down on the road to Damascus when Paul had a letter of authority from the unbelieving Jews to hunt down Christians, and bring them in chains back to Jerusalem to be tried. Christ directly intervened in Paul's life to cause him to believe. He took Paul's free will choice away. Why? Because Jesus said Paul was His "chosen vessel" (Acts 9), which means He alread 'owned' Paul. So the idea of the 'very elect' is about previous ownership by our Lord and their being 'sent'. This is actually a topic in the John 17 chapter.
God said He knew Jeremiah before he was in his mother's womb. God said David was a man after His own heart. Those type of examples represent 'chosen' ones who were 'sent' (meaning of 'apostle'). They cannot be deceived or turned, because God already owns them. But before it's time for thier service, they might be found doing wrong, like Saul (Paul) who was persecuting Christ's Church with the Jews before Jesus struck him down and converted him.
But those of us who are 'called' only, we must make our own choice, and belief on our own. Then Jesus wants us to become joined with His very elect sent ones that cannot be turned. The difference with us who are called only, we must be tested.
That means those called only can... fall away and become apostates, if... we so choose. Christ's 'chosen' cannot turn away if they want, for Jesus already owns them. Like is said in John 17, Jesus said His chosen before belonged to The Father, and then The Father gave them to Him (Jesus). Jesus also said there that He prayed not only for His chosen sent ones, but also for those who come to Him through their... word (i.e., preaching).
This is why our Lord's warning about the false one in Matt.24:23-26 is much, much stronger than most realize. It's because the level of deceptive working of those signs and wonders will be so powerful so as to almost deceive His "very elect", meaning His chosen sent ones that He Himself alrealdy owns and controls and therefore cannot be deceived.
So who especially might be the Christian pastors and brethren deceived by the coming Antichrist. Those expecting to be raptured at the start of the trib primarily. The pre-trib rapture doctrine is specifically preparing them to believe on the first supernatural messiah that shows up. The first one of course, will be the Antichrist or 'in place of Christ' (actual meaning in the Greek).
No...no you didn't pull any punches! And so I, also, will be straight with you. I can see absolutely no evidence for this 'third' category, within scripture. There are the Jews and there are the Gentiles, and the wall in between them has been broken down by Christ, in whom we are all one.
Consider Ephesians:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as
he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. - Ephesians 1:3–14
The whole passage is heavy with implications, but for our purposes, it's still quite clear. Paul is speaking to the entire Ephesian church, and we also know from Paul's writings in Timothy that all of scripture is applicable to every Christian. So there is no theological reason why someone who has "heard the word of truth, the gospel of...salvation, and believed in him", would
not think this entire passage is also directed at them. And it clearly teaches that as Christians we are all chosen, before the foundation of the world; and once in Christ, we are blessed with
every spiritual blessing. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the assurance, the
guarantee of our inheritance. Why would Paul phrase it in such strong language, such
sure language, if there was a whole category of Christians who were able...more, liable, to fall away at the slightest deception?
There are several more mentions in the NT alone that apply the "chosen" label to the church as a whole, rather than to a select few:
Romans 11:5, Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4–5a, 1 Peter 2:4–5, 1 Peter 2:9
Then...if we look at the flip side. Paul outright says he was
called by God.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, - Romans 1:1
And in Acts 13:2, Romans 9:24, 1 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:15
You get my point...
The two words are harmonious and we see them working together too often in scripture to be able to build a doctrine that says they point to different categories of elect. The times we see, like Matt 22:14, the two seemingly at odds, we need to be guided by other scripture. And other scripture is clear. Just like in Romans 8:30: (And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.), we see that it is a somewhat follow-on thing. Everyone is called...but not everyone answers that call. The common grace of the message of grace is extended to the world, but not every soul offers their heart up in response to their Saviors call. But we can say, that every person who is Chosen, was also called...they answered that call. Things then sort of get muddled up in the doctrine of free will/predestination, which I think is a whole other thread! But I think that the bible clearly interweaves the notion of "called" and "chosen". I do not see what you have painted, I'm sorry. And I certainly don't see how only being 'called' by God would leave us open and vulnerable for the likes of the Antichrist. I'm not doubting that individual would be dangerous or even very deceptive. But I would think the real 'test' for a Christian, would be how well they knew their Lord and how strong their faith was. I cannot see anywhere in the bible that teaches it rests upon the
status of "chosen" or "called", and that being one of the 'called' left us open
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. - Romans 11:29
