Cyprian, Treatises of Cyprian.
Ephraim the Syrian, Pseudo Ephraim, On The Last Times 2
In part 4 of chapter 30, he warned that we should not come to rash premature conclusions about the number of the name of antichrist (666). We are given the number of his name that when he does come, WE may avoid him, he said (comment in brackets are mine):
But he [John in Revelation] indicates the number of his name now, that when this man comes [the antichrist] we may avoid him, being aware who he is.
Now, why would Irenaeus say that the reason the number of the antichrist’s name is given in the Bible, is so that when antichrist does come WE may be identify him, if we are supposed to have been raptured out before this?
This, and a host of other very plain statements in “Irenaeus Against Heresies,” indicates that your take on what he said in chapter 30 is just a case of reading into Ireneeus your pretribism.
Likewise, Cyprian, your quotation from his Treatises a strained interpretation. In the selfsame treatises, Cyprian quotes scores of prophetic passages from the New Testament having to do with the time of antichrist, for the express purpose of “preparing and strengthening the minds of the brethren” for those days:
In the ending and completion of the world the hateful time of Antichrist is already beginning to draw near, I would collect from the sacred Scriptures some exhortations for preparing and strengthening the minds of the brethren, whereby I might animate the soldiers of Christ for the heavenly and spiritual contest. His Treatise XL, 1.
As to Pseudo-Ephraim, his stuff is not held in such high esteem by most expositors, “pseudo” means false.