God Protects His Own from Judgment

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

It seems that Isaiah is identifying with the dead of history who lived their lives following God in faith. He is confident that they will live again to sing the praises of God. This is the same faith expressed by Job:

Job 19:25-27 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Isaiah 26:20-21 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

These are very thought provoking verses. I would have to say that in context it seems to be addressing the people of Israel in particular regarding the day of the Lord, the 70th week of Daniel, the tribulation. This was introduced first in chapter 2. Along with bringing the nation of Israel to a position of repentance and acknowledgement of Jesus as Savior, that time will be a time of God’s wrath and vengeance against His enemies.

Jeremiah 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

Joel 2:30-32 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

In that regard it would seem to apply to the remnant of Israel being preserved in the wilderness during the last half of the tribulation as described in Revelation 12.

Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

I have also heard these verses taught as a possible application to the believers who will be raptured before the tribulation starts. As I think about it, it could have a double application. Jesus speaks of going to prepare a place for those who trust in Him.

John 14:2-3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Jesus also speaks of keeping believers from the time of temptation that is scheduled for those who dwell on earth.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

God has told us through the apostle Paul that believers are not appointed to wrath.

1Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…

I was reading an article by Jack Kelley at Gracethrufaith.com that contained an interesting perspective on these verses: “Notice how the pronouns change from second person when God speaks of His people to third person when He speaks of the people of the Earth. It means the two groups are different. One is told to hide because the other is going to be punished. (Note: The Hebrew word translated “Come” recalls the command to John in Revelation 4, “Come up here!” But the word has another primary meaning, and it is my favorite. It means vanish. “Vanish, my people!” Yes we will.)”

When reading through this section again in my Bible reading, all of a sudden a connection jumped out at me between verses 19-21 and 1Corinthians 15:52 and 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 in connection with the Rapture and the “day of the Lord,” the time of God’s wrath on planet earth as referenced in 1Thessalonians 5:9 above and Matthew 24.

1Corinthians 15:52 …and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Verse 19 references “Thy” dead men, in other words, men of faith. It speaks of the dead bodies of these men of faith being cast out of the earth. (Cf with the above verses in 1Corinthians and 1Thessalonians.) Immediately after that these people of faith enter “their” chambers (cf with John 14 above – “I will go and prepare a place for you.”) until the indignation is past. That indignation being defined in verse 26 and described in detail in Revelation. The thought of a possible connection to the Rapture was not new to me (as shown by previous comments), but I had not made a direct connection to 1Corinthians 15 and 1Thessalonians 4 with verse 19 in particular. Pretty amazing!