OLD TESTAMENT REFLECTIONS ON THE RAPTURE
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 (Isaiah 26:19).
The opening verse offers us a profound glimpse of what will happen at the Rapture. To gain further clarity, let’s refer to the Septuagint: “The dead shall rise, and they that are in the tombs shall be raised, and there in the earth shall rejoice: for the dew from thee is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly shall perish.” In verse 20, the instruction is given: “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.”
The “indignation” refers to God’s wrath, a period of judgment that the Bible says would be for three and a half years, as mentioned in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation. This period is part of a seven-year timeframe when God resumes His dealings with the children of Israel, known as the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy; these are weeks of years; meaning that each week is seven years. We’re currently in the interval between the 69th week and the 70th week. Between the 69th week, which includes the death of the Messiah, and the 70th week, the Church comes in.
During the tribulation period, the children of Israel will flee to Edom and Moab. However, these regions are not the “chambers” referred to in the prophecy. Edom and Moab will provide refuge, but they do not represent a place of rest or safety. Instead, this period will be a time of Jacob’s trouble, not a time of rest.
The phrase “enter thou into thy chambers” in Isaiah 26:20 refers to the rapture of the Church to heaven, a concept that was a mystery and thus not easily understood in the Old Testament. But these prophetic mysteries were revealed by Paul, who was given this special ministry to the church, and clarified aspects of prophecy that had been previously unknown. Praise God!
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for the revelation of the Rapture and the mysteries of your Word. I rejoice in the assurance that I’ll be caught up to meet Jesus in the air, escaping the wrath to come. I’m strengthened to live in the light of this truth. Thank you for including us in your glorious and eternal plan of salvation for mankind, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Daniel 9:24-27, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 2:1-26, Jeremiah 19-22
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 13:1-25, Ezekiel 25-26
