Chapter 57 of Isaiah not only appears to parallel the 57th book of the New Testament, Philemon, it also speaks of the snatching away, or “rapture” of the Church. As previously discussed, the Book of Philemon is a picture of the Church going Home to be with the Lord.

Isaiah 57:1 tells of the righteous being taken away to be spared from evil;
“The righteous perishes, And no man takes [it] to heart; Merciful men [are] taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil.”

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, in Hebrew the word “perish” is abad (Strong’s H6). In addition to perish, it means to vanish or go astray. So Isaiah 57:1 could say, “The righteous have vanished! No one understands that they have been taken away to be spared from the evil to come.”

This same concept is found in the Book of Zephaniah;
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, Before the decree is issued, [Or] the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you! – Zephaniah 2:1-2

The “nation” in this passage is goy in Hebrew (Strong’s H1471). This word is frequently translated “gentile” in the Old Testament. Again paraphrasing, this warns us, saying, “Gather together, and come into the Lord’s sheepfold, Gentiles, before the Day of the Lord’s anger.” This also implies that the Church will be protected from the Day of the Lord’s anger.

Again, in Isaiah 26:20-21, the Lord shows us His protection over us;
“Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation (or anger) is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.”

And;
In My Father's house are many rooms; if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. – John 14:2

We are told to enter our rooms in the Lord’s house for a short time (the Tribulation) until the Lord’s anger is past, because the Lord is angry with the nations and will punish them. For a more complete description of the Lord’s anger and wrath, please see Isaiah 30:27-28 and 30-33.

What a blessing is the Book of Isaiah. What hope it gives us. It is a microcosm of the whole Bible. What a blessing is the Word of God. May His name be praised always!