There is an amazing section in Isaiah 26 that literally talks about the times we are living in right now written hundreds of years ago. First, we see Isaiah 26:17-18 talking about a woman with child drawing near her delivery. (This reminds of 1 Thess. 5:3 that talks about a woman in travail with child leading to the time of sudden destruction and we are reminded that the end times will be as a woman in labor with the events coming closer together and stronger culminating to a birth event, the LORD’s coming for HIS church.)
Isaiah 26:17-18 (KJV): Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
18We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
(1 Thessalonians 5:3 (KJV): For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.)
Next we come to Isaiah 26:19 we see the earth casting out the dead and we are reminded of
1 Thessalonians 4:16 in which the dead in Christ shall rise out of the earth first:
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.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV): 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 this amazing passage of Isaiah goes to 20 in which the rapture is clearly seen that the LORD’s people are put away for a little moment until the indignation be overpast. This “little moment” is the seven-year tribulation of GOD’s indignation
Isaiah 26:20: 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.
Finally, at the close of Isaiah 26 in Verse 21 we see that the LORD is coming out of HIS place to punish the inhabitants of the earth. But notice, this does NOT include the group from verse 26:20—they are identified as GOD’s people and they are put away for a little moment (7 year trib) until GOD’s indignation is overpast—so what remains are those on earth—the “left behind” and it talks about those not put away in Verse 20, being punished for their iniquity as the inhabitants OF THE EARTH—this isn’t just one part of the world—or a country or nation—but the entire occupancy of the world. It is the evil men left for GOD to punish AFTER HE has put HIS people away safely in their chambers to safety:
Isaiah 26:21: 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.
