Isaiah 57:1-2
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. (2) He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
As a followup to the Isaiah 26 post as a proof-text for the rapture, it is interesting to see the same theme appears later on in Isaiah particularly in Isaiah 57:1-2. The following are two reasons why these verses as well provide ample reason to believe in the doctrine of the Rapture (also see Have we forgotten about the Rapture):
1. God’s will is that the righteous are spared from the judgment that He sends for the ungodly(1 Thessalonians 5:9). Many times in scripture we have seen Him carry out this goal:
- saving Lot’s family from the Sodom and Gomorrah Judgment (Genesis 19:16)
- saving Noah and his family from the Flood (Genesis 7:1)
- saving the first born of the Israelite from the plague sent to kill all firstborns (Exodus 12:23)
The Rapture is the ultimate realization of God’s goal to alleviate believers from the wrath (the Great Tribulation which culminates in the Great and terrible day of the Lord) to come because it will serve as the most pungent act of earthly judgment ever to happen. The bible describes this period as the worst to ever occur in all of human history (Matthew 24:21).
Dr. Henry Morris of the New Defender’s Study Bible adds the following:
57:1 taken away. The definitive event of being taken away from the evil to come will be the future rapture of the church, at which time both living and dead believers will be caught up to meet Christ just prior to the great tribulation. See I Thessalonians 4:15–5:10; II Thessalonians 2:1-4, with the associated footnotes. However, the principle may well be applied also in many cases when a believer’s life is taken at a relatively young age. This is at least a possibility that could be considered when no other apparent reason seems to exist.
2. Once again (see prior reference in the Isaiah 26 post) we encounter a verse that reminds us of Christ promise in John 14:2 of the many mansions that are prepared and awaiting us. The imagery of beds is certainly not out of place with the mansions (John 14:2) and chambers (Isaiah 26:20) of protection and rest spoken of in other parts of scripture.
The Christ Plus Zero Movement 
The truth is Jesus comes in wrath and takes his bride away as it happens.This is the first of three that takes place. He does not take pleasure in so doing, but his Father our Slavation giver requires it and rightly so. Fear is not far from God ,yet we love our Creator and embrace him in great fear because we know he loves us and he is our Father that we are to love in all our heart soul and mind cause he is watching his always.
Robert: The truth is Jesus comes in wrath and takes his bride away as it happens.
James: Greetings Robert!
When Christ comes in wrath, the bible states that He comes “with all of His saints” (Zechariah 14:5, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Jude 1:14-15). If Christ comes with all of His saints then how are we (the Church) still on earth when He comes?
If you are thinking of verses like Matthew 24:30-31 or Mark 13:20 you should also consider that the word “elect” in the bible refers to both Israel and the Church (Isaiah 45:4, Isaiah 65:9, Matthew 24:31, 1 Peter 1:2, Colosians 3:12). Furthermore, Jeremiah 9:25-26 suggests that Isreal (and not the Church) will be the elect entity that must endure the great tribulation.
Therefore, since the Church is already in heaven attending the Wedding that occurs during the great tribulation (Revelation 19:7-8); and since God said that in that day (when Christ returns in wrath), no Jew would be left outside Israel: “I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them [among other nations] any more” (Ezekiel 39:28, cf. Isaiah 27:12; Amos 9:9); it seems reasonable to interpret Matthew 24:31 in light of God’s promise to gather Israel from all ends of the earth. For other issues that arise from the view that the Church must endure the great tribulation (AKA the Post Tribulation Rapture) see my post “Have we forgotten about the Rapture.”
Robert: This is the first of three that takes place.
James: The first of three comings? If so, what are the other two comings?
Robert: He does not take pleasure in so doing, but his Father our Slavation giver requires it and rightly so. Fear is not far from God ,yet we love our Creator and embrace him in great fear because we know he loves us and he is our Father that we are to love in all our heart soul and mind cause he is watching his always.
James: On the contrary, Christ does delight in exercising justice because He is just. See Jeremiah 9:24.