Psalm 91 is a comforting Psalm, particularly in recent few years with COVID running rampant throughout the world. The Psalm uses a lot of defensive language for the relationship between believers and the Lord. The defensive metaphors used are: shelter, refuge, fortress, under His wings, shield, bulwark.

I would suggest that the Psalm is describing coming judgements upon the wicked and that the defensive language pertains to the shielding of the righteous from those judgements. Where best to shelter us than to be “set securely on high” as a result of the snatching away from the earth before these judgements are executed upon the wicked.

Contained in the Psalm are conditional promises from the Lord to the righteous:

• Deliverance from the snare of the trapper
• Deliverance from deadly pestilence (plague)
• No evil will befall you
• No plague will come near your tent (home).
• You won’t need to fear plague (plague mentioned 3 times in the Psalm).
• I will set him on high
• I will answer him when he calls upon Me
• I will be with him in trouble
• I will rescue him and honor him
• With long life I will satisfy him
• I will let him see My salvation.

The conditions:

• Dwell in His shelter; in His shadow (i.e., be very, very close to Him)
• Your complete trust in Him
• Seek refuge under His wings (incidentally, this phrase is used in the Book of Ruth which predates most of the Psalms).
• Love Him (the greatest commandment)
• Know (understand, acknowledge) His Name.

These conditions are consistent with salvation in Christ. So what is the connection with the rapture? Consider verse 8:

You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.

Psalms 91:8

Verse 8 is the key verse in the Psalm. I believe the Psalm describes judgement in pestilence, war, terror, destruction, massive casualties. I do not believe this is hyperbole but real – but this is not something believers experience according to the Psalm. We, those who believe – who meet the conditions of the Psalm – are watching the recompense (retribution) executed upon the wicked.

The connection of verse 8, which indicates judgement, with the description of those judgements in the Psalm may be consistent with Revelation 5. Take a look at the two passages and see what you think. For me personally, it’s compelling to see the similarities.

Paul the Apostle would later write the following to the church in Ephesus:

For they themselves report about us what kind of a  reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve  a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 5:9

These verses in the New Testament are parallels to the language of Psalm 91: We are not destined for wrath and we are to be rescued from the wrath to come.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a  shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Is this what is implied in Psalm 91:14-15?

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.” ¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

Psalms 91:14-15

Caught up together with them (the raised) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…to be set on high where we will only look on with our eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Also, the word “rescue” in verse 15 can mean the following: “to strip, to depart; take away”.

Psalm 91 seems to be consistent in many ways with the description of the judgements of Revelation and also the description of the deliverance of the righteous from those judgements.

I believe this Psalm is prophetic. Verse 8 is coming but then so is verse 14-15. Maybe it would be a good idea to review the conditions of rescue in Psalm 91.