Genesis 19 is the story of Lot’s removal from Sodom before the Lord’s divine judgment executed from heaven. Abraham had just bravely tested the Lord’s patience about how many righteous people it would take to spare the city from the judgement it deserved.

Finally Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

Genesis 18:32

The bottom line is that the Lord would spare the city if any righteous people remained. The wicked city had earned judgement and would receive it. But the Lord’s character is such that the righteous will not experience the wrath of God. That’s why the angels were dispatched to Sodom, to remove Lot and his family. Four people. It could have been six but the prospective sons-in-law did not heed Lot’s warning.

The time comes in cities and nations when sin reaches its fullness and divine judgement is decreed. But there are always remnant believers, followers of the Lord who still live in these places.

Divine wrath from heaven is a different issue than other forms of judgement. Often, the Lord uses “the rod of men” but on rare occasion, divine judgement from heaven is ordained. Believers may have to endure being caught up in the rod of men (judgement worked through conquering armies), for example Daniel and his friends, but never has a believer had to endure divine wrath from heaven. Not Noah, not Lot and his family, not born again believers in Messiah.

For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:9

The verse reveals God’s consistent character in such matters of judgement when it comes to His people. That’s another reason why the rapture will be before the tribulation period defined by judgement. Back to the connection with the Lot story and the rapture…

Two words are used to describe the removal of Lot and his family.

When Lot hesitated, the men grabbed (ḥâzaq) his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the LORD had compassion on them. They led (yâṣâ) them away and placed them outside the city.

Genesis 19:16

• ḥâzaq – to seize
• yâṣâ – pluck out, proceed, pull out

I’m no Hebrew scholar but it seems to me that when you put those two concepts together, it sounds like harpazō (to seize, carry off by force). The context is also the same – the removal of the righteous before divine judgement. Again, consistent with God’s character. The removal of Lot and his family was, I believe, supernatural. The destination was outside the city but the sense is that it happened instantly. A type of rapture, an instantaneous removal from a place of judgement.

One other observation. The plucking out of believers from a place of judgement has historically been just in time. There was an urgency about it because judgment was imminent. I know prophecy scholars say there is no sign for the rapture, that it can happen any time. Perhaps. But if the Lord holds to this pattern, we will be going up as judgement comes down.