This study considers a prophecy given in Scripture and the record of its fulfilment. The prophets spoke long before the events they described, and the account of fulfilment is part of why the text commands attention.
The Prophecy
The prophecy under consideration is Isaiah 28:16, spoken by the prophet Isaiah to the kingdom of Judah during a time of national crisis. Isaiah ministered in the eighth century BC, and chapter 28 addresses the prevailing arrogance of Ephraim (the northern kingdom) and the scoffing rulers of Jerusalem who had made a covenant with death and sought refuge in lies rather than in the LORD. Into this setting of spiritual drunkenness and false security, the Lord GOD Himself speaks: “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
The prophecy is striking because it is set in direct contrast to the failing refuges of Judah’s leaders. Where they trusted in deceit and a covenant with death, God announces that He Himself is laying a foundation in Zion—a stone that has been tested, that is precious, and that provides a sure footing. The Hebrew term rendered “sure foundation” carries the sense of something firmly established and unshakeable. The final clause promises that the one who believes will not “make haste”—that is, will not be thrown into panicked flight or shame when the storm comes. The prophecy thus foretells a divinely appointed cornerstone in Zion, the place of God’s dwelling, and attaches a promise of security to faith in it.
The Fulfilment
The fulfilment is recorded in 1 Peter 2:6, where the apostle Peter cites this prophecy and applies it directly to Jesus Christ. Writing to scattered believers enduring persecution, Peter says: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” Peter quotes Isaiah’s words and identifies the stone as Christ Himself, the “chief corner stone” who is “elect” and “precious” in the sight of God.
It is important to be precise about what this text does and does not claim. Peter does not say that Isaiah’s prophecy was exhausted in some earlier historical event and then reapplied to Jesus; he presents the Scripture as finding its true referent in Christ. Nor does Peter claim that the fulfilment was obvious to Isaiah’s original audience—he reads it in light of the gospel now revealed. What the text does claim is that the stone God promised to lay in Zion is Jesus, and that the promise attached to it—that the believer “shall not be confounded”—is fulfilled in those who trust in Him. The word rendered “confounded” in Peter corresponds to Isaiah’s “make haste,” carrying the sense of being put to shame or dismayed. The fulfilment is thus a person: the cornerstone is not a building project but the Messiah Himself, and the security promised is the security of those who believe on Him.
Why It Matters
Fulfilled prophecy like this demonstrates that Scripture is not a collection of human reflections but a divinely superintended revelation. Isaiah spoke of a stone laid in Zion centuries before Christ; Peter, writing after the resurrection, declares that stone to be Jesus. The correspondence is not incidental—it reveals a consistency of purpose across the whole canon, showing that God’s promises are trustworthy and that what He foretells, He brings to pass.
This matters for the believer because the same promise attached to the cornerstone still stands: “he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” If God’s word concerning the stone proved true, then His word concerning those who trust in it is equally reliable. Fulfilled prophecy thus anchors confidence—not in human wisdom or changing circumstances, but in the sure foundation God Himself has laid in Zion.
Passages
- The prophecy: Isaiah 28:16
- The fulfilment: 1 Peter 2:6