“Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong;
like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,
like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters,
He casts down to the earth with His hand.”
— Isaiah 28:2 (ESV)
There are moments in Scripture when a verse suddenly opens like a window, and you realize God was revealing far more than the human author may have understood. Isaiah 28:2 is one of those moments. At first glance, many treat this passage as a warning about an ancient invasion. And yes—there was a near fulfilment in Isaiah’s day. But the language Isaiah uses refuses to remain confined to history.
It is cosmic.
It is catastrophic.
And it is unmistakably Messianic.
When you read it with prophetic eyes, Isaiah 28:2 becomes a stunning preview of the very One revealed in the Book of Revelation.
⸻
The “Mighty and Strong One” Is No Ordinary Invader
Isaiah doesn’t say, “Behold, Assyria.”
He doesn’t say, “Behold, Babylon.”
He says:
“The LORD has one who is mighty and strong…”
In Hebrew, the phrase echoes Messianic language used elsewhere—especially Isaiah 9:6, where the coming Savior is called El Gibbor — the Mighty God.
This isn’t just a foreign king.
This is an instrument in the hand of the Lord.
Isaiah is seeing a future moment when the Lord Himself raises up a Mighty One to execute judgment. And this is where the imagery explodes into Revelation-level intensity.
⸻
The Storm Imagery: A Signature of Divine Judgment
Isaiah piles up phrases:
- “storm of hail”
- “destroying tempest”
- “overflowing waters”
These are not metaphors for mild correction—they are biblical symbols of the Day of the Lord.
Now compare this with Revelation:
- Hailstones fall in the seventh bowl (Revelation 16:21).
- Tempest and storm accompany Jesus’ return (echoed in Revelation 19).
- Waters and floods are used repeatedly as images of end-time judgment (Revelation 12, Revelation 16).
The prophetic resonance is unmistakable. Isaiah and John are describing the same future reality from two angles.
⸻
“He Casts Down to the Earth With His Hand” — Revelation 19 in a Single Sentence
Isaiah sees a figure empowered directly by God who casts down the proud, the rebellious, and the corrupt “to the earth.”
This is the exact role Revelation gives to Jesus:
- He strikes the nations (Rev. 19:15).
- He treads the winepress of God’s wrath (Rev. 14:19–20).
- He unleashes judgment with authority in His hand.
Isaiah saw the Messiah long before John did.
He saw the Warrior-King.
He saw the returning Christ.
And he described Him as a storm that cannot be stopped.
⸻
The Dual Fulfilment: Near Judgment, Ultimate Judgment
Isaiah’s prophecies often operate on two levels:
- A near fulfilment (the Assyrian or Babylonian threat).
- An ultimate fulfilment at the end of the age.
Isaiah 28 follows this same pattern.
Yes, God used foreign nations to discipline His people.
But the scope, language, and cosmic scale point far beyond the ancient world.
This is eschatological.
This is apocalyptic.
This is the Messiah come in judgment, just as Revelation declares.
When Isaiah sees hail, tempest, and overflowing waters, he is seeing what John later sees in the Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls.
The prophets and the apostles are telling one seamless story.
⸻
Why This Matters Today
We are living in a generation that often tries to soften Jesus into a gentle moral teacher. But Scripture presents something far different:
A Lamb.
A Lion.
A Judge.
A King.
A Mighty One who comes like a storm.
Isaiah saw Him.
John saw Him.
And every eye will see Him.
Isaiah 28:2 is a reminder that God’s patience has a purpose, and His judgment has a timetable. The storm is not chaos—it is righteousness. The tempest is not wrath alone—it is the resetting of creation under the rule of Christ.
The same Lord who offers mercy today will return in power tomorrow.
And the storm He brings is the beginning of the Kingdom we long for.