Isaiah 8:14-15
“And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel... And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”
King James Version
The LORD Himself becomes a sanctuary to some but a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to others — applied by Paul and Peter to Christ.
Fulfillment References
Romans 9:32-33 1 Peter 2:8 Luke 2:34 Matthew 21:44
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe 'stone of stumbling' is the LORD Himself (Isa. 8:13-14) — and the NT applies it to Jesus (1 Pet. 2:8; Rom. 9:33), testimony that Jesus is that one LORD.
JewishThe LORD as both refuge and a snare to the faithless within Israel; read of God's relation to His people, not of a messianic figure.
CatholicChrist the cornerstone who is also, to unbelief, a stone of stumbling (Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8).
ProtestantPaul and Peter apply this directly to Christ — the same Jesus who is sanctuary to faith is offence to unbelief.
OrthodoxChrist the rock, salvation to believers and stumbling to the unbelieving.
DispensationalIsrael's stumbling over Messiah at His first coming, with future restoration.
AcademicThe NT applies a text about YHWH ('he shall be for a sanctuary... a stone of stumbling') to Jesus — a striking instance of YHWH-texts read christologically.
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Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.