Jer.6:[15] Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
[16] Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
[17] Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
[18] Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
[19] Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
[20] To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
[21] Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
[22] Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
[23] They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
[24] We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
[25] Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
[26] O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
[27] I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
[28] They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
[29] The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
[30] Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
The Lord indeed visited Israel. He came as prophesied born of a virgin. The people rejected and crucified Him. (vs. 15)
The King of Israel became their stumbling block and Rock of offense. (vs. 21)
The Romans came in 70 AD and destroyed the temple and dispersed the nation of Israel. The Lord God rejected them because they had rejected Him. (vs. 30)
Now Jesus stands as a stumbling block to the nation of Israel for they stumbled and we , as the body of Christ, sit in their way.
Look in Isaiah chapter 8:
Isa.8:[12] Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
[13] Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
[14] 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, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[15] And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
[16] Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
[17] And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
[18] Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
[19] And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
[20] To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
[21] And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
[22] And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
When Christ came to Israel, they rejected Him choosing rather to have Caesar as their king. (John 19:15)
They feared what man might do to them and disregarded what God would do to them. (John 11:48-50)
As Isaiah 8 prophesied the Lord Himself then became a stumbling block to the people of Israel causing many to fall. (vss 13-16)
They have cursed their King and their God and now lie in darkness. (vss 20-22)
Let their be no doubt for the Christian that Jesus is indeed the stumbling block (by extension the body of Christ the church) spoken of by the prophets.
Let us look in the book of First Corinthians chapter one:
1 Corinthians 1:[18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
[19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
[20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
[22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Let us look in Romans chapter 9:
Romans 9:[30] What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
[31] But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
[32] Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
[33] As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Again we understand Jesus Christ having come and been rejected has been laid as the foundation and the chief cornerstone of the Church having provided salvation to all through His blood and become a stumbling block to Israel.
In First Peter we read:
1Peter 2:[1] Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
[2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
[3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
[4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
[5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[6] 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.
[7] Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
[8] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
The stumbling block has indeed been laid having been rejected by the builders (priests) fulfilling the prophecy of
Psalms 118:[22] The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
[23] This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Jesus Himself quoted this Psalm in teaching the Pharisees by a parable in Matthew chapter 21.
Matthew 21:[33] Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
[34] And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
[35] And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
[36] Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
[37] But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
[38] But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
[39] And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
[40] When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
[41] They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
[42] Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
[43] Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
[44] And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
In Romans chapter 11 we read:
Romans 11:[9] And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them:
[10] Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
[12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
[13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
[14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
[15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
The stumbling block for Israel has indeed provided salvation to all of humanity. The reason Jesus died was not to cause them to stumble but rather to provide salvation through the payment for the sins of mankind.
They have indeed stumbled for now but let us continue reading in Roamns chapter 11.
Romans 11:[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
[26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
[27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
[28] As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
[29] For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
[30] For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
This temporary blindness has happened for a time to the people of Israel but there is coming a time when the stumbling block will be removed and the people of Israel will be saved.
This will occur after “the fulness of Gentiles be come in”. The “coming in” of the Gentiles means a harvesting of the Gentiles. We call this event the Rapture.
In Isaiah chapter 57 we find the only Old Testament reference to this event.
Isaiah 57:[1] The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
The bride of Christ will indeed be removed from the wrath of God poured out during the period of time known as the Tribulation. This event will also remove the stumbling block from the nation of Israel as we read further in Isaiah chapter 57.
Isa.57:[13] When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
[14] And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
[15] For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
[16] For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
[17] For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
[18] I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
[19] I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
[20] But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
[21] There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
The stumblingblock will indeed be cast UP and NOT down.
In Second Thessalonians we read:
2Thessalonians .2:[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
[5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
He that prevents (Jesus) will be taken out of the way and the man of sin (anti-Christ) shall be revealed. Just as God promised in Isaiah 57 there will be no peace for the wicked of whom the book of Second Thessalonians informs us the Wicked is this man known as the anti-Christ. Let me warn those who have rejected Jesus that time is now short. The time of the stumbling block removal is ticking away. The moment Israel became a nation among men again God’s clock restarted for them. Time to receive Jesus as your personal Savior is fast coming to a close. The door is creaking shut. Let me encourage you to ask Jesus to come into your heart before it is eternally too late.