What does Isaiah 8:15 mean?

Isaiah has described the Lord as both a sanctuary and a stone of stumbling (Isaiah 8:14). For those who honor Him as a holy, He will be their sanctuary their place of safety. He will be their salvation from harm. This is much like a large stone that can anchor a home or be protection from danger. For those who do not honor Him, though, God will become the tripping stone. It that same rock is ignored or dismissed, it can become a tripping hazard. It exists, whether people want to accept that or not—and ignoring it can lead to dire consequences. This will be the case for the northern ten tribes of Israel and the southern two tribes of Judah. Even the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not escape this fate.

Many people will "stumble" over the stone that is the Lord. Worse, they will be broken and taken. The use of the word "taken" refers to the instruments of destruction the Lord will use to bring judgment against Israel and Judah. The Assyrians and then the Babylonians will catch and deport the vast majority of those in Israel and Judah who survive the invasions (2 Kings 24:14).

Jesus used the same language of a stone to describe Himself to the people of Israel during His time on earth: "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" (Matthew 21:43–44).