The Stone with Seven Eyes

How can this stand?

That question must have arisen in the mind of the prophet and certainly also within Joshua the high priest after their further reflections on the vision just shown to the seer.

In the judgment of God, the accuser of the brethren opposed Joshua, the high priest of Israel. Satan demanded Joshua’s condemnation and deposition from the high priesthood. Satan pointed out Joshua’s filthy garments and appealed to the righteousness of God.

Note well that Satan was rebuked. And the Lord ordered that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed from him, that clean and elegant garments be put on him, and that a fair miter be set on his head. The angel of the Lord said to Joshua, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee!” Instead of condemnation, there was justification! Instead of deposition, there was exaltation. Israel’s high priest won the lawsuit against Satan!…

And yet, how is that judgment possible?

How can all this stand in the judgment of God?

The high priest’s filthy garments were a reality. The high priesthood of Israel truly was polluted by many and terrible sins. How can a righteous God maintain the high priest in his office and even exalt him?

How can that be?

The answer comes in the words of the above text. The word of God in this text accompanies and explains the previous vision shown to Zechariah.

Only as types could Joshua and his priests be maintained in office. By the wonderful grace of God, they were signs of that Branch whom the Lord will beget and of all that the Lord will bring to pass through the Branch.

The Branch is Jehovah’s servant!

The Branch is Jehovah’s friend-servant par excellence; he stands in and for God’s covenant; he is placed over the whole house of God; he stands at the head of God’s people.

In and through the Branch, the Lord will set up a miraculous Stone with seven eyes and elegantly engraved by the hand of God.

God’s house shall be built.

The iniquity of the land shall be removed in one day.

And everlasting peace shall reign among God’s people.

In the Branch this all shall stand!

Wonderful Stone!

Astonishment strikes the onlookers as God sets the Stone as the headstone of the corner.

The meaning of the Stone is certainly first historical, referring to the cornerstone of the second temple. Commentators answer in all kinds of ways the question about the meaning of this wonderful Stone. Some see in the Stone simply a reference to the cornerstone of the second temple and nothing more. Others explain the Stone as a representation of the kingdom of God; others see the Stone as a picture of the stone that took the place of the ark of the covenant after the exile; while still others suppose that the Stone refers to a precious stone in the breastplate of the high priest. But according to scripture there can be no doubt that the Stone refers first to the cornerstone of the second temple, although not without more meaning. In addition to being the temple cornerstone, this Stone will be fashioned and made lovely and glorious, living and beautiful, by God’s wonder of grace in order eternally to be the chief Cornerstone on which God’s eternal house shall be built.

Surely scripture speaks of this Stone as being laid, and men only lay foundation stones. So this stone is a foundation stone. Still more, scripture says that the Lord already had laid this Stone in the presence of Joshua the high priest. And that language points to a past historical fact. By this time, according to Ezra 3, the foundation of the second temple already had been laid, truly by means of the builders but indeed as a work of the Lord.

Yet this Cornerstone will be glorious!

It will be a marvelous Stone—engraved with God’s own hand and having seven eyes. Therefore, in the prophetic sense this Stone is Christ, the chief Cornerstone of God’s eternal house, which is his church. The Stone is God’s tabernacle with men, his eternal covenant of friendship. Before this vision scripture already spoke about this Stone: It is “the stone which the builders refused,” but which is “become the head stone of the corner” (Ps. 118:22); at the same time, it is “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel” (Isa. 8:14); it is the stone God lays “in Zion for a foundation…a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” (Isa. 28:16).

The New Testament indicates that the stone certainly is Christ.

Christ asks the Pharisees in Matthew 21:42, “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?”

In Romans 9:32–33 Paul says about the unbelieving Israelites, “They stumbled at that stumblingstone; as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

And Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:6–8,

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 stone laid by the Lord before the face of Joshua the high priest as the foundation stone of the second temple will have its eternal realization in the chief Cornerstone of God’s eternal tabernacle.

Then that Stone will have seven eyes!

The eye is a symbol of light, of true knowledge, and thus of life. The eye is a symbol of physical light: The eye is the candle of the body by which the whole body is enlightened. By means of the eye, we take in the world around us. The eye is a symbol also of natural light, the light of reason and understanding by which we perceive and understand natural things. And the eye is a symbol of spiritual light—the true, spiritual knowledge of the love of God, the eternal life of God’s covenant of friendship by which we enter into the mysteries of God’s salvation. This full, rich, eternal life of God’s covenant is meant here.

In the Stone are seven eyes. Seven is the symbol of the perfection of God’s work, of his eternal kingdom, of the eternal Sabbath, the rest that is the reward after six days of struggle, the rest that remains for the people of God. It is this as six plus one. But it is also the sum of three and four, God and the creation, and as such the number seven is the symbol of the fellowship of God’s eternal covenant—the true, eternal, perfect, heavenly life!

That life is in this Stone!

For as it stands here—with seven eyes on this Stone—the meaning is that the eyes belong to and are in the Stone. They are the eyes of the Stone. Some commentators insist that the expression “upon one stone” must mean that seven eyes are focused on the Stone, staring at it. But, first, the Hebrew preposition used here must mean that these eyes belong to the Stone. Second, it must be remembered that in Revelation 5:6, the Lamb who stands as having been slain has seven eyes.

The Stone is thus the living Christ, the Word become flesh, who was dead and is raised in glory, who is exalted and enthroned at the right hand of the Father, who has received the Spirit, and who is become the quickening Spirit…

He is the living cornerstone of God’s living temple!

He is become the head of the corner!

Radiating throughout the whole temple, the perfect life of God!

Wonderful Stone!

God lays this Stone!

He lays it before the face of Joshua.

And God will continue to lay it, making it perfect, engraving it with his own hand until it is wholly perfect.

And God does this by the Branch, his servant, whom he will bring forth.

The prophet knew of this Branch, and so did Joshua the high priest. All the faithful in Israel hoped for the coming of the Branch. Already prior to the exile, the prophets spoke concerning him.

We read in Jeremiah 23:5–6:

5. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

And again: “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (Jer. 33:15).

In Isaiah 11:1–2 we read,

1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

And Isaiah says, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground” (53:2).

It is precisely this fact that he was prophesied to be a Branch—a sprout—that would spring up out of the dry ground that was for the people of that day a rich comfort when there was almost nothing left of the glory of David.

It appeared appallingly dark!

The fulfillment of the promise seemed nearly impossible!

But the prophecy so clearly sounded: A branch, a root out of dry ground, a sprout out of the hewn-down trunk, the Branch of David, the Lord our righteousness, certainly will come!

Through him will this beautiful Stone be laid at the head of the corner of God’s living temple. And he himself is also the Stone. Surely he is the servant of the Lord, the friend of God par excellence, God’s coworker in the building of God’s house; and God’s house is built in him and on him!

God lays this Stone and makes it beautiful; and in the laying and glorifying of this Stone, the Stone himself labors!

Such is it in God’s eternal counsel! The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—ordained the Son as head, surety, and mediator, as friend-servant of Jehovah in order to build God’s house and that he be the chief cornerstone on whom the whole building will be constructed, and who himself will build it in the name of the Lord!

So it is in time!

Jehovah makes the Stone beautiful and glorious, and that through the work of his Servant. Jehovah does this by the wonder of wonders, the in-fleshing of the Word of God, because the Father sends the Son, and the Son takes on human flesh and blood by the Spirit! The Son does this at the cross because God lays on him all our iniquities and pours out the vials of his righteous anger upon him at the terrible cross; and the Servant of the Lord in obedient love toward God willingly enters into death; according to God’s will he seeks hell, descends to its very depths, and there in hell still he says, “It is my meat to do the will of my Father!”

God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself!

And the works go forward!

The good pleasure of the Lord prospers in the hands of the Servant of the Lord!

God engraves this Stone until it is wholly beautiful!

For he is raised in glory! The weakness of the flesh makes way for the power of the Spirit. The likeness of sinful flesh is exchanged for the glorious image of the heavenly. The mortal must put on immortality! The corruptible must put on incorruption!

And God continues to engrave upon the Stone!

For he is taken up to the highest heaven; he is exalted above all power and might and glory and every name that is named in this world and in that which is to come…

And the Stone becomes the quickening Spirit!

And the Stone will return in the Spirit and be laid at the head of the corner!

The Stone with seven eyes!

It has happened! And we look forward to his final revelation in glory!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Be at peace, Joshua and you, his fellow priests!

Do not waver in doubt about the royal and elegant clothes with which God clothed you in the vision. Wear them!

The judgment can very well stand!

For you are signs and wonders of God, signs of the Branch, of the Servant of the Lord, whom the Lord will bring forth. For by him the Lord will work a wonder: He will make perfect the Stone with seven eyes.

Wear with confidence your royal garments, O high priest!

Do not take off the fair miter!

Believe and be assured that the Lord has rebuked Satan in the judgment and that you are justified. Oh, this beauty and glory, this perfection and righteousness, are not of you but of the Stone with seven eyes, and you possess them only as signs and wonders of God.

Serve confidently in your office, you, Joshua, and your fellow priests!

You may keep the charge of the Lord to judge his house, to keep his courts, for you are in fact pious priests who walk in the ways of the Lord and faithfully keep watch over his house. For the ungodly have no part in this, have no peace, God says, either in this beautiful vision or in the rich promises. But remember, you serve only as signs of the wonder of the Branch, signs before all the people of the wonder of grace, the Stone with seven eyes.

Until he comes!

Then you may stop being signs!

For the reality has come, both of God’s house and of the Stone, and of the high priesthood and of God’s eternal covenant of friendship! Then you will partake of the glory of this Stone, not as mere signs but as reflections and examples of his grace. His beauty eternally will be your beauty, his righteousness your righteousness, and his life your life. For he will give you places to walk “among those who stand here”—that is, among the angels who have taken off your filthy garments—a place in the sanctuary of God’s eternal house, the heavenly fellowship and friendship of God’s covenant.

In one day, indeed, all unrighteousness is removed!

And eternal peace descends on the land, so that everyone invites his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

The life of the seven-eyed Stone radiates throughout the whole new creation!

The tabernacle of God is with men!

Oh, eternal peace!