Zechariah 3:9

Zechariah also saw in the vision a stone in front of Joshua. The stone, too, is a common figure of God and Messiah in the Bible (Zechariah 10:4; Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:7-11; Psalms 118:22; et al.). In the past God promised that the Stone would be a secure, never-failing refuge for His people (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6). When Messiah appeared, however, He proved to be a stone over which the Jews stumbled and an offensive rock to them (Psalms 118:22-23; Isaiah 8:13-15; Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:7-8). Presently He is the foundation stone, the chief cornerstone of the church (Ephesians 2:19-22). And in the future He will be the great stone that smites the nations (Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:45). [Note: See ibid., p. 65.]

"The reason two figures are used, one the Servant-Branch, the other the single Stone, is because one applies specifically to the first advent and the other centers in the second advent." [Note: Unger, p. 66.]

Another view is that they represent Messiah as king and priest. [Note: Smith, p. 201.] But this seems unlikely because of a lack of connection between the branch and the stone and the king and the priest.

The stone that Zechariah saw had seven eyes (Heb. ’ayin), probably symbolizing its complete, divine intelligence (omniscience; cf. Zechariah 1:10; Zechariah 4:10; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Isaiah 11:2; Ezekiel 1:18; Ezekiel 10:12; Colossians 2:3; Colossians 2:9; Revelation 5:6). The inscription engraved on the stone remains unexplained, but many of the early church fathers and interpreters ever since have taken the engraving as a preview of Messiah’s wounds. [Note: See E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, 2:359.] The engraving may indicate that the stone is a commemorative one since the Assyrian and Babylonian kings set such stones in the foundations of buildings to perpetuate their memories. [Note: Baldwin, p. 116.]

"The eyes on the stone would be the divine signature identifying YHWH as the real architect and builder of the structure." [Note: Merrill, p. 143.]

The Lord continued that He would also remove the iniquity of "that land," the holy land (Zechariah 2:12), in one day. He did that when Messiah died on the cross, but Israel will realize this benefit of His death when He returns to earth at His second advent and cleanses and forgives Israel as a whole (Zechariah 12:10 to Zechariah 13:1; Romans 11:26-27). The Day of the Lord is doubtless in view.

"As the Servant of the Lord, Christ is the One who comes to do the will of the Father (Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:3-4; Isaiah 50:10; Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:11). As the Branch of David, Christ is the Davidic Descendant who will rise to power and glory out of the humiliation into which the line of David had fallen (Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 6:12-13). As the Stone (cf. Psalms 118:22; Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:6) He will bring judgment on the Gentiles (Daniel 2:44-45) and be a stone of stumbling for unbelieving Israel (Romans 9:31-33)." [Note: Lindsey, pp. 1554-55.]