It might be supposed here that the two staves were typical of the two
covenants; the Old and the New. But how is the parallelism then to be
supported? If the breaking of one staff denotes the dissolving of the Old
Covenant; what then is denoted by the breaking of the other staff? for the
New Covenant was not also dissolved. By the proposed solution, the
parallelism is maintained; Christ and Israel so exactly accord, that the
prophecies seem, in many points, alike applicable to either. Both were
instrumental to the great work of redeeming mankind from idolatry, and
both were cut of; Christ from natural life; Israel from the life which is
_in Christ_. To understand clearly the cutting of the staves, the most
intricate subject perhaps in the whole prophecy, the reader has to keep in
view two distinct points of consideration, the confounding of which will
involve him in no little perplexity; these are, first the symbolical
meaning, or the event foreshewn by the act of cutting; and secondly, the
end or purport of the cutting; for along with the act, the prophet also
declares the motive for the act, which must not be confounded with the act
itself, being the effect or consequence that followed that act. Thus he
says—_And I took my staff Beauty and cut it asunder, that I might break my
covenant, which I had made with all the people._
Now the cutting of the first staff, Beauty, signifies or foreshews the
death of Christ, or the cutting off of the Messiah. This is the symbolical
meaning of the act. But the end or consequence of that act, was the
cessation of the covenant of protection to Israel. “The covenant,” as it
may be rendered, “concerning all the people.” From that time, the Jews
ceased to be under the especial care and protection of Heaven; no more
interpositions were manifested in their behalf; no prophet from that time
appeared in Israel; these blessings being confined to the Jews who
received Christ, or transferred to the Gentiles.
Next follows the cutting asunder of the second staff, Bands; and this in
fact appears to be precisely the end or consequence of the cutting of the
first staff; for the cutting of this staff symbolically foreshews the
rejection of Israel, or the cessation of the Covenant of protection. Such
appears to be the event symbolized by cutting the staff, Bands. But the
effect or consequence of that event, or of the rejection of Israel, was as
declared in the prophecy, a breach in the brotherhood, between Judah and
Israel, or between the Jews who received and those who rejected Christ; in
short, between Christian and Jew, who are here supposed to be symbolised
by Judah and Israel. This division or breach was not the event foreshewn
by the cutting of the staff, but the end or consequence of that act; and
this distinction requires to be kept clearly in view.
It seems immaterial whether the symbolical meaning of cutting asunder the
second staff, Bands, be expressed by the rejection of Israel, the breaking
of the covenant of protection, or the abrogation of the law of Moses; for
all these events are so closely connected, or so nearly identical, as
scarcely to admit of their being disjoined or distinguished.