two staves
The scene belongs to the first advent. Beauty and Bands -- literally "graciousness and union"; the first signifying God's attitude toward His people Israel, in sending His Son (Matthew 21:37) the second, His purpose to reunite Judah and Ephraim (Ezekiel 37:15-22). Christ, at His first advent, came with grace (John 1:17) to offer union (Matthew 4:17) and was sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12); (Zechariah 11:13). "Beauty" (i.e. Graciousness) was "cut in sunder" (Zechariah 8:10); (Zechariah 8:11), signifying that Judah was abandoned to the destruction foretold in (Zechariah 11:1-6) and fulfilled A.D. 70. After the betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12); (Zechariah 11:13) "Bands" (i.e. Union) was broken (Zechariah 11:14), signifying the abandonment, for the time, of the purpose to reunite Judah and Israel. The order of Zechariah 11 is,
(1) the wrath against the land (Zechariah 11:1-6), fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem after the rejection of Christ (Luke 19:41-44).
(2) the cause of that wrath in the sale and rejection of Christ vs. (Zechariah 11:7-14);
(3) the rise of the "idol shepherd," the Beast (Daniel 7:8); (Revelation 19:20) and his destruction (Zechariah 11:15-17).
the one
The Old Testament Parables: Summary. A parable is a similitude used to teach or enforce a truth. The Old Testament parables fall into three classes:
(1) The story-parable, of which (Judges 9:7-15) is an instance;
(2) parabolic discourses; for example (Isaiah 5:1-7).
(3) parabolic actions; for example (Ezekiel 37:16-22).