For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua - expressing the ground for encouragement to the Jews in building the temple: 'I (Yahweh) have laid the (foundation) stone, as the chief architect, before (in the presence of) Joshua, by the hand of Zerubbabel' (Zechariah 4:10; Ezra 3:8-13), so that your labour in building shall not be vain. Antitypically, the (foundation) "stone" alluded to is Christ, before called "The Branch." Lost any should think from that term that His kingdom is weak, He now calls it "the stone," because of its solidity and strength, whereby it is to be the foundation of the Church, and, as "the stone cut out of the mountain without hands," shall crush all the world-kingdoms (Ps. 108:22 : cf. Isaiah 28:16; Daniel 2:45; Matthew 21:42; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:6-7). The angel, pointing to the chief stone lying before Him, intimates that a deeper mystery than the material temple is symbolized. Moore thinks the "stone" is the Jewish Church, which Yahweh engages watch fully to guard. The temple, rather, is that symbolically. But the antitype of the foundation stone is Messiah.
Upon one stone shall be seven eyes - namely, the watchful "eyes" of Yahweh's care ever fixed "upon" it (Zechariah 4:10). (Maurer.) The eye is the symbol of Providence; "seven," of perfection (Revelation 5:6: cf. 2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 32:8): The seven prime counselors of the King of Persia were called the eyes of the king, as there were others called the ears of the king (Tirinus). Antitypically, "the seven eyes upon the stone" are the eyes of all angels (1 Timothy 3:16), and of all saints (John 3:14-15; John 12:32), and of the patriarchs and prophets (John 8:66; 1 Peter 1:10-11), fixed on Christ; above all, the eyes of the Father ever rest with delight on Him. Calvin (I think better) considers the seven eyes to be carved upon the stone - i:e., not the eyes of the Father and of angels and saints ever fixed on Him, but His own seven-fold (perfect) fullness of grace, and of gifts of the Spirit "put UPON Him" by God: for "the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding (answering to the "eyes" here "upon the one stone"), "the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes" - i:e., after mere human wisdom (Isaiah 11:2-3; Isaiah 42:1; John 1:16; John 3:34; Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:9), and His watchful providence now for the Jews in building the temple, and always for His Church, His spiritual temple. Thus the "stone" is not as other stones, senseless, but living and full of eyes of perfect intelligence (1 Peter 2:4, "a living stone"), who not only attracts the eyes (John 12:32) of His people, but emits from Himself illumination, so as to direct them to Him. What an awful contrast the mere human, self-deifying, carnal wisdom represented by the "eyes of a man" in the "little horn," or Antichrist (Daniel 7:8).
Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof - implying Messiah's exceeding beauty and preciousness: alluding to the polished stones of the temple: Christ excelled them as much as God, who "prepared His body" (Hebrews 10:5: cf. John 2:21), is superior to all human builders. The Hebrew х mªpateeach (H6605) pituchaah (H6603)] is, literally, 'I will open the opening of it.' Compare Psalms 40:6, "Mine ears hast thou opened;" which words Paul explains, "A body hast thou prepared me," Therefore "I will engrave (open) the graving (opening) thereof" (i:e., of the stone), means 'I will prepare for Him an exquisitely crafted body,' the suitable tabernacle where the Divinity shall dwell incarnate, the "stone cut out of the mountain without (human) hands" (Daniel 2:45).
I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day - i:e., the iniquity and its consequences-namely, the punishment to which the Jews heretofore had been subjected (Haggai 1:6; Haggai 1:9-11; Haggai 2:18-19). The remission of sin is the fountain of every other blessing. The "one day" of its removal is primarily the day of national atonement celebrated after the completion of the temple (Leviticus 23:27) on the tenth day of the seventh month. Antitypically, the atonement by Messiah for all men, once for all ("one day") offered, needing no repetition, like the Mosaic sacrifices (Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:14).