Verse 7 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 11:12,13. "Beauty" (i.e. graciousness) was "cut in sunder" (Zechariah 8:10,11), 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 11:12,13) "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 Zech. 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 O.T. Parables: Summary. A parable is a similitude used to teach or enforce a truth. The O.T. parables fall into three classes: (1) The story-parable, of which Judges 9:7-15 is an instance; (2) parabolic discourses; e.g. Isaiah 5:1-7 (3) parabolic actions; e.g. Ezekiel 37:16-22 Verse 11 poor The "poor of the flock": i.e. the "remnant according to the election of grace" Romans 11:5 those Jews who did not wait for the manifestation of Christ in glory, but believed on Him at His first coming, and since. Of them it is said that they "waited upon Me," and "knew." Neither the Gentiles nor the Gentile church, corporately, are in view: only the believers out of Israel during this age. The church, corporately, is not in O.T. prophecy Ephesians 3:8-10. Verse 15 And the Lord The reference to the Beast is obvious; no other personage of prophecy in any sense meets the description. He who came in His Father's name was rejected: the alternative is one who comes in his own name John 5:43; Revelation 13:4-8.