Thus [those under the old testament] had no one that was king, priest, and prophet to the church; nor could any be so after the giving of the law, the kingdom being promised unto the tribe of Judah, and the priesthood confined to the house of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Neither could any typical person alone of himself answer exactly and completely that wherein he was a type; for besides their own imperfections and failings, even in the discharge of their typical office,— which rendered them a weak and imperfect representation of him who was absolutely perfect in all things,—they could not in and by themselves at all discharge their office. Kings who were his types were to act, and did act, according to the counsel of others, and those sometimes none of the best; as David was much guided by the counsel of Ahithophel, which was to him as if he had "inquired at the oracle of God," 2 Sam. 16:23. But Christ, our king, hath all stores of wisdom and counsel in himself, and "needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man," John 2:25. So it was prophesied of him that "upon one stone," the foundation-stone of the house of God, "there should be seven eyes," Zech. 3:9. Counsellors are ὀφθαλμοὶ βασιλέων,—"the eyes of kings." And in the monarchy of Persia, whence this prophet was newly come, there were always seven of them: Ezra 7:14, "Thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors;" and their names at that time are reckoned up, Esth. 1:14. 'But,' saith he, 'all these eyes shall be on the foundation-stone itself, so that he shall no way need the advice or counsel of others.' Or, to the same purpose, it may denote a perfection of wisdom and knowledge, which by that number is frequently signified.
