Amazingly, the net is intact. With that background we can see the 153 fish. Why should someone that teaches you the meaning or the interpretation of a Bible Scripture be leading you astray. John recognizes the voice now. It rejects symbolic meaning to 153 in John (despite John's use of numbers symbolically) primarily on the basis of other's works. [1], This was the third time that Peter had seen Jesus since his resurrection. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, O Elohim, before whom That is the intersection of two circles forming the Christian Fish. That is to say, 17 + 16 + 15 + 14 +13 + 12 + 10 + … + 1 = 153. Jesus has been brought into his glory. One Hundred and fifty three fish of John Chapter 21 Jacob blesses Ephraim over Manasseh Genesis 48:14-16 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. Anyway, that's just a tiny example of why I believe Jesus used that number specifically. Reading the text this way is legitimate and beneficial, whereas seeking the hidden meaning behind a number benefits us none. 153 exactly. Well, I wondered for years myself and by studying and looping 1 Samuel through Esther in my GoBible for almost three years during my daily workouts, I think that's why 153 is significant. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. [17] It reminded him that he could walk on water when he had his eyes on Jesus. Their biggest need is “tending” not “feeding.”. [11] He is placing his judgement in God's hands. A representation of each species of fish in the Sea at this time. There were still 153 fish from the catch that had not been eaten. 666 is also a triangular number. But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. (John 21:11) Additionally, the catching of such a large amount of … The problem is that no one seems to have the key to interpreting the number. That the 154th fish got away! : Jesus had already prepared bread and fish before they had even returned to shore without their great catch. Eating is a metaphor for learning. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. Certainly, the number 153 is interesting mathematically, as are a bunch of other numbers. Not only does he ask him if he loves Jesus, but Jesus indicates his trust in Peter, three times, to feed his sheep. Generally speaking, when are the deadlines applying for PHD's in Europe? What is the evidence of this glory? I found a GREAT answer at this website.....very interesting :) Praise God!!! It is only mentioned in the Gospel of John. Certain digits in particular seem to repeat often. I believe this to be reading into the text things not intended by the author. If an investor does not need an income stream, do dividend stocks have advantages over non-dividend stocks? Is John 21 a later addition to the Fourth Gospel? Jesus had already told him that he should live in the light. According to Bauckham, Johns entire Gospel is structured around the numbers 17 and 153. What is the significance of the number 17? But why would the meaning be hidden to us for over 2,000 years? I don't really care for all the square-root-of-the-triangular-circle-number woowoo stuff, but the fact that. The Bible explicitly tells us that there were 153 fish. Well, everywhere. Joh 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. I think your explanation is best, though. 13:18).”. [20]. It only takes a minute to sign up. (Matthew 19:28 ESV) [also Luke 22:30]. Craig R. Koester, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, Augsburg Fortress, 1995, p. 264 Since John uses numbers as established and unique symbols throughout, it is appropriate to consider the symbolic meaning of 153 fish. Bread and fish represent everything man needs to live in Christ. The fish, the 'every word' that he fed them, came from him. I’m willing to learn and even change my views. P. 164. There are other connections to the Old Testament: But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. How to Produce an Adjustable-Size Opening or Closing Curly Brace for Plain Text Only. But 38 and 153 are specific suggesting they are not chance numbers and since these numbers are hardly (if at all) used elsewhere in Scripture, prior use contributes little to the question of how John uses these numbers. He knows that we are but dumb sheep, easily led astray by false shepherds. In his article, Bauckham notes a number of other examples within John that also fit the 17 / 153 pattern. This suggests the three parts are not identical. I’m not saying there aren’t difficult passages. Jesus was about to ask Peter to be the doctrinal leader of the new church. makest fat}. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. The ideal candidate for the two alike is the number 70. It shall continue in summer as in winter. God; and that believing you may have life in His name" [and thus be [Commentaries on John 5:2] Jesus chose a man who had been unable to walk for 38-years (not one who had been blind) in the House of Mercy with a representation of the Mosaic Law. John 7:37-39. Specifically John notes the fish remained in the net and were dragged to shore, not put into boats. ( Log Out /  Elijah was a prophet of God's judgments against the northern kingdom. Especially on cars. St. Augustine rightly observed its significance. “involving the calculation of the numerical value of a word written in Hebrew or Greek letters. I'd add to this that when they earlier caught a great catch at Jesus' command, the nets broke. 153 may be an obscure symbol, but it cannot obscure the meaning found without understanding the symbolism. With this question in mind, I want to explore an important event at the end of John’s Gospel. The sign comes after Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud, and tells the man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. 77-88. The number 153 may be a unique symbol, but it does not determine or change the message of the overall passage. Salt (covenant) in a NEW bowl, hint, hint thrown into the source of cursed water makes the water pure. Additionally, Jesus uses the Temple imagery of Ezekiel 47 to connect this fount of living water to himself. God’s message in his word is clear. Joh 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? 3. In the book of John 21:11. Those living near Lake Galilee relied on bread and fish as the staples of their diet. And we like to share our latest findings, to be the first to find what no one else has been able to locate (I’m not above committing this error myself). Since Ezekiel is describing a mystical vision where symbolism speaks loudly it is possible that the name “Eglaim” is chosen for its symbolic value – the number 153. The huge catch, the unbroken net, the timing of it; these all worked together to demonstrate that a miracle had just taken place. [4] Seven representing 'all', he was leading all of the disciples into the dark. Like the invalid of 38-years, this healing occurred on the Sabbath. How to make a story entertaining with an almost unkillable character? Mt 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus fed the 4000, the 5000, and now the disciples on the shore, bread and fish. There are not very many triangular numbers (153 is the 17th of the series) and they were well known to ancient people interested in such things. *Two* miraculous catches of fish in John 21 and significance? So the mention of this number is John 21 is not a coincidence. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. A new covenant, a new age or as Paul says in Ephesians, a dispensation of grace. As Jesus is standing on the shore, He can be removed from the 13 and Paul could be added. Characteristic number of the mission of the Christ in the New Testament. We don’t assume the river flowing from the Temple is literal – it represents the Spirit of God flowing out from Jerusalem in the Messianic age to bring life to the world – even the Dead Sea (except the salt marshes, those are good). I read no more into 153 fish, than I do into the 2000 donkeys in 1 Chr 5:21. numbers have to have a space after the period: 4. or it doesn't make a new line, and renumbers hard coded line numbers. This is what the evangelist means by "big fishes". 153 Large Fish in John Bible - John explains his purpose for the use of 153 Fish, 153 large fish in John 21:11, as a metaphor. Joh 21:17 ... Feed my sheep. We have a tendency to look for the hidden things, mysteries, and codes to break. I agree: this event made such a lasting impression on John, that he remembered the exact number of fish they picked up. The most obvious and straightforward interpretation of the 153 fish, is that it is meant to serve as an evidence that it truly was a large number of fish caught. The symbolic trick is to use "big" to mean "1000" as a multiplier. Hi Ken, welcome to the site. It seems unlikely that if “En Eglaim” were a prominent spring that we would not be able to identify it. 2c. So it will be at the end of the age… (Matthew 13:47-49 ESV). The value of the 153 large fish in John 21:11? Peter would teach 'every word which proceeded from the mouth of God. Mt 14:29 And he said, Come. It has also been noted that the Tetragrammaton occurs 153 times in the Book of Genesis. 153 large fish was dragged to shore. In this case John can be seen as affirming the number and its prior use. Bible study on the two miraculous catches of fish in Luke's and John's Gospels, with a focus on John's account in regard to the significance of the catch of the 153 fish. The mention of "153" large fish is simply part of a sentence intended to remind the reader of the miracle; that "although there were so many, the net was not torn.". I know exactly what the meaning of the 153 fish mean but will you believe me? ... Joh 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. How to budget a 'conditional reimbursement'? Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. He certainly could not make you believe that the miraculous catch was 153 thousand fishes. The number 153 represented known people group in the world at that time, in other words the whole world. What would he feed them? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. If it can be demonstrated John uses unique numbers in a symbolic manner, then it follows the number 153 should be examined for its symbolic use. [13]. 2. But this is undefined, and the intersection can be anywhere (long tail, medium tail, short tail). If I were to take the number as a symbol, it would seem to me that the 153 fish ought to represent the "catch" of believers during the Church Age soon to begin at the time John 21:11 took place, and, beyond all argument, 153 "large fish" is a very big catch in comparison to what "used to be caught". If the number of the fish had been a recognizable symbol like 70, the size of the catch would be taken as symbolic. This is reinforced when this sign is arranged as the sixth of seven signs. They pull the net full of fish behind their boat to the shore. 17=10+7, which is the ten commandments + the seven spirits of God. Doing so can lead us astray of the intended, plain meaning of the text. Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. This is likely because the pastor gives his particular take on the meaning of the catch, and they want to see if it’s true. Now Jesus heals a man who could not walk for 38-years and who does not know Him. If they do not know the Gospel, share with them; if they have believed, continue and make them into disciples of Jesus. How did the first disciples of Jesus come to be? If the man had been blind 38-years and the invalid paralyzed from birth, the symbolism dissolves. Or perhaps they imply some cryptic, Messianic meaning. Would you consider adding more details? They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. This time they did not. Three sets of fifty and their captains of fifty. I don't exactly understand your answer. The distinction may be seen in the context between Christian witness and fellowship. Thus, if we accept the notion that John provides logonumerical structure to his works, we can understand the quantity of 153 fish right after the 1st stage of the Gospel's conclusion as providing "the one who has understanding" (Rev 13:18) with the key of the logonumerical structure of the Gospel, as: 153 is the 17th triangular number, with 17 being the total quantity of occurrences of the word "sign"; 153 = 9 x 17, corresponding to the catch being the 9th sign; 153 = (98 + 19 + 36), the sum of the total quantities of occurrences of the other key words which appeared for the last time in the 1st stage of the Gospel's conclusion. Doing so can lead us astray of the intended, plain meaning of the text. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. When the boat comes ashore the catch is counted – 153 fish. Where else is that exact number, if at all, is used in the Septuagint?" One of the best known is called Gematria. In the Gospel of John , [5] seven of the disciples— Peter , Thomas , Nathanael , the sons of Zebedee ( James and John ), and two others – decided to go fishing one evening after the Resurrection of Jesus , but caught nothing that night. Rather two of the three should be the same. Not fond of time related pricing - what's a better way? You will also find it everywhere! Except for the Gentile widow's son's resurrection, Elijah was an instrument God used to execute judgment or deliver bad news prophesies to kings, mostly to Ahab; the very last being the Ahaziah death episode in 2 Kings 2. This is not another of the seven signs of John. Therefore, the miracle could also be viewed as an object lesson of the soon to be realized spiritual awakening. The word “En” (Ein), in this context, means spring. I was there when we counted them – 153 fish! They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. Both the healing and the creation of the first man share common elements. This takes place in the House of Mercy on the Sabbath and Jesus is accused of profaning the Sabbath. Short Answer: Many have come up with various numerological interpretations of the number 153 in John. The clean animal ruminates (meditates) on teh word of God and it produces a separated/holy (split hoof) walk/life. The very next chapter after the untypical act Elijah performed (mercy) begins the "this is how you do it now" contrast between the law, obedience to it and judgment (Elijah and the old way) and continual demonstrations of undeserved grace to mere, scant demonstrations of others' faith (Elisha and the new way). The other chapters are great too but this last one would give you much food for thought. Numbers may acquire significance through association with the central images, persons, and actions in an episode, but the primary meaning of an episode never depends upon a number. This is the same hearing, seeing walking theme we see so often. Fish represent 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God'. It probably just means lots of fish. This was a very interesting answer... you seem to be an intelligent person and devoted Christian. John also uses this imagery from Ezekiel 47 in Revelation 22. God's message in his word is clear. It simply means if you consciously fish you can catch all types of fishes. The ichthus isn’t really two half circles, but two arcs. Change ). Of the number 153 – it is a “triangular number.” If you start adding 1+2+3+4….+17 = you will arrive at the number 153. (St Augustine, Commentary on John , 72.8) The number 153 is the numerical total for the Hebrew words "Ani Elohim"--I AM G-D. I discussed this matter with my professor, Dr. Carl Rasmussen, who himself has published a Biblical atlas, and he said nothing can be identified for certain about the location of En Eglaim. How to explain the gap in my resume due to cancer? Toward morning a voice calls out to them from the shore asking if they caught anything. What you won’t find is any consensus. Can anyone tell me what that […] Peter's instructions contain two types of work, feed and tend and two different animals, lambs and sheep. God told Abraham in a vision, just as the sun was setting to begin Nisan 15 on the Hebrew calendar, that his descendants would end up as slaves in a foreign country (Egypt). ( Log Out /  Fish Gate (AKA Ephraim Gate): Northwest, just northwest of the temple. In John the main element is the exchange between Jesus and Peter where Jesus asks Peter three questions. {boisterous: or, strong}. Thoma finds 153 to be a reference to ICTHYS (a common early Christian acronym, standing for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior"). 1. Just as he remembered the name of Malchus, whose ear Peter severed. First the healing at Bethesda: Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. By understanding the steps leading up to this miracle of fishes we can gain a broader perspective of 153 and its symbolism. Augustine and others saw five as symbolic, representing the Mosaic Law. [GR] > The Number 153 - I am the Lord Thy God: For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.. Isaiah 43.3. One of the interesting aspects of Scripture is its use of numbers. [12] He is offering reconciliation to Peter. Then who ate most of the fish? 153 fish / 8 people including Jesus = more than 19 fish per person. And, according to John’s analogy, the … 2b. This amazing miracleinvolving 153 was performed by Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead, in his next to last appearance with his eleven disciples before ascending into heaven. 1. rev 2021.2.17.38595, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. 1+2+3+4…+36 = 666. Symbolizing abundance, 153 can even represent an OVERFLOW blessing from God. Loren Join Our Free Singles and Take The Wisdom Bible Quiz ---Loren on 7/6/05 Helpful Blog Vote (37) And look at how the new way began, right off the bat at Jericho. The first is that, in almost every instance, the variant has no impact even on the meaning of the immediate text and certainly none of them change the meaning of the New Testament as a whole. What is the evidence of this glory? I should have spent some more time writing it and might just revisit it at some point in the future, just to iron out some details. Although it isn't mentioned in John, I would imagine there was a pregnant, "So now what do we do Lord?" Everyone knows where the springs are because it is a matter of life and death. The act of eating together is an act of forgiveness, because in that culture (even today) one does not eat with an enemy. The 23rd Psalm reflects the peace that God has caused between enemies. The seven disciples dividing the fish, it is automatic for fishermen, found that it lacked 1 (one) fish for the perfect division, the total of 154, which divided for each disciple results in 22 fish, however, Jesus asked for a fish, resulting in two fish, the number 2 (two) There is evidence for the fish, and it is the number of the testimony of the bread that came down from heaven, of the fishing of men into the kingdom of heaven, and that even after all the persecutions, it was on fire. For Peter, John, James, and possibly others, their place within the collective Gospel narrative ends in a similar fashion to how it begins: with a miraculous catch after an unsuccessful night of fishing. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. This was the third appearance of Jesus after the resurrection to the disciples. The Gospel makes a third mention to a large catch of fish: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. Bible points to the context. There is speculation, but nothing is certain. As far as I can find out, this is the only time "153" appears in the Bible. As the two previous answers to this questions illustrate well, this numerological method allows for several different interpretations of the same passage. (5:2-3,5 ESV). As the life of Elisha is followed, more and more examples of grace are demonstrated (axe head floating, poisoned pot fixed, Naaman, the barren woman plus her son's resurrection, resurrection of the enemy soldier who simply touched Elisha's bones); all very different than Elijah. But the question remains: Should we be searching for the deeper meaning of the number, or is there a simpler explanation? Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. [6] his was a sign that he was returning to his old life. We must remember to read Ezekiel’s vision as a “vision” which is full of symbolism. If malware does not run in a VM why not make everything a VM? Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Here we have translated it “fish to eat” since some of the species of fish in the Sea of Galilee were not considered edible, and that is the point of Jesus’ question here. Arguably, they did not have correct knowledge of the LORD God, yet were not utterly destroyed because of His mercy. "Gedi" has the numerical value 17, and "Eglaim" has the numerical value 153, and 153 = 1+2+3+4+.....+17. 36, No. The account is about Peter's reconciliation to Jesus. In John 7:38 we find Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles making a comment on “living water.”. The disciples, especially the seven (and most certainly three of the seven) met intimately with Jesus shortly before His ascension and session. 2d. 153 as the measure of "the Fish in Archimedes Archimedes (c 287-212 B.C.E. Evagrius Ponticus considered 153 to represent a harmonization of contrasts, since 153 = 100 + 28 + 25 , with 100 representing a square, 28 a triangle and 25 a circle. Peter must also tend his fellow disciples. The use of water and dust describe how man was created 2 and a later opening of the eyes is also part of the story of the first man (Genesis 3:7). One may dismiss 5,000 as just a number especially since it is used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke in a similar context. “So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Christ, … 6,8,13,14,15,17). So there is good reason to see a pattern. The number 15 in the Bible pictures rest, which comes after deliverance, represented by fourteen. There are common and different elements. The evangelist seems to have structured some, though certainly not all, aspects of the narrative in groups of seven: seven signs, seven “I Am” sayings, and sometimes seven scenes in a given episode. He does and can see. The potential flaw in failing to study 153 as symbolic is really based on works of others, not what John has done. Joh 21:15 ¶ ... Feed my lambs. 1/2 (2002), pp. There were seven present, and they had been fishing all night with no results. Ps 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. Tend My sheep alludes to Peter’s leadership position relative to the other disciples; feed My lambs and feed My sheep alludes to Peter’s role in sharing the Gospel. You want proof? Joh 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. Peter begins his repentance by clothing himself and casting himself, like Jonah did, into the sea. In this case, the numerical value of the word “gedi” = 17 and the numerical value of the word “eglaim” = 153. They do as instructed and the catch is so large that they can barely pull it out of the water. Let us now note that the catch of 153 fish (Jn 21:1-13), which can be viewed as sign #9 of John's Gospel (sign #8 being the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus), comes after the 1st stage of the Gospel's conclusion (Jn 20:30-31), which contains the last occurrences of the following 4 significant words, next to each of which I indicate within () its total quantity of occurrences [2]: zoe: life in the sense of supernatural and eternal life, partaking of divine life (36). 2e. I believe there are numerous times in Scripture where certain numbers are used symbolically, to emphasize, and those include 10’s, 12’s, 100’s, and 1000’s being used in calculations. Jesus had already called the Apostles `Fishers of men' (Mark 1:17). Similarly "tend My sheep" refines the interpretation when seen in the context of Peter's role as the leading disciple. They have caught 153 fish. At the purely historical level, it is unsurprising that someone counted them, either as part of dividing them up amongst the fishermen in preparation for sale, or because one of the men was so dumbfounded by the size of the catch that he said something like this: ‘Can you believe it? Regarding your take on the catch, I’m not sure what to make of it. Emerton notes that the streams of living water flowing from the temple in Ez 47:9-10, will have fishermen standing along the shore, from En Gedi to En Eglaim. I searched through some of the apocryphal books too. Since Peter has fed them, he is better able to judge them. (20:30-31 ESV). Does the 153 have any significance in light of gnostic beliefs? But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And get this – the net survived unscathed!”  The event also demonstrated to the disciples that this was Jesus, and not some imposter. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. The fish and loaves might intend no symbolism at all. Joh 21:16 ... Feed my sheep. Therefore Paul teaches that the church should learn form (eat with) Christ, and we receive 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God'. Jesus did not wait for the catch to prepare the meal. The 153 fish in John 21 is an allusion to Ezekiel 47 and the vision of the Spirit of God going out to water the earth. site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. Probably at that time, there were only 153 species of fish. The “153 Fish” represent all revealed wisdom. 153 represents all the types of fishes in the Tiberius at that time. The 153 fish in John 21 is an allusion to Ezekiel 47 and the vision of the Spirit of God going out to water the earth. That is why Jesus ask Peter three times did he love him. This is perplexing because water in the desert is life. John 1 portrays the overall environment in which Jesus manifested the eight signs and why the people of Judea and Galilee needed Him so much. 1Co 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. And we love our mysterious, cryptic codes just waiting to broken! Augustine also noted that 153 = 1+2+3+4+.....+17. What did John mean by “second sign” (δεύτερον σημεῖον) in John 4:54? Joh 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
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