what is the meaning of 153 fish in the bible

I'd add to this that when they earlier caught a great catch at Jesus' command, the nets broke. But this is undefined, and the intersection can be anywhere (long tail, medium tail, short tail). Like the invalid of 38-years, this healing occurred on the Sabbath. He knows that we are but dumb sheep,… I count 164 times that the tetragrammaton appears in genesis in the masoretic text. In John 21:7, is Peter naked, and does he put on a coat before diving into the water? When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. Short Answer: Many have come up with various numerological interpretations of the number 153 in John. Jesus was about to ask Peter to be the doctrinal leader of the new church. 3. (Ezekiel 20:13 ESV). An obvious connection between Ezekiel 47 and John 21 is the mention of fishermen spreading their nets to fish. [4] Seven representing 'all', he was leading all of the disciples into the dark. Jesus begins the reconciliation with a meat offering, which is a fellowship offering. King Manasseh had built it after God sent the Assyrians to capture him and teach him humility (2 Chronicles 33:14). How to explain the gap in my resume due to cancer? This is reinforced when this sign is arranged as the sixth of seven signs. The Bible explicitly tells us that there were 153 fish. The value of the 153 large fish in John 21:11? No reason to follow rabbit trails to Wonderland. In conclusion, we must use caution when reading the Bible. The number 153 has a key multible numerical value, found in the mathematics of the Pyramids in Giza. The water flows east into the desert and brings the Dead Sea to life: Then he led me back to the bank of the river. Others note that 153 is the numerical value of the phrase "The church of love" or "the children of God" or "Cana G" (+ "Cana in Galilee"). This is the same hearing, seeing walking theme we see so often. Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. As far as I can find out, this is the only time "153" appears in the Bible. 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. 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. Those living near Lake Galilee relied on bread and fish as the staples of their diet. It simply means if you consciously fish you can catch all types of fishes. This is not another of the seven signs of John. Rather two of the three should be the same. However, this site is a bit different than Christianity.SE. It seems unlikely that if “En Eglaim” were a prominent spring that we would not be able to identify it. (Amos 4:2 NET), Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them... (Jeremiah 16:16 ESV). What does it represent, that fish? The act of eating together is an act of forgiveness, because in that culture (even today) one does not eat with an enemy. Yet others observe that 17 is the number of loaves of bread in the feeding of the 5000 + the number of baskets picked up after (=12+5). There were seven present, and they had been fishing all night with no results. Stating the man was blind from “birth” is the “number” which fits the symbolic meaning. Change ). John 21:15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. And, according to John’s analogy, the … The notes from the Net Bible indicate the following direct implications: Given John's background as a fisherman, details like this would probably have been natural observations. Then who ate most of the fish? It rejects symbolic meaning to 153 in John (despite John's use of numbers symbolically) primarily on the basis of other's works. God desires us to be strengthened in faith and love. This was a very interesting answer... you seem to be an intelligent person and devoted Christian. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Well, everywhere. I don't really care for all the square-root-of-the-triangular-circle-number woowoo stuff, but the fact that. Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. 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. Thoma finds 153 to be a reference to ICTHYS (a common early Christian acronym, standing for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior"). The healing of the invalid at the pool of Bethesda and the blind man at the pool of Siloam can be used to demonstrate the number of years is symbolic in both cases. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. The new covenant is illustrated and contrasted between Elijah and Elisha in that part of the Scriptures and the seven disciples (and we now) need to know and understand the differences. 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. Jesus asks if they have meat. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, O Elohim, before whom ½, (2002), pp. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Gregory the Great reaches 17 the same way, but multiplies it by 3, the number of the trinity, to get 51, and by 3 again, unto perfection, to get 153. The simplest use of a pair of 70’s is to add them together to make 140. 153 fish / 8 people including Jesus = more than 19 fish per person. Symbolizing abundance, 153 can even represent an OVERFLOW blessing from God. I found a GREAT answer at this website.....very interesting :) Praise God!!! Here's Wikipedia's page on the biblical number 153. For the purpose of this answer, I will call this composition feature "logonumerical structure", from "logos" = word. So the mention of this number is John 21 is not a coincidence. 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. 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? This takes place in the House of Mercy on the Sabbath and Jesus is accused of profaning the Sabbath. Point 2 – Ezekiel’s Vision with En Gedi and En Eglaim: Bauckham, as well as others, connect the 153 in John 21 to Ezekiel 47 and Ezekiel’s vision of the river of water flowing from the Temple. It’s Jesus. ( Log Out /  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. Since these were "large fish" (John 21:11), Jesus and His disciples didn't eat all of them. Bread represents the cross [14] and 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God'. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.. John 21.11 Therefore Paul teaches that the church should learn form (eat with) Christ, and we receive 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God'. Joh 21:7 ...Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt [his] fisher’s coat [unto him], (for he was naked,). You’ll find references to Pythagorean theorum, cubed numbers, prime numbers, the total number of people helped by Jesus in the NT, and other even more esoteric meanings. Joh 21:15 ¶ ... Feed my lambs. Isn't that what we have now in this age? Apparently a lot of folks are curious about it, particularly around Easter based on the views. There are other connections to the Old Testament: But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. {Children: or, Sirs}. 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. Seven is recognized as symbolic because seven has previously been identified as a symbol. This is reminiscent of the resurrection (a new beginning) [7], And fishing (making his livelihood) in the flesh [9]; on the left side [10] (in the flesh). Thus the number represents all the fishermen. Also the 2 70’s can be arranged in the same sequence of Jesus instructions to Peter: All of the symbolism “works” and serves to support the primary meaning of the passage. (In Hebrew and Greek, the letters of the alphabet also serve as numerals, and so every word has a numerical value which is the sum of the numerical values of its letters).”. If the man had been blind 38-years and the invalid paralyzed from birth, the symbolism dissolves. What is the significance of the number 17? Tell your Muslim friends who say that Jesus never claimed to be G-d that yes, He most certainly did! 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. 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. What you won’t find is any consensus. That means that if you add all the numbers decreasing from 17, you get 153. Clearly 38 is more than "just a number" of years and has been used to support the meaning of the overall passage. But I need more than assertions. Why certain numbers have more significance than others is a bit of a mystery. The contrast between Elijah and Elisha are quite stunning. Three sets of fifty and their captains of fifty. P. 164. If the number of the fish had been a recognizable symbol like 70, the size of the catch would be taken as symbolic. 153 large fish was dragged to shore. Certainly, the number 153 is interesting mathematically, as are a bunch of other numbers. If you have strong religious beliefs, you can not be lead astray. Eating is a metaphor for learning. What is the evidence of this glory? cit. Therefore, let us rightly divide the word of truth, laying aside our appetites for secret knowledge. [11] He is placing his judgement in God's hands. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But these are in the minority. Knowing that all scripture in the Bible has a meaning and is not wasted, the account of the 153 fish in John 21:3-12 has been a mystery as to its meaning. In this case, the numerical value of the word “gedi” = 17 and the numerical value of the word “eglaim” = 153. Yet the various methods I’ve read attempting to explain the number 153 can hardly be said to help any of God’s children in the way he wants. How to Produce an Adjustable-Size Opening or Closing Curly Brace for Plain Text Only. Can anyone tell me what that […] Joh 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. When Jesus caused the disciples to catch exactly 153 fish, He was declaring to them that not only was He the Son of G-d, but that He was God Himself. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 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. “153 is a triangular number, the triangle of 17. It was the number of years the people were exiled to Babylon and is symbolic of judgment. As noted by Richard Bauckham among others, it is clear that John (or whoever one may think is the final author/editor of John's Gospel and of Revelation) used the total quantity of occurrences of key words as a mathematical reinforcement or "signature" of the message of the text. Or was it counted simply to quantify the miraculous catch? Therefore, the miracle could also be viewed as an object lesson of the soon to be realized spiritual awakening. The other chapters are great too but this last one would give you much food for thought. In John 21:1-14 we learn about the third appearance of the post-resurrection Jesus to his disciples. Another interpretation I found is that there were 153 nations known to the Greek/Romans at the time. Why 153? within the text of the Bible and other ancient writings. [12] He is offering reconciliation to Peter. They do as instructed and the catch is so large that they can barely pull it out of the water. 77-88. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. That is to say, 17 + 16 + 15 + 14 +13 + 12 + 10 + … + 1 = 153. In fact there is a present tense sense of the meaning of judgment: judge whether someone is a lamb or a sheep and now feed them accordingly. 36, No. Both the healing and the creation of the first man share common elements. In his book Koester sets forth his guidelines for understanding symbols: Our approach has been to distinguish core from supporting symbols, so that if numbers do function symbolically, it is in a supporting capacity. By understanding the steps leading up to this miracle of fishes we can gain a broader perspective of 153 and its symbolism. A representation of the Tetragrammaton which allegedly appears 153 times in the book of Genesis. Mt 4:18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. counted among the sons of God]. 1. A representation of each species of fish in the Sea at this time. The location of En Gedi is known and is a popular place for tourists to visit. One other triangular number appears explicitly in the NT: the number of the beast 666 (Rev. "Large quantities of ink have gone into explaining why there should be 153 fish. 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. Christ, … This would be a numerical connection to “gedi” - rather than a specific geographical location. 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. : a look at Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism. Peter's instructions contain two types of work, feed and tend and two different animals, lambs and sheep. I think the 153 might symbolize the total of 120 (12, just 10 times) with Jesus’ 33 added. That's where I think Jesus sent the disciples, specifically to that location in Scripture. Bible points to the context. 1+2+3+4…+36 = 666. https://books.google.com/books?id=So0hIAMtTs0C, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3133/fc31ad6a2df1ceb73ea480ea07dc04c81e89.pdf, https://www.umass.edu/wsp/publications/alpha/v1/a1-33-gematria.pdf, https://books.google.com/books?id=E9ItDwAAQBAJ, We're a little different from other sites, Visual design changes to the review queues, Opt-in alpha test for a new Stacks editor. The myriad interpretations of the catching of the 153 fish serve as a great reminder why we must not look for hidden messages in the Scriptures. Of course all three numbers must have significance to judgment and relate to 153. [2], Peter had previously been a fisherman and was going back to his old life. (See Raphael Patai, Man and Temple), What is the meaning of “the Scripture has said?” This is not a direct quote of a passage of Scripture, but as Bauckham notes, to two different texts: Ezekiel 47 and Zechariah 14:8. If the invalid of 38-years was sent to Siloam where there are no colonnades, there is no corresponding significance to the number 38. 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. Jesus did not wait for the catch to prepare the meal. And look at how the new way began, right off the bat at Jericho. He was fishing in the dark all night(requiring grace) [5]. The Kingdom of Heaven parable is drawn from the catching fish used in the context of judgement found in the Old Testament: The sovereign LORD confirms this oath by his own holy character: “Certainly the time is approaching when you will be carried away in baskets, every last one of you in fishermen’s pots. There will be 13 thrones for 12 apostles and Jesus to sit in judgement. 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. I searched through some of the apocryphal books too. 153 exactly. 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. Bread and fish represent everything man needs to live in Christ. 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. https://torahportions.ffoz.org/disciples/john/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-153.html 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.". This may have a hidden symbolic meaning. 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. The remarkable catch of 153 fish is the eighth sign in John's gospel, and it corresponds to—and in many ways answers—the first sign, Jesus' turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. I wonder if Jesus is trying to tell us something and where would we find what He is trying to tell us? Additionally, Jesus uses the Temple imagery of Ezekiel 47 to connect this fount of living water to himself. 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. John begins by describing a scene at the "House of Mercy" (the meaning of Bethesda) with five colonnades, or porches. I wonder if that number means anything to the only eleven people in the world who were told to make disciples? Hence, the 153 fish signify that all the elect are to be saved by the gift of grace (7) and the following of the commandments (10). Augustine also noted that 153 = 1+2+3+4+.....+17. This is unlikely to be accidental. The disciples are engaged in fishing when they see Jesus in John 21. It is a unique symbol. So, this verse would read “Spring of Gedi” to the “spring of Eglaim.” (Ein is also the Hebrew word for eye and fountain). 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. 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. You’re obviously very confident in your interpretation, My question to you is exactly how you came to believe it to be the correct understanding, against all of the others. Moreover, larger numbers were usually treated as the sum or product of smaller numbers; and since various combinations could produce the same result, the interpretative possibilities expanded accordingly. Previously we discerned that the fish represent 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Jesus and his disciple eat bread and fish together. site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. After Peter responds Jesus gives Peter three different instructions: A symbolic use of the number should follow this pattern and be divided into three parts. There were still 153 fish from the catch that had not been eaten. Many scholars have noted John’s use of symbols. Take a look at our. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43049111, Summarized in: Keith L Yoder (2013), Gematria and John 21. Hello Albert, and thank you for the comment. Joh 21:16 ... Feed my sheep. On the back of vehicles, to be precise. More specifically, is there a hidden meaning behind certain numbers, which yield extra knowledge of God and his ways? He tells them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. How to make a story entertaining with an almost unkillable character? The smallest number you can get out of this is 265 long and 153 wide, 153 being the smallest number you can have and come up with the square root of 3. Mt 14:29 And he said, Come. And like Jesus, he makes you think it out for yourself like He did so many times throughout the gospels. Most of the 153 fish caught must have been distributed to the people in the area, who undoubtedly also heard the Gospel from the fishers of men. I read no more into 153 fish, than I do into the 2000 donkeys in 1 Chr 5:21. Toward morning a voice calls out to them from the shore asking if they caught anything. The number 13 is amenable to other interpretations. More problematic, however, is the symbolic value of the numbers specifically cited in the text, such as the Samaritan woman’s five husbands, the invalid’s thirty-eight-year illness, and a catch of 153 fish. Does the 153 have any significance in light of gnostic beliefs? Trying to find the link if any! https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3133/fc31ad6a2df1ceb73ea480ea07dc04c81e89.pdf, [2] Richard Bauckham, The 153 fish and the unity of the fourth Gospel, Neotestamentica Vol. Joh 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. The other six disciples could not pull in the catch of fish, but Peter did it single-handedly. What is the significance of the 153 fish in John 21:11? Man lives by the cross and every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Would you consider adding more details? Point 4 – John’s other references to Ezekiel 47 in his Gospel, If the 153 were the only allusion to Ezekiel 47 we may be able to dismiss it more easily, but it is not. Jesus had already told him that he should live in the light. John 7:37-39. The Fish Gate was one of Jerusalem’s main entrances. 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. [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. God’s message in his word is clear. 153 as the measure of "the Fish in Archimedes Archimedes (c 287-212 B.C.E. My guess is that a lot of Easter sermons touch on the subject, and then folks go searching for answers. Jesus told him to rise and take up (ἆρον) his mat just as Joshua told the people to move out to enter the Promised Land when they saw the Levites take up (αἴροντας) the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 3:3 LXX also vv. For example, when Jesus called his disciples, he said that he would make them fishers of men. But the question remains: Should we be searching for the deeper meaning of the number, or is there a simpler explanation? Jesus has been brought into his glory. [20]. 2b. Joh 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Similarly "tend My sheep" refines the interpretation when seen in the context of Peter's role as the leading disciple. Jesus had already called the Apostles `Fishers of men' (Mark 1:17). I wonder how many there are?'". Everyone knows where the springs are because it is a matter of life and death. With this question in mind, I want to explore an important event at the end of John’s Gospel. 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. There are common and different elements. Peter jumps into the water to meet him. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Arguably, they did not have correct knowledge of the LORD God, yet were not utterly destroyed because of His mercy. Salt (covenant) in a NEW bowl, hint, hint thrown into the source of cursed water makes the water pure. The huge catch, the unbroken net, the timing of it; these all worked together to demonstrate that a miracle had just taken place. Joh 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. 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. al. The Bible states the disciples marveled at the fact that their net held together even though it contained so many large fish. One may dismiss 5,000 as just a number especially since it is used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke in a similar context. 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. 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.

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