In John 21 Yeshua manifested Himself again to seven of the disciples. Verse 2 says it was Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the two sons of Zebedee and two other disciples. Peter tells the others that he’s going fishing and the others decided to go with him.  They all got into the boat and they didn’t catch anything all night.

Let’s pick up in John 21:4-14; “4 But when the day was now breaking, Yeshua stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Yeshua. 5 So Yeshua said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Yeshua loved [John] said to Peter, “It is the Master.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Master, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.  9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Master.  13 Yeshua came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Yeshua was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.”

Several of the disciple’s livelihood was fishing. This night they caught nothing which means no income for this day of fishing. Yeshua shows up on the beach and they didn’t initially recognize Him.  Yeshua asks a question that He already knows the answer to and that was, “Children you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.”  He then proceeds to give them counsel of what they need to do. Had they not heeded the counsel the outcome would have been very different.  But because they did heed the counsel, they were barely able to haul it in because of the GREAT number of fish.

It is EXTREMELY interesting that this account gives a VERY specific number of fish that was caught. 153. I believe in our culture, as well as in most other cultures, we would have said that we caught “about 150 fish”.  To give the EXACT number of fish and the fact that it was 153 is a message in and of itself in addition to this being another miracle Yeshua performed for them.  Remember the timing of all of this was during the counting of the Omer/Days. The Spirit does very specific things for His people in every generation at His appointed times.

What did all of this mean? Was there a message or a prophecy Yeshua was confirming to them? In Hosea 1:10 it says, “Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, “You are not My people,”  It will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living Elohim.” Because we were raised with a western mindset, we have no idea what significance there was to the exact number of fish mentioned, but to the disciples, they would get it.  In the Hebrew aleph bet, unlike our alphabet, the numbering system in Hebrew is also their letters.  Therefore, every Hebrew letter has a numerical value and the Hebrew words have a numerical value as well.  The numerical value for the “Sons of Elohim” is 153. Another interesting fact is “The Passover” in Hebrew, also has the numerical value of 153. Remember Yeshua is The Passover…the living Elohim!!  This cannot be a coincidence, but a Yah-incident.  He was letting the disciples know, while literally on the “sand of the sea”, that this prophecy is now in motion!!! The gospel of the kingdom through the Sons of Elohim will not be able to be measured or numbered.  Therefore, 153 is a number significant of something innumerable.

As the pattern shows forth from these verses in Luke, when we heed Biblical counsel it sets in motion our livelihood both spiritually and physically. If we’re in the Messiah, we too, are part of the 153 and that is TOV/GOOD news!!!

Have a blessed and shalom filled day!!

Tammy McLendon

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a