Fishing in the Middle East, specifically in the Levantine region, has prehistoric origins. In recent years, ancient fishing gear, including weights for nets, have been located on the coast of modern day Israel. (ResearchGate)
This includes artifacts found beside the Sea of Galilee. (National Library of Medicine)
Ancient fishing nets were made of natural fibers and easily decayed, but their weights, made of stronger lasting matter have survived. In the case of the Sea of Galilee, notched pebbles were found. (Google Scholar/ResearchGate)
The Hebrew word for fish, daw-gaw’, is rooted in the word daw-gaw, meaning “to multiply, increase.” It is no surprise that Jesus used fish to demonstrate multiplication. Fish represent two types of people: clean fish and unclean fish. Both multiply. The good fish are those caught by the apostles, the “fishers of men,” which have become believers and are cleansed of sin. The unclean fish are a type of unbelievers who still live with their sins.
Jesus often visited Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. There He taught the Word of God and demonstrated who He was through miracles. This village was the center of a fishing industry.
Fishing skills included knowing how to make a net, clean it, repair its fibers and then actually use it. Nets from the time of Jesus were made from linen (flax) thread. (Jerusalem Perspective) Cords of flax thread were knotted together forming a mesh. (Univ College London, Petrie Museum)
Flax grew throughout the Levant, and first appears in Jericho, when Rahab hides the spies underneath flax stalks on her rooftop. (Joshua 2:6)
The Israelites were already familiar with flax, having had access to it in Egypt. (Exodus 9:31) They continued to use flax to create linen garments. (Deuteronomy 22:11)
When the two Israelite spies entered Jericho, they gave Rahab a scarlet cord, called a tiqva, as a promise that they would not kill those in the home where the cord was tied in the window. (Joshua 2:18) Tiqva can also mean “hope.” (Psalm 62:5) The cord was the sign of hope to Rahab that she would survive the destruction of Jericho.
The tiqva was scarlet, the color of blood. The tiqva is a type of Jesus, the Hope of the Jews, their Messiah, and the Hope of the Gentile world, bloodied red, from the flogging and crucifixion He endured. Scholars have written that the Romans tied a man’s hands to a post for scourging. (CBC)
Paul, a former Pharisee, wrote, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our Hope.” (1Timothy 1:1)
Paul referred to the Old Testament hope, “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.” (Acts 26:6) He is One and the Same—Jesus.
The root of tiqva, the scarlet cord, is qava, meaning “to wait, look for, hope” (Psalm 40:1) or “to collect, bind together.” (Jeremiah 3:17) The cords are collected and bound together, creating a net, into which all the fish swim.
Jesus spoke about a specific type of net as a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven.
Fishermen with Dragnet, Sea of Galilee, Circa 1940, Matson Photo Service, Library of Congress.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.” (Matthew 13:47-48)
The dragnet was used to catch all types of fish. In the Sea of Galilee there were a variety of fish. Those disciples who were former fishermen and those who recalled Levitical law, knew that unscaled fish, such as an eel or a catfish were considered bad. It was against God’s Law for unscaled fish to be eaten. (Deuteronomy 14:10)
Jesus continued His parable: “So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” (Matthew 13:49-51)
A dragnet is a very large net extending approximately 1000 feet long and 25 feet deep. At its top are floating materials to hold it afloat. The bottom has weights attached to pull it down along the seabed. It floats as a mesh wall in the water offshore. Many men on shore are required to haul in the catch with long pieces of rope on each side, pulling the net in toward the beach. Everything caught in the net is dragged in. Then the net is thrown into the sea again in a different location.
The fish are sorted as good and bad.
The dragnet is a type of what happens across the world during a major event—the return of Jesus. All fish, both believers and unbelievers will be caught and separated as either good or bad at that time. Every eye will see Him, even unbelievers. (Revelation 1:7)
There will be both the godly and the ungodly upon the earth until this age ends. Then the separation becomes permanent.
The ungodly, like the bad fish, will be thrown away, separated from the good. Their reward is the fiery furnace, weeping, and remorse.
The dragnet is a metaphor for a time of divine judgment. It is either safety and life or death, depending upon whether or not one is covered with the blood of Jesus.
Just as Rahab’s house was marked with a sign, a scarlet cord, so too are believers (who house the Holy Spirit) marked with the blood of Jesus, as a sign of protection from destruction. (1John 1:7) (Hebrews 9:14)
What brings destruction for the ungodly? Sin. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
It is Jesus who shall judge. The dragnet is His. All things have been given to Him. (John 5:22)
Many fish, like the eels and catfish will not want to be caught in the net and will try to escape, but the wall of mesh will entrap all fish.
Many people will go into hiding from the Lord. But He has already pointed out their hiding places in Scripture. (Revelation 6:15-16) In the day of wrath, their wealth will be worthless. (Proverbs 11:4)
Jesus has the final say upon where eternity shall be spent. (Matthew 25:41)
A scarlet cord was created from scarlet thread, which the women spun into yarn or twine. (Exodus 35:25)
In ancient times scarlet dye was derived from a scale insect called the coccus ilicis, harvested from Mediterranean oak trees. The dried out bodies of the females were used for the brightest scarlet hues. The insects were ground and added to hot water with a fixative. Afterward, the thread and fabric was dipped into the dye bath until the depth of color was attained. (NC Art Museum)
In 2016, within the “Cave of Skulls,” a piece of scarlet textile, apparently woven linen and wool, was located in the Judean Desert, dated at around 1954-1767 BC. (Times of Israel) (Science Direct)
The first Biblical mention of a scarlet thread appears in Genesis, during the time of the patriarchs, and just prior to the exit of Jacob’s family from Canaan into the land of Egypt—1523 BC. (Chabad)
Tamar is giving birth to twins—Perez and Zerah. Zerah thrusts out his hand first. A midwife ties a scarlet thread around his wrist declaring him the first born, but the baby’s hand disappears back inside the birth canal. Perez becomes the first fully born twin. (Genesis 28:27-30)
Perez seems to have pushed his way through, creating a breach. Thus, his name means “breach.” Figuratively, “breach” may also refer to an outburst of God’s wrath. (2Samuel 6:8; 1Chronicles 13:11; Job 16:14)
When the Lord Jesus hung upon the cross, covered in His own blood, He took the sins of the world into Himself, receiving God’s wrath. (1Peter 2:24) A breach by God Himself was made because of the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6) Perez is a type of the Lord Jesus.
Coming from the same source, the same womb, Zerah received the scarlet thread upon his wrist. He is a type of the Lord Jesus at His return coming from heaven—again. The scarlet thread is a type of the Lord’s blood.
When Jesus returns, He will come wearing a garment dipped in blood. (Revelation 19:13)
The word “dipped” from Revelation 19:13 is the Greek word bapto, meaning “to dip, or immerse.” It may also mean “to dip into dye.”
The color scarlet in the Scriptures is symbolic of blood.
Zerah arrived after Perez. Jesus will reappear after His sacrifice upon the cross. There will be a gap in time, commonly referred to as the “church age,” in which we now live. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Perez means “rising.” It is rooted in the word zaw-rakh, meaning “to rise or to come out, appear.”
The Lord is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. (Romans 8:34) When it is time for His return, Jesus will rise, come out of heaven, and appear. His face will be like the sun shining brightly, and out of his mouth will come a sharp two-edged sword—for judging the nations. (Revelation 1:16) (Psalm 110:5-6) (Revelation 19:15)
The Lord is called a Star out of Jacob and the Bright Morning Star. (Revelation 22:16; Numbers 24:17)
Jesus is a descendant of Jacob, through Judah and the line of Perez (Luke 3:23-38)—the first physical appearance of the Savior. When He returns, He will have a body of flesh and bones; His hands and feet will still be pierced. (Luke 24:39)
And His side will yet have a hole lanced by a spear! (John 20:27)
His back will have stripes from His flogging. (Isaiah 53:5; 1Peter 2:24)
His face was marred. (Isaiah 52:14; Luke 22:63-64) Believers, such as Mary Magdalene and the two men on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus immediately. It is noted that the Lord retained His piercings after rising from the dead. It is likely that His faced will be disfigured at His return as well. (Luke 24:13-31)
His disciples, witnesses, touched Him, saw Him and wrote the truth. (1John 1:1; Matthew 28:9)
Just as Perez and Zerah were twins, looking alike, so will Jesus look the same as when He departed the earth. Jesus was a Semite, a Jew. Probably He will have dark hair and brown eyes with an olive skin tone. Jesus was physically active and very lean. (Psalm 22:17) Men of His time wore their hair short and grew a beard. (Isaiah 50:6) Average height for a Jewish man 2,000 years ago was between 5’- 5’5” tall. Jesus was described as ordinary looking. (Isaiah 53:2)
Jesus will be as a Star breaking through darkness for His second appearance. (Matthew 24:29-31) It is then, that the angels will catch all the fish in the dragnet and they will be separated good from bad, believer from unbeliever. (Luke 17:30-36)
The Scriptures state that the earth will be dark when the Lord appears. (Matthew 24:29-30)
Incidentally, most of the fishing on the Sea of Galilee took place at night. (Luke 5:1-7) Fishermen know that during the day the fish can see the net, but it is much more difficult for them to view the net at night.
Most fish will not know when the net will be dropped into the sea. Darkness eliminates vision. Darkness is symbolic of no knowledge of the Light, which is the Lord. These people will just be living as they always have. (Matthew 24:37-44)
Many Scriptures in the Old Testament point to the second coming of Jesus; these too must be fulfilled, just as all of the prophecies of His first coming were fulfilled.
“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’” (Luke 24:44)
Jesus, the Hope will return (Hebrews 9:28), as believers patiently wait and watch for His coming.
Jesus is the Savior for all people, from every tribe, tongue and language, purchased with His blood—the sacrificial untainted blood of God. (Revelation 5:9) He is the Great I AM, unique, the very Word of God, the Creator and the Light of the world. (John 1:1-5)