Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 37
Parable #18. The Fish Net (Kingdom of Heaven):
- Today is Day #18
- The Eighteenth Mashal of Messiah
- Fourteen Observations
- Interpretation
Today is Day #18:
1. Today is “Day #18” in the forty-nine day Countdown to Shavuot.
2. Today is Eighteen days in the Omer.
Today is eighteen days which are two weeks and four days in the Omer.
היום שמונה עשר יום, שהם שני שבועות וארבעה ימים בעומר. פ
Haiyom shmonah asar yom, shehaym shnay shavuot ve-arba’ah yamim ba’omer.
“You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days.” (Leviticus). “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when the sickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begin counting seven weeks. Then you will observe the Festival of Shavu’ot for Adonai Eloheinu.” (Deuteronomy).
“Blessed are You, Adonai Eloheinu, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.”
ברוך אתה, אדוני אלוהינו, מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו על ספירת העומר.פ
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al sefirat ha’omer.
The Eighteenth Mashal of Messiah:
עוֹד דּוֹמָה מַלְכוּת הַשָׁמַיִם לְמִכְמֶרֶת אֲשֶׁר הָשְׁלְכָה לַיָּם וּמִינִים שׁוֹנִים יֵאָסְפוּ לְתוֹכָהּ׃ וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִמְלְאָה הֶעֱלוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ וַיִּלְקְטוּ אֶת־הַמִּינִים הַטּוֹבִים לְתוֹךְ הַכֵּלִים וְאֵת הָרָעִים הִשְׁלִיכוּ׃
ועוד דומה מלכות השמים לרשת שהשלכה לים ואספה מכל מין. כאשר נתמלאה העלו אותה לחוף וישבו ולקטו את הטובים לתוך הכלים ואת הרעים השליכו. פ
[Mattai 13:47] Again, the Kingdom of heaven can be compared to a net that was cast into the sea, and a variety of species were gathered into it. When it was full, they brought it up to the seashore, then they sat down and collected the good species into vessels but threw the bad ones away.
כֵּן יִהְיֶה לְקֵץ הָעוֹלָם הַמַּלְאָכִים יֵצְאוּ וְהִבְדִּילוּ אֶת־הָרְשָׁעִים מִתּוֹךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים׃ וְהִשְׁלִיכוּם אֶל־תַּנּוּר הָאֵשׁ שָׁם תִּהְיֶה הַיְלָלָה וַחֲרֹק הַשִׁנָּיִם׃
כך יהיה בקץ העולם. המלאכים יצאו ויבדילו את הרשעים מבין הצדיקים וישליכו אותם אל תנור האש; שם תיהיו היללה וחרוק השיניים. פ
[Mattai 13:49] So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Fourteen Observations:
Observation #1. The Eighteenth Mashal of the Messiah is similar in many ways to the mashal of the “Weeds among good plants.” Judgment is suspended, the good plants (fish) are allowed to exist side-by-side with the wicked weeds (fish) until both are matured. Then at maturity judgment comes: so that the good plants (fish) are permanently separated from the wicked plants (fish), which are thrown into the fire (or in the case of the fish, ‘thrown back into the Sea’).
Observation #2. This mashal (מָשָׁל) summarizes the main ideas of the six previous Kingdom of heaven meshalim.
Observation #3. Like the meshalim of the “Sower and the four soils” and the “Weeds among Good Plants” this mashal was interpreted by the Messiah immediately after he said it.
Observation #4. The Kingdom of heaven was compared to the largest kind of net: weighed below with corks on top; sweeping over an area as large as a half mile of water.
Observation #5. Because the net is so very large and spread out over such an incredibly large area (the entire world) the net collects a multitude of different kinds (species) of fish described in the text as “every kind.” The Net represents the preaching of the besorah (Good News) of the Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of Adonai (GOD).
Observation #6. Nets of this type and size were too large to empty into a boat and had to be drawn to shore.
Observation #7. The Sea as just discussed in the last mashal is symbolic of all the gentile nations, peoples, and families of the world.
Observation #8. The Shore is a symbol of the remnant of (messianic) Jews who are a part of the Land and People of Israel.
Observation #9. Here the fish were sorted. Those that were bad or for any reason unusable, were thrown away (by inference, cast back into the sea).
Observation #10. In ancient Israel this sorting out of the fish on the shore was a very familiar process on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Observation #11. The mashal of the Fish Net is an illustration of the judgment at the end of the age. Angels were described as separating those who are wicked (unrepentant and unbelieving) from among the righteous (תשובה ואמונה-repentant and believing).
Observation #12. The location from which these judgments are rendered is on the “Beach.” Therefore, the judgments of the Messiah of Adonai are administered from the vantage point of his Jewish talmidin (תלמידיו-disciples, students) who are a part of (a remnant from among) the Jewish people and land of Israel:
The Beach is an interface. It is a very special location.
The Beach of the Land of Israel is occupied by a very special people who are engaged in a very special vocation. The Beach is a base of operations. It is a launch point and a return point from which the (messianic) remnant of Israel does the business of the Kingdom of heaven.
The *Fishing Net was placed by Jews into the Sea of the Gentile World to bring many souls to a saving faith in Adonai (our God) .
*Jews testifying to the Besorah (Good news) of the Grace of Adonai (our Father and our God) so that He – through the redemption of M’shicho (His Messiah) and His Gift of the Indwelling Presence of His Spirit – might bless the gentile nations, peoples, and families of the world with His Salvation.
After the Messiah returns to us from heaven all Israel will be saved; and then: all of us will be messianic Jews.
When Messiah comes every Yehudi (Jew) – all Israel will be engaged in the fishing business (evenagelistic enterprise) of Avinu Shebashamayim (our heavenly Father). When the kingdom of Adonai (Avinu) comes every man, woman, and child of Israel will be engaged in the national (priestly and royal) vocation of “bringing in” to our faith in Adoani our Father all of the gentiles of the world (cf the mitzvah of hospitality, hachnasat orchim-הכנסת אורחים).
In the messianic age all of the nations, peoples, and families of the world will come to worship Adonai (our God) with us in the land of Israel.
Observation #13. The righteous who remain, after the wicked are judged unworthy of acceptance, are able to enter into the messianic kingdom of Adonai (our Father) and by faith (later still) into the blessed eternal age to come.
Observation #14. The complete fulfillment of these prophecies will begin to occur at the second coming of the Messiah ben David; when all the nations, peoples, and families of the world will be judged and the (messianic) international kingdom of Adonai will be instituted; that is God’s global kingdom of *Israel and the Commonwealth of *Israel.
*Yisra’El (ישראל) means – the “Rule of God.”
Interpretation of the Fishnet:
Like the other six preceding kingdom of Heaven meshalim, this seventh kingdom of Heaven mashal of the “Fishing Net” describes the dual tracks of good and evil. These two competing directions and opposing factions (kinds) of life will remain in conflict with each other until the time of the end; when the LORD our God will render to each person according to his deeds. To those who do not become Rich in Adonai (מעשיר למען השם–literally, “Enriching for the sake of Adonai), who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness—-they will suffer loss. The unbelieving and disobedient ones will be removed and cast away from the Presence of the Living God (Elohim Chayim).
However, the believing and obedient ones: those who do good (אשרי-האיש-cf. Ashrei-Man); those whose lives bring glory and honor to Adonai Avinu (אבינו ה’); they will know the Joy of entering into the Golden Age of Israel and they will receive our heavenly Father’s gift of eternal life.