Casting Of The Nets – Mat 13:47-50

The Bible does not tell us the professions of all of the twelve disciples, but we do know for certain that at least four of them were professional fishermen. Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishing when Jesus called them to follow Him. The short parable that we will look at today would be very real in their imaginations as they heard it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
(Mat 13:47-50 NKJV)

The nets described here were commonly used in the Sea of Galilee. One or two people would stand on shore with one end of the net while others were in a boat with the other end. The boat would make a semi-circle along the shoreline and trap the fish in the net. Sometimes two boats could be used, one for each end of the net, and they would row into a big circle trapping the fish.

The thing about fishing with a net is you have no control over the kinds of fish you will catch. Whereas if you were fishing with a lure you could select one that you knew a certain kind of fish likes. The benefit of a net, however, is that you can catch many fish at once, you just know that some of them you will not want to keep.

The event the Lord is describing here is at the end of the seven years of tribulation when He returns to set up his millennial kingdom on the earth. The wicked and the just are the people on earth who have survived the judgments. It’s hard to believe, but even after all that these people have seen over the past seven years, some will still not turn to God and repent. Those are the wicked that will be collected by the angels and cast into the furnace. There will be those who do repent and turn to God during the tribulation, and those people will be the first generation of the millennial kingdom.

This parable is a great reminder that it’s not for us to decide who will be in God’s kingdom. We are called to share the gospel to all the world. Is there someone in your life you feel called to share with?