In response to a letter sent me:

The 153 Fish of John 21

7000 and 7500 years

 

 

Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 1999 6:53 AM

To: Dean Coombs

Subject: 153 fish ---Hi! From Dean

Hi David,

Sorry to reply to you a little late, my grandmother is dying and it has been busy. But she is a believer so I can be happy.

I'll have to send you that other document later on when things settle down and I have the time.

I find it interesting that as far as the major premise's of you document, that it is in agreement with my own thoughts––including the numbers, however one small difference in perspective, however, alters much interpretation. I take the 3rd appearance of Jesus to symbolize his 3rd appearance to earth as well (passage of time is indicated by the what appears to be Jesus appearing (or speaking as) aged, i.e., He calls them "children," something one would expect from the mouth of another at lest above 50 years of age(?) ––and from "a pickled fish" (refer to original Greek for this word used here different form the other word to do with the 153 (i.e., old fish) being on a old (charcoal) fire---Three obvious clues to the meaning of this "3rd appearance." (And, as you said, "grow old" of Jn. 21:18.) So I think it wonderfully that we both saw this.

However, whereas I see the possibilities in this 3rd return as being His second coming to earth; I also see it as His final return to the earth after the millennium. (Or, if one believes Jesus will be reigning physically on the earth at this time(?) (rather than from the heavenly Jerusalem through the agency of Jewish princes at earthly Jerusalem, as I tend to think, ––therefore, than rather than this 3rd "appearance" representing His final return to earth (3rd return), then it can be taken as His 3rd and final stage of dominion over this Universe--when He creates a brand new heaven and earth, etc. The point is, either way, my following conclusions are valid with either perspective. By the way, forgive the awkward grammar in this letter–– I have to go soon and see my grandmother so I'm rushing it!)

Anyways, I see that the passage may have a double meaning in mind as to the last appearance being the second coming, or the final end of the age after the millennium. The different perspective therefore, alters the interpretation of the passage.

Let me comment on the 153 fish at least, here.

Very good! ––77 + 76 generations as 153 total makes sense to me and agrees with my own findings on this matter. I don't know if I thought of it exactly like that but let me throw these few thoughts in too. Indirectly, you are suggesting a mirror age to the previous one before Christ in that Jesus is the center of time––He is the center of the total 153. This is fundamental to my own findings (by His Spirit). A round generation in Biblical terms is 40 or 100 years. (The 40 is obvious, as for the 100, see "in the 4th generation" of Abraham till the exodus as called "400 years" and Abraham was 100 at the birth of Isaac, and
Abraham lived 100 years in Canaan before he died at 175---therefore, a generation is 40 or 100. This, I know, you may already understand, but just in case, I mention this about the 100 years).

Well, –––while Jesus is the 77th generation, the actual time period is (using a literal 40 and 100 years), reaches back to 7500 or 3000 BC. (I speak of course symbolically). There are 75 true generations before Jesus 76th---for actual generation-time we of course do not include "The son of God" as before Adam (as far as actual time). But I can se that I am getting bogged down in detail, therefore allow me to simply paste an finished document on this subject and go on to my point, which bares directly on the subject of the 153 fish.

Here is an insert from a unfinished footnote:

[126] For example, there are two genealogies listed in the New Testament. One first in Matthew (1:1-17), which starts with Abraham and works forward to the Christ, and covers 40 generations. A generation is 40 or 100 years, as is clear from Abraham himself. (He was 100 years old when his son was born, etc.). Therefore, 100 x 40 generations = 4,000 years, and thus 4001 BC for the birth of Abraham. (The number "4,000" has immediate and obvious meaning to those even a little acquainted with these things). Abraham is a type of Adam is the Scriptures, in that he fathers a new race similar to Adam, (even as the Christ does ---spiritually speaking).

The next (and last) genealogy of Christ in the New Testament (Luke 3:23-38) is listed backward unto Adam (opposite to the direction of Matthews genealogy). It is listed backward because with a mirror, this is how the geology would appear in a mirror. Thus, because there are 75 generations listed in Luke, from the Christ unto Adam, therefore we compute AD 7500. ("7500" is a variation of 7,000, or 7 years, or days, etc., and is common in the Bible too, Gen. 12:4; 2Sam. 5:5; 1Kin. 6:37,38. It signifies the dawning of the 8^th day of a new creation, Gen. 1:31; 2:2; Gal. 6:15.)

 

Anyway, back on topic!

I believe that the 153 fish also signify jubilees (or 7 x 7 years), and this reflects well on your 77 + 77 (-one for overlap in center).

There are 77 x 49 (7 x 7) years from the Jewish traditional calendar for the creation till the Christian traditional day of Christ as 12 years old (Passover) at the temple. (Traditional only––God would catch the Jews in their own devices, so as to capture their hearts, for it is quite possible they manipulated the dates back centuries ago (not in the Bible, I mean), to distance themselves from anything near 4,000 years till Christ from Adam, they did not want to see the obvious implications of that 4000 year genealogical period so they (it appears) changed it!–––––––––––––again, forgive my grammar).

Well it happens that their creation date of Spr. (Abib) 3761 (or 3762 BC), is exactly 77 x 49 years till 13 BC Spr. Abib––Passover)––when Christ "appeared" suddenly in the temple at 12.

However, the maximum date for the creation (as literally based upon the chronologies, along with the three N.T. variations of 60 (of Steven's sermon, 215 of Gal., as it uses the LXX, and the 130 of Luke's insertion of the LXX of Cainan, a total of 405 above the minimum date of 3900 BC. (This assumes the c. 1446 BC exodus––as most modern evangelical scholars agree.) Thus the Max. of Aut. 4305 BC till the actual birth of Christ is 4300 years (and near 3900 till the traditional––agreeing with the 390 and 430 of Ezekiel, etc.,), and since 88 x 49 are 4312 years, thus there are 88 jubilees till Christ at 12½ in the temple at Passover––agreeing with the symbolism of 77 –––7 is perfection, etc., 88 is a new creation––And, 80 Jubilees from the 3900 date till Christ at 20 or 25 (traditional and actual dates respectively––when one entered the priesthood (i.e., it was 30, then 25 and 20 in (all) the Bible as a concordance will show.)

A full age is 7,000 years, but 7,500 till the dawning of the new age. (This agrees with the 3,000 and 7500 of Luke's genealogy ––3000 = resurrection morning, 7,500 = much the same. The creation had to wait 7½ days till the light of the 8th day of creation because "The evening and the morning were the 6th day", etc. Hence, as it is today, the Jewish day ends in the evening. Since the coming age is understood as when light comes forever, and there is no more night––a new creation (i.e., the 8th day), it follows that as a day is as a thousand years that there will be 7500 years till the full end of time. What occupies this last overlapping––transitional night of the 7th–8th day is conjecture, but I think is will be the rebellion spoken of in Rev. That occurs after the 1000 years when the nations come against Jerusalem one last time (like they did at the Second coming after the 3½ (7)-year tribulation.

Therefore, as you said––Jesus is the center and there are 77, and 77 Jubilees (i.e., Christ's Jubilee is overlapped, He is the 77th forward from the first creation and 77 backward, as will be perceived from the new (physical) creation at the final end of the age)––of each 7 x 7 years.

It happens that 153 large fish (i.e., jubilee catches of souls---similar in meaning to your thought on a generation of souls), amounts to exactly 7500 years less 3½ years! (the half-year is the jubilee half-year mentioned in Lev., etc.).

The Jewish Creation date of 3761 BC is thus exactly 153½ years of Jubilees back unto itself in AD 3761––its mirror. The half Jubilee signifies a cutting short of the final jubilee of time––it signifies eternity, I think, and we see it in the fact that Jesus already had a fish already cooking on an old fire, ready to eat. This is the 154th fish (77 + 77), so to speak, broken (eaten).

I suppose you might want to tinker with some of my symbolic conclusions, as I yours––that's O.K.! I could be wrong! But we know He is right!

God bless you in your studies, and I will get back to you later as I said.

Your servant for Jesus,

Dean

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Dear Dean,

Thank you for your reply.

I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to put your files on the net for me though. The files you sent are just file names in angled brackets with no related data. It could be because our email uses version 1 or something. Not even mime! Or it could be that I don’t know what I’m doing!

I shall put your need for strength in my prayers. I think that a lot of people are feeling strained at the moment; there is so much revealing occurring at the moment in regard to scripture that some people are finding it hard to keep up with the driving.

Cheers, God Bless and God give you strength.

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