Part 1 of this series looked at the prophecies concerning the time of the first coming and how they were fulfilled. In Part 2 we are going to discuss the New Testament prophecies in detail. These are prophecies which concerns us today.
Matthew 13:47-49 says,
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake [sea] and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age.”
As we have already seen (in Part 1), the sea is a place where many different waters are gathered and mix together. Sea water does not quench our thirst, nor can it save our lives. Understanding the physical characteristics of the sea helps us to understand the spiritual meaning of ‘sea’.
Words are represented by spiritual water (Dt 32:2; Jn 4:13-14). God’s word is represented by the fresh, clean water that falls from above, the heavens; while man’s teachings can be compared to water that comes from the earth.
At the time of the first coming, the sea was the mixed teachings of Judaism, the fish were the people (Jews), and the fisherman was Jesus who used the net of the revealed word to save those from the sea who wanted to be caught. Once the 12 disciples had received, believed, and accepted the truth, they too became “fishers of men” (Mk 1:17).
So, where is the sea today?
Who are the fish?
What is the net?
Today, Methodists have their teachings (words), Presbyterians have their teachings (words), Baptists have their teachings (words), and so on and so forth. All these different teachings make up the world of Christianity. Since words = water, we can understand the world of Christianity to be like the spiritual sea, a place full of man’s mixed teachings.
If Christianity is the sea, then who are the fish?
Habakkuk 1:14 tells us that people are like fish in the sea. Today, the fish in the sea of Christianity are the Christians.
Jesus prophesied to send us the net and the fishermen so that we could be ‘saved’ from the sea (Mt 13:47-48). What would the net be for us today? And who are the fisherman?
At the time of the first coming, Jesus spoke words that many did not agree with, many claimed he was blaspheming, and working on behalf of Satan (Beelzebub), yet the word that he brought was the revealed word of truth. Only those who accepted and believed this word could call themselves children of God (Jn 1:11-13).
Today, we need to hear, accept, and believe in the words of the one who has received the opened word (Rv 10:8-10), so that we can take it to heart (Rv 1:3) and become the true children of God, born of the seed of the word of truth (1 Pt 1:23).
Jesus knew that the ‘water’ would become undrinkable, that is why he gave us this prophecy concerning the end of the age (the time of Revelation’s fulfillment). Can you say you already have salvation if you are still in the sea? Can you claim to have been caught in the net if you do not know what the net is?
The sealed scroll (Rv 5:1) has been opened. Now is our time to receive the word of truth and be caught in the net. We want to be fish that are taken out of the sea, the place that is filled with mixed teachings, man’s thoughts, and spiritual death.
We are all sitting here waiting for Revelation to be fulfilled literally, while some of us even think it is just a bunch of crazy hallucinations and visions recorded by a person who had lost his mind.
We have the evidence from history that God always fulfills what he promises, however, let’s learn from our mistakes and realize that prophecy is never fully understood until the time of fulfillment, and these promises are not always fulfilled in the way we think they will be.
We have the prophecies for a reason; so that when we see the fulfillment taking place (when it is explained to us) we can go and verify all the events with Scripture, and once we find it to be true we can believe (Jn 14:29). I urge everyone to test the words of Shinchonji and the testimony of Man Hee Lee. Listen and check the Scriptures.
Do the good fish stay in the sea? (Mt 13:47-49)
Does the good seed [wheat] stay in the field? (Mt 13:24-30 & 37-43)
We need to follow God’s Word to His holy mountain, the place where He dwells (Ps 43:3; Mt Zion).
When we hear the call to come out shouldn’t we listen? (Zech 2:7; Rv 18:4)
Healing Leaf 