The following Revelation was received by Paul Davies on 19th December, 1998. As with all prophetic words, these must be weighed and tested with a spirit of humility and repentance. Where Bible passages are referred to, the interpretations given are not intended to be seen as the interpretation of the passage, but as God speaking to his people's current situation by giving an interpretation.

The Lord began speaking to me during a Sunday Sermon on John 21:1-14: Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish. He made clear that the passage gave insight into Evangelism - God's Way.

I believe that we Evangelicals have taken up error, in that we have over-emphasised Evangelism as the major reason for the Church. The Great Commission was a major part of Jesus final instructions to his Disciples, but so was the forgotten verse: "....and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt 28:20, emphasis mine). Our narrow definition of the Gospel, and our commitment to preaching the Gospel have caused us to ignore the rest of the Package - healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, casting out demons, and so on (Matt 10:7,8). I believe that the Lord is calling us back to His model of Evangelism, and that Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish is a blueprint for Last Days witnessing.

John 21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Simon and the others were called out of their earlier lives to follow Jesus. Unlike Elisha (1Kgs. 19:21), they hadn't "burned their bridges" behind them, and it was very easy, when nothing much seemed to be happening, to return to their Old Ways. Similarly, we try so hard to Evangelise, but we fail to recognise that there are seasons and times - even times for not Evangelising, but simply waiting on the Lord. Peter was still suffering the self-doubt and depression from his denial of Jesus, and his return to fishing was a way of saying: "Lord, I quit - You can't trust me any more. I'm going back to the Old Ways". The trouble is, the methods that used to work so well are ineffective now, and Peter didn't "catch" a thing. Going back to a former life is never fruitful, when the Lord has called you forward.

John 21:4-6 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

When we are caught up in our "Old Ways", we are kept from recognising Jesus, even when he appears before us. Jesus repeated a former miracle to reveal himself to His friends. Even though we may give up and return to the Old Ways, the Lord always comes to us where we are and calls us out, often in the same way He did originally. This time, the disciples didn't protest the command - they had learned to simply obey the Lord. Obedience to Jesus' methods always brings in a harvest.

John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

Those who have been intimate with the Lord will recognise Him before the others and call their attention to Him where He is. This is a major role of the Prophetic Ministry in the Last Days. There is a Doctrine going around Church circles that Prophets shouldn't have any role in giving Direction to a Congregation, that their ministry is "strengthening, encouragement and comfort" (1Cor. 14:3). The trouble with this is that it is the focus task of the Prophet, not the Pastor, to hear from God, and pass on His Word to the Body, or the Leadership. Pastors are focused on the Flock, Prophets are focused on the Lord.

This is not to say that the Lord will not speak to Pastors and leaders, which would be contrary to Acts 2:18: "Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy". All Christians are supposed to be able to hear from God by the Spirit. Yet the Prophet has this as his first Responsibility, and the Prophet should ideally be confirming the voice of the Lord to the Leadership. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen in practise, especially as we are still learning about the Prophetic and its function. We must allow our Prophets to speak, and then judge the Word they bring for mixture/error. To deny ourselves the function of this gift is ludicrous, and to assume that God will speak only to leadership when He has ordained Prophets in that role is presumption.

Peter represents those with a heart for God. Once they know where He is, they will drop whatever they are doing and go to Him, usually by the shortest possible route. They can be criticised by the Legalists for abandoning other tasks, but they are aware that their first priority is to the Lord.

John 21:8-10 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

Jesus not only tells us where to catch fish, but prepares a place for them to be cooked (discipled).

John 21:11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.

Peter the Evangelist (Fisher of Men) pulls the net ashore, ensuring that they cannot escape the call of the Lord. The fish are "large", speaking of the mature, adult converts we will be catching in the Last Days. Even with so many fish caught, God preserves the Net so that it doesn't break. Many Prophets have spoken of the coming Harvest, and its incredible magnitude, and worried at the lack of preparedness in the Church. I believe we will see the Lord "preserve the Net", to cope with the influx, though this doesn't imply that we shouldn't seek the Lord for direction on how to prepare. There is no guarantee the Lord will use all Congregations or Church groups. It may be that He chooses those with stronger Nets to start with.

John 21:12-14 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus feeds and restores the workers, even though it was their own decision to go out all night in the Old Ways. In that culture, the most intimate thing one man could do with another was to break bread together, as the one piece of bread went into each of their bodies and became part of them. It is in this place of intimacy that we recognise Jesus, and can be restored by Him.

The third time is significant, as to repeat anything three times was to do it completely. To ask the same question three times was a mortal insult, as in the following verses when Jesus restores Peter (John 21:15-20). This gives some insight as to Peter's thrice denial of Jesus, and what it signified. Jesus' first two appearances hadn't really reached His followers, as they were too quick to return to their former ways, but the Third time was to make a difference, and Jesus reinstates and recommissions Peter. The three questions are followed by three slightly different commands, which were to define Peter's ministry ever after.

"Feed my lambs." - Teach the children (Jesus is the Bread of Life)

"Take care of my sheep." - Pastor the adults - look after/care for them. Its easy to do this with children, but any parent of teenagers will tell you it becomes harder with maturity.

"Feed my sheep." - Teach the adults.

Jesus ends with a repeat of His original Call to Peter: "Follow Me" (Jn 21:19), thereby reinstating him and releasing him from the fear that his failure would cut off his calling in God.
 
 

The Lord gave me two specific passages to indicate how we should proceed with Evangelism in the Last Days.

John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

We have for too long had the misconception that we had to "compel them to come in", to quote the old Sunday School song. Our focus if to be Jesus, and lifting Him up in worship, where He will draw them in. It will be much easier to fish when the fish start jumping into the boat of their own accord, asking: "what must I do to be saved?". We must learn to create a place for the Lord where he can rest (Isaiah 66:1), by giving ourselves to worshipping Him in repentance, humility and the Fear of the Lord( Isaiah 66:2)

Ps. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

For too long, we have laboured in vain, as we have failed to understand that it is Jesus who works, not us, to catch fish. All we have to do is pull in the Net. We have been too quick to launch out into some new Evangelistic Program, because of our lack of understanding of the Great Commission, and we have burned out ourselves and our workers with little or no gain, because we haven't waited for the leading of the Lord. We need to "...stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). When the power of the Lord works, we will simply have to pull in the Nets.

 If you have comments or suggestions, email me at pdavies@cobweb.com.au

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