THE EIGHT SIGNS OF JOHN'S GOSPEL
113
and the eighth signs. The fresh start follows the Lord's own resurrection, and in the numerical sequence of the signs
it follows the seventh, which sees the raising of Lazarus.
Two confessors of the faith are in immediate contextual connection with the first and last signs - Nathanael and
Thomas. Nathanael was told by Philip that they had found the Messiah, but Nathanael objected that no good thing
could come out of Nazareth. Philip's argument was, `Come and see' (1:46). Thomas was told by the disciples that
they had seen the Lord, but Thomas objected that he would not believe their statement apart from actually seeing the
wound prints themselves (20:25). When Nathanael was convinced, his confession went farther than that of any of
the others at that time. `Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel' (1:49). So Thomas, when he
did see the Lord, went beyond the confession of Peter himself saying, `My Lord and my God' (John 20:28).
Nathanael was an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile, but he was not a representative of the nation.
Alas, a truer picture of the apostate nation is found in the blinded Jew of Acts 13, to whom Paul addressed the
words, `O full of all subtilty' (same word as `guile'). There were but few Nathanaels. Thomas represents the
redeemed and awakened nation, who shall indeed `look upon Him whom they pierced', and shall confess `Lo, this is
our God, we have waited for Him', and this confession, like that of Thomas, comes after resurrection, for the verse
before says, `He will swallow up death in victory' (Isa. 25:8,9).
Closely associated with the eight signs is an unfolding of the titles of Christ. At the beginning, just before the
first sign, His disciples spoke of Him as Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, the Messiah. Nathanael's confession,
as it were, adjusts the focus and He is seen as the Son of God and the King of Israel. From His own lips now comes
the title, the Son of man.
The sign of walking on the sea reveals Him as the `I AM' (6:20), while the feeding of the 5,000 leads on to the
title, `The bread of life' (6:35). In the sign of the man born blind (chap. 9) Christ is revealed as the Sent One, and
immediately following the confession of the man born blind comes the title, `The Good Shepherd' (10:11). At the
raising of Lazarus is revealed that blessed and majestic title, `The Resurrection and the Life' (11:25). Thomas's
confession, `My Lord and my God' (20:28), and that of the disciples, `It was the Lord' (21:12), round off the
wondrous list. The signs were wrought with the object that they might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of
God; and that believing they might have life through His Name (20:31). Each sign contributes something to our
knowledge and understanding of the Christ.
One item in the final sign has always presented a difficulty, and that is the number of fish brought to land, viz.,
153. The number is too definite to pass by. It must have a meaning. From earliest days men have displayed a
varied ingenuity in explaining the meaning of this number. Dr. E. W. Bullinger, in Number in Scripture draws
attention to the fact that the gematria of the Hebrew words Beni Ha-Elohim, `Sons of God', is exactly 153. It is also
suggestive that the gematria of the word `fishes' ichthues, and `the net' to diktoun, are both 1,224 or 8 x 153. If we
may be allowed to see any teaching in these facts, the final sign emphasises the certainty that all who have been
given to Christ by the Father shall come to Him, the presence of the 8 in the words `fishes' and `the net' occurring in
the 8th sign emphasising resurrection. Appendix 176 of The Companion Bible, speaking of the first and last signs,
says:
`When Messiah gives joy to the nation, it will be filled "up to the brim" (2:7 cf. Isa. 9:2-7. John 21:11); and
when He fills the Land with restored Israel in resurrection, it will be to the last one (Ezek. 37:12-14). For in the
eighth sign Messiah was the Caller, signifying that He will be the Gatherer' (Jer. 31:10).
Lieut.-Col. F. Roberts has presented another interpretation which amplifies the foregoing. He has drawn up a list
of those who are recorded to have had direct blessing from Christ, and this list totals 153 individual cases. We will
not attempt to repeat the list, but it may be consulted by any interested in Number in Scripture. Peter and the other
disciples were to be fishers of men. The Risen Christ stood by them. Their net should not break, and they should
lose none. In their own strength they would toil all night and catch nothing, but upon His word they should let down
their net, and catch a net full.
POSTSCRIPT
We have now considered The Parables, Miracles and Signs of the Gospels according to Matthew and John, and
believe that sufficient evidence is now before the reader to enable him to perceive that the parables of Matthew