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. (Matthew 13:47-50)

The Divine Dragnet

Jesus taught in parables, using worldly stories to convey divine lessons. Many common, everyday occurrences became teaching platforms that Jesus would weave into divine applications. The purpose of parables sought to strike the hearts of those seeking truth. Many heard His parables, but because of their hard hearts, they went away without understanding the meaning. No parable could be as clear as the story of the dragnet.

A fishing dragnet is a large net used to catch large quantities of fish. It is typically dragged through the water, allowing the net to trap fish in its mesh. Fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John used this technique to fish the waters of Galilee. After Jesus arose from the dead, He found His apostles fishing and told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. The catch was so large they had difficulty drawing it into the boat. John said there were 153 fish caught in the net. Dragnet fishing is an efficient way to catch fish, but it can also lead to unintended catches. The fishermen dragged their net to the shore and sifted through their catch, throwing the undesirables back into the water.

Using the backdrop of a common picture of New Testament fishing, Jesus explains the last day or the judgment day. The kingdom of God is like a man who fishes with a dragnet. A day will come when God brings the world to an end. Angels will come forth, where the wicked will be separated from the righteous. All men will be gathered before the Lord. No one will be left out or escape the judgment of God. There will be a great division where most of the generations of people will be cast into the furnace of fire for refusing to acknowledge God and obey Him. Those who share in the covenant of Christ, cleansed by His blood, will enter the portals of eternal life to dwell with God forever.

The parable of the dragnet is not a myth. As certain as death is the certainty of the judgment. At the end of the world, all men will stand before a righteous and loving God who will execute His judgment according to His righteousness. Jesus taught that most people will be lost. How sad those words. Knowing the judgment of the Lord should lead men to accept His will and obey Him. The final great division is permanent. No one cast into the lake of fire can escape. Those in the presence of God will glorify Him in the eternal ages. There is a great division coming. The question remains whether one will be thrown aside or embraced forever.