36    The Bible and the Future of the World 

the Church will endure during the last half of Antichrist's reign. The widow 

represents the Church, which will be comforted by God during this time of 

suffering. Elijah represents one of the two prophets whom God will send 

during that time to guide and comfort the suffering Church (Rev 11:3 4). 

The Two Boats (Luke 5:1 11) 

     And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, `Put out into the 

deep and let down your nets for a catch.' And Simon answered, `Master, we 

toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' 

And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as 

their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to 

come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they 

began to sink.  (Luke 5:4 7). 

    The two boats represent two parts of the Church. At first, the fisherman 

are not fishing, they are out of their boats cleaning their nets. This represents 

the leaders of the Church focusing on improving the Church internally, not 

on the conversion of sinners to God. They fished all night and caught 

nothing, meaning that the Church had previously tried to gain the 

conversion of sinners and was mostly unsuccessful. Night represents a dark 

time for the Church, a time of difficulties for the faithful, when sin rules the 

world. 

    Jesus arrives and teaches the people from one of the two boats, Simon 

Peter's boat. This represents Jesus' teaching coming from the office of the 

Pope, and more from one part of the Church than from another. Notice that 

Jesus sends out only one boat for the catch. Jesus will send out one part of 

the Church to seek the repentance and conversion of sinners to the Faith. 

Even though previously the Church was unsuccessful in this task, they will 

now be hugely successful. 

    Their partners in the other boat, meaning the other part of the Church, 

will come to assist them. So many sinners will be converted that the Church 

will strain under the weight of it all. All will be astonished at the number of 

conversions and at the depth of their conversion. And  they left everything 

and followed him  (Luke 5:11). Even very great sinners will be converted. 

    Notice how actual events, which occurred to Jesus and His disciples, also 

have a prophetic and symbolic meaning for the Church in future times. This 

is also true for many events described in both the Old Testament and the 

New Testament. Some prophesies are words which predict the future. Other 

prophesies are actual events which symbolize other events in the future.