“Again, the kingly rule of heaven is like to a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.”
The dragnet would be flung from a boat and be dragged along by the boat, or by two boats working together, being designed to form a cone so that it could then enclose any fish caught within it. It would gather many types of fish without discrimination. In this case it was manoeuvred by angels, and when it was filled it was brought ashore, and then the fish within it were divided up between what was useful and edible, and what was rubbish, or ritually forbidden. The edible fish were put into vessels for carrying away to the market. They were the harvest. The ‘bad' fish were seemingly thrown onto fires on the beach, or possibly were simply tossed back into the sea. Thus it is a picture of the final judgment.