Why is the number 153 recorded in Scripture?
The number is recorded to assure that not one single Jew will miss the end-time gathering into the earthly Kingdom. The full net of great fishes, with not one lost, pictures Israel's future restoration, unlike the broken net and escaped fish in Luke 4.
Les explains that he has tried to find a specific significance for the number 153 itself and cannot find it, but he suggests the reason the Lord numbered it in Scripture is to show that not one single Jew will miss the end gathering for the Kingdom. The net is full of great, full-grown fish, not little offspring, and not a single fish is going to be lost. This contrasts with Luke chapter 4, where at the Lord's command the net broke and the fish all got away; that was indicative of Israel's history, when nothing really jelled for them and they never enjoyed all the promises God had given. The 153 therefore underscores the completeness and preservation of Israel in the Kingdom, when everything is ready and Jerusalem is the capital.