Audio Download

Matthew 14:1–21 Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

[Study Aired June 30, 2025]

Today’s study highlights the circumstances leading to the death of John the Baptist and the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes. 

The Death of John the Baptist

Mat 14:1  At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 
Mat 14:2  And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 

Herod the Tetrarch is the same as Herod Antipas or simply, King Herod of the New Testament. He bore the title of tetrarch, which means ruler of a fourth part of a country. He represents the earthly kings of this world who are in league with the harlot woman or the physical churches of this world (Babylon) and therefore have committed fornication with her.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 

In verses 1 and 2, Herod, who heard of the fame of Jesus, thought that He was John the Baptist risen from the dead. This was because of the mighty work of signs and wonders that Jesus was doing. In other words, Herod was implicitly predicting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist signifies the Lord’s elect, and it was through the Lord’s disciples or elect that Jesus manifested Himself with signs and wonders when He rose from the death.

Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 

Just as Jesus spoke through a donkey to Balaam, Jesus sometimes speaks through those who do not know Him, and it is only the elect who are able to recognize the voice of the shepherd when Jesus speaks through an unfamiliar vessel. This speaking may come in various forms such as a direction in life, a solution to a problem or what the Lord wants to achieve in us, etc. There are several examples in the Bible.

Joh 11:49  And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 
Joh 11:50  Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Mat 27:19  When he (Pilate) was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

There is this lady friend of mine who was going through a series of challenges when she graduated from university. Her friend took her to a witch doctor to help solve her problems. However, immediately after she arrived at the premises of the witch doctor, the witch came out of her house screaming at the top of her voice asking, “Why are you here? Don’t you know that you don’t belong here? Get out of my sight immediately before God comes to punish me!!” My lady friend fled from the scene, and not long after, she had an encounter with Jesus. All of these show us how the Lord is in total control of His creation and uses it according to the purpose of His will for our good.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

Mat 14:3  For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
Mat 14:4  For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
Mat 14:5  And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

Herod divorced his first wife in favor of Herodias, who had formerly been married to his half-brother. It was John the Baptist’s condemnation of this marriage which caused Herod to imprison him. On one hand, John the Baptist signifies the Lord’s elect. During our time in the churches of this world, we were bound or put in prison by the devil, represented here as Herod through the harlotry of Herodias, who signifies Babylon. Our nourishment during this period was the great river Euphrates which signifies the false doctrines of the enemy. 

Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 

The question is, “Was John the Baptist right in criticizing Herod regarding his marriage to his brother Philip’s wife?” In the word of the Lord, we are called to hold each other accountable and not to judge those outside the faith.

1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore, put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Again, from the perspective of being part of the Lord’s army, we are not to involve ourselves in the affairs of this world.

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

Initially, Herod wanted to put John the Baptist to death, but because the multitude considered John to be a prophet, he refrained from killing John. As we have indicated in previous studies, the great multitude that followed Jesus represents those who are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. They signify our brothers and sisters in the physical churches of this world who are not given to understand the spiritual reality of the word of the Lord. At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we were part of the multitude when we were in the churches of this world. Therefore, Herod fearing the multitude in verse 5 is to attest to the fact that the kings of this world have committed fornication with Babylon and are therefore are under her spell.

Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 

Mat 14:6  But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 

This verse reminds me of the devil pursuing the woman who gave birth to the manchild in the Book of Revelation. Whenever the devil cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, the earth swallowed the flood. 

Rev 12:13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 
Rev 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 
Rev 12:15  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 
Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 

As indicated, Herod represents the devil, and Herodias and her daughter signify Babylon or the churches of this world. The earth is also another symbol for Babylon. What verse 6 implies is that this issue of birthday celebration or church anniversaries, etc. are all doctrines spewed out of the devil as a flood as we see Herod celebrating his birthday and the churches of this world (Herodias’ daughter) dancing to it, that is, the earth swallowing the flood. We are clearly admonished by the Lord to refrain from birthday celebrations as follows:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.  

As we are aware, the Lord’s elect is compared to a soldier in a war or a stranger on a journey in this world. As Paul said, a military man does not meddle with the affairs of this world. In a similar vein, a stranger on a journey does not become distracted by birthday celebrations and other issues of this world.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

1Ch 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. 

In the Bible, there were few instances where birthdays were celebrated, and they all ended up with the death of someone. It is insightful to note that the birthday celebrants were people of the world and not the Israelites. The Jews never celebrated birthdays. The death associated with the birthday celebration is to show us that the Lord is more interested in the death of our old man and not the birth of the flesh.

Ecc 7:1  A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. 
Ecc 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 

One example was Pharoah, the king of Egypt who celebrated his birthday and ended up killing the cook.

Gen 40:20  Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. 
Gen 40:21  He put the personal servant back in his old job 
Gen 40:22 and had the cook put to death. Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 

Another instance of birthday celebration is this story of King Herod celebrating his birthday that we are discussing. This birthday celebration resulted in the death of John the Baptist as we see in the next verses as follows:

Mat 14:7  Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 
Mat 14:8  And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. 
Mat 14:9  And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 
Mat 14:10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 

The previous verse indicated that Herod was pleased with the dance performed by Herodias’ daughter, and therefore, in verse 7, Herod promised with an oath to do anything that she would ask. In consultation with her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. This is to show us the hatred of the Lord’s elect by Babylon or the churches of this world, just as the High priest and the people of Israel asked for the head of Jesus instead of Barabbas.   

Luk 23:20  Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 
Luk 23:21  But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 
Luk 23:22  And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 
Luk 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 

As He is, so are we. To our brothers and sisters in Babylon, we are spiritually dead. In the Book of Revelation, the rejoicing and making merry of the people because of the death of the Lord’s elect (the two witnesses), attest to the hatred that we face from the churches of this world.

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 
Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 

Mat 14:11  And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 
Mat 14:12  And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 

The fact that the head of John the Baptist was brought to Herodias’ daughter and she passed it on to her mother is to tell us that the churches of this world are responsible for the death of the Lord’s elect or saints. We must remember that we were part of the church system of this world at a certain stage of our walk with Christ, and therefore we were responsible for the death of the Lord’s prophets. In other words, we have lived through a period of our lives where the Lord required the blood of the Lord’s prophets from us, just as He required the blood of Stephen from Paul. This is what the Lord is doing to every generation of those who claim to know God.  

Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 
Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 

We must understand that to hate a brother or a sister means that we are murderers, and therefore, we were guilty of murder at a certain stage of our walk with Christ.

1Jn 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 
1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

John the Baptist, in a negative context, represents the law of Moses. His death therefore signifies the doing away of the law of Moses when Jesus, who is a symbol of faith, comes into our lives while we were still in Babylon. 

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.   

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Mat 14:13  When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 
Mat 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, He retreated by ship to a desolate place, where the multitude followed Him there out of their cities. If we are to serve the Lord, then we must go outside the camp of Christianity or the cities to meet Jesus. 

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 

The multitude going by foot to meet Jesus means that they were exerting their energies to know the Lord. That is to say that the multitude or the churches of this world, worship the Lord in their own strength. The purpose of the law of Moses is to show us that we cannot by our own strength be obedient to the Lord. 

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

As we shall see later in the next study, Jesus constraining his disciples to get into a ship while the multitude walked away is to show that it is the Lord who constrains us from the pull of the sea of flesh.

Mat 14:22  And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

In verse 14, we see the Lord showing compassion for the multitude and therefore, healing them of their diseases. The Lord’s compassion never fails and is available not only to us, His elect, but the whole of humanity who are His children.

Lam 3:22  It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 
Lam 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

As we have indicated earlier, the multitudes represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. This verse therefore shows us that in the fullness of time, the Lord will show mercy to our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world as He heals them of every disease of the flesh. That is to say that the salvation of the Lord will also be theirs. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

Mat 14:15  And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
Mat 14:16  But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.  

To understand these verses, we need to know that the disciples of Jesus at that time were just like our brothers and sisters in Babylon who think that it is impossible for the Lord to save all humanity signified by the multitude. The disciples telling Jesus to send the multitude away so that they can buy food for themselves therefore shows our mentality when we were in the churches of this world where we taught that salvation depends on us and that we can understand the word of the Lord by ourselves. The Lord telling the disciples to give the multitude food to eat implies that the salvation of the multitude is dependent on the Lord’s elect. We are therefore saviors of humanity. 

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Mat 14:17  And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 
Mat 14:18  He said, Bring them hither to me. 

These verses highlight how the Lord will save the people of the world including our brothers and sisters in Babylon signified by the multitude, through us, His elect. Prior to verse 17, the Lord told the disciples that the multitude must not be sent away, but that the disciples should feed them. In response, the disciples told Jesus that they have five loaves and two fishes. In other words, what will save the multitude and the people of this world are five loaves and two fishes. As we know, the loaves represent the word of the Lord. The loaves being five shows us that it is grace through faith that the Lord will save the whole of the human race through His word. 

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Fishes signify mankind as shown by the fact that Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a dragnet cast into the sea that gathered fish of every kind – both good and bad fishes. In His interpretation, Jesus said that at the end of the age, His angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous. 

Mat 13:47  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 
Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 
Mat 13:49  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 
Mat 13:50  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The number two symbolizes being a witness. Therefore, what the two fishes represent is that the Lord will save the multitude through His witnesses who are His elect.

2Co 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 

In verse 18, the Lord telling the disciples to bring both the five loaves and the two fishes to Him is to show us that everything that happens is through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him that everything consists. The term “consists” in this context means to hold together. 

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

This verse therefore indicates that Jesus is not only the creator of all things but also the sustainer and preserver of the universe. Without Him, nothing works.

Mat 14:19  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 

The Lord commanding the multitude to sit down implies that we must be at rest if we are to receive from the Lord. It is when we are at rest that we cease from using our own effort and depend on Him only. 

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

It is instructive to note that the five loaves and the two fishes must be broken by the Lord, and given to the disciples first, before the multitude are given their share through the disciples. As indicated, the loaves represent the word of the Lord which must be broken by the Lord. Breaking the loaves means rightly dividing the word of truth. By implication, this means making us understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord. The Lord giving the broken loaves to the disciples first is to show us that in this age, it is only the Lord’s elect who are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom. All of this is done by grace through faith. 

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

The two fishes broken and given to the disciples symbolize our judgment in this age. Just as horses have to be broken before they submit, we, His elect, must go through the Lord’s judgment or suffering as the Lord puts our rebellious flesh to death. 

Later, in an age to come (the lake of fire age), the whole of the Lord’s creation shall also be given to know the mysteries of the kingdom through us, His elect, as we share the broken loaves of bread with them. That is the period that they shall be broken or judged. In the final analysis, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Mat 14:20  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 
Mat 14:21  And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. 

Everyone shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord in the fullness of time.   

Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 

The fragments of twelve baskets that remained signify the false doctrines in the hearts and minds of all humanity which are destroyed by the truth of the word of the Lord. The fact that the remains constituted twelve baskets full is to show us that everything is of the Lord since the number twelve is the number of Christ. In other words, even the false doctrines perpetuated by the devil is of the Lord.

The number of those fed was five thousand men. The number five thousand consists of five times three tens (5,000 = 5x10x10x10). As indicated earlier, the number five means grace through faith and the number 10 signifies the fullness of the flesh. The three tens refers to the process of our spiritual maturity through judgment. The number five thousand therefore shows us that it is when our flesh has reached its fullness or our sins have reached the heavens that the Lord comes to judge us, to become His children by His grace through faith.  

The fact that the children were not counted implies that all will mature to become sons of the Lord and therefore there will not be children, who are tossed by every wind of doctrine, to be counted. 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 

The women who were not counted indicates that there will be one church as all humanity shall have the same mind and the same judgment. 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

May the Lord’s name be praised for His wonderful plan of salvation. Amen!!