The passage in John 21 spiritually describes God gathering the great multitude of the elect. The number 153 especially relates to our present period of five months (153 days between May 21 and October 21). Again, 153 breaks down into 3 x 3 x 17. It is God’s purpose (doubled) that He will bring His people into heaven (the number 17 points to heaven).
We find further support indicating the purpose of God as we continue reading in John 21:12-14:
(12) Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. (13) Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. (14) This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Once again we find the number three. It is the 3rd time that Jesus is showing Himself to the disciples after His resurrection. The Lord certainly wants us to understand that this passage is stressing the will and purpose of God concerning the collection of 153 fish and their having been brought to the Lord Jesus.