A question to those who would promote the idea that some of the bible is figurative and NOT literal

[Justin Adams]

Very real council of God.

9 “As I looked,

thrones were placed,
    and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
    and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
    its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
    and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
    and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
    and the books were opened.

[Justin Adams]

And another very real occurrence.

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

[BeyondET]

Here’s another figurative, verse

John 3

8The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Edited February 23, 2021 by BeyondET

[teddyv]

Was thinking about the (mis)use of literal, and especially when coupled with 'truth'. Perhaps 'objective' might be a better word? i.e figurative language reveals objective truths. I don't know. Not sold on it. Just a thought.

[Justin Adams]

13 minutes ago, Josheb said:

My bad. I didn't get to the attachment in time and it's been rendered unavailable. If you'll give me title and author I'll try to track it down myself. 

Do you listen/read much Tim Mackie, Michael Heiser, Michael Brown or even E. P. Sanders or N. T. Wright? 

Yes on occasion and Tom Horn.

" Josh Wilson is pastor of First Baptist Church in Park Hills, Missouri, and adjunct professor of Bible at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis. He earned his Ph.D. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he focused on this very issue with a dissertation entitled “A Case for the Traditional Translation and Interpretation of Genesis 1:1 based upon a Multi-Leveled Linguistic Analysis.” He and his wife Sarah live in Park Hills with their six children."

 

[hdtwice]

41 minutes ago, Josheb said:

What is "it" hdtwice? Clarify the point, please. 

"it" is the passage of text  you were referring to .... please, don't feign ignorance.

Edited February 23, 2021 by hdtwice
deleted some text ..not nice enough

[Regenerated-Adult]

3 minutes ago, hdtwice said:

"it" is the passage of text  you were referring to .... please, don't feign ignorance and as a tactic to deflect

You should read your own posts from an outsiders perspective.  To any neutral outside observer, this is Christians arguing with and being complete d((((s to each other.  

It makes you look really bad.  Can you see it?

[hdtwice]

3 minutes ago, Regenerated-Adult said:

You should read your own posts from an outsiders perspective.  To any neutral outside observer, this is Christians arguing with and being complete d((((s to each other.  

It makes you look really bad.  Can you see it?

Just before your posting...I had edited my post taking away part...so I must agree that my original was too harsh.

 

[Marathoner]

7 hours ago, Justin Adams said:

And another very real occurrence.

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

So much was revealed to our brother Daniel there were times when he trembled and was sorely pressed by what he saw. 

This flesh cannot abide in the presence of the Almighty. We would be destroyed but the Lord is merciful toward man, remembering that our frame is dust. His Spirit lifts us up so we might behold His glory and live. This is the "mystery" of the angel of the Lord, the image of God whom no man has seen at any time... but the Son is His faithful witness. 

Many have seen the Son and lived. This is a layered statement and rings true in more ways than one.  

Very real. In fact, more real than what we experience in this flesh in the earthly realm.  

  

Edited February 23, 2021 by Marathoner

[Dennis1209]

On 2/22/2021 at 10:51 AM, LearningToLetGo said:

The forth day has me scratching my head.

 

Genesis 1:16-19
English Standard Version

16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

 

If the sun and moon weren't created until day 4, what metric did God use to define the first three days?

Possibilities and some thoughts of mine:

In sequence, the Earth [the beginning] was created before anything else. Did God create it first and leave it static and immobile, without a rotation of roughly 24 hours?

SHEKINAH [or SHEKINAH GLORY]. A word used by later Jews and Christians to express the visible divine presence, especially when resting between the cherubim over the mercy seat. 

It is significant that God who is light (1 Jn 1:5) initiated His creative design with light. Before His command the earth was without form (Gen 1:2). The act of producing light formed a direct and personal association of the Creator with His creation. Parallels to this may be noted in God’s direct association with the Israelites as He led them by the pillar of fire (Ex 13:21–22), and by the manifestation of the Shekinah glory in the completed tabernacle (Ex 40:34–38) and the Solomonic temple (1 Kgs 8:11; 2 Chr 5:13–14).

Apparently, just as creation started with Shekinah Glory, it will also return to it.

Revelation 21:23 (KJV) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.