Literal Interpretation of Bible Prophecy: Help or Hinderance?

Quasar92

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About the time of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation in the midst of much clamor and opposition. Sir Isaac Newton

Dr. John Walvoord was asked about a year ago "what do you predict will be the most significant theological issues over the next ten years?" His answer includes the following: "the hermeneutical problem of not interpreting the Bible literally, especially the prophetic areas. The church today is engulfed in the idea that one cannot interpret prophecy literally."1 While millions of evangelicals still believe and practice literal interpretation of the Bible, including prophecy, there is nevertheless, a noticeable trend by some who are "engulfed in the idea that one cannot interpret prophecy literally."

CLAMOR AND OPPOSITION

The last few years have witnessed the rise of a new growth industry within evangelicalism relating to Bible prophecy. There has been an ever- increasing wave of materials warning evangelicals against the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy and perceived implications that could follow from such practice. Increasingly, from outside the church (and some from within), those who believe in the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy are being pictured as a danger and threat to the progress of modern society. In the past, those who took Bible prophecy seriously were often ignored, since it was believed that their views did not impact in any significant way society at large. However, a reassessment by some secularists appears to attach great significance and blame to such beliefs.

The recent assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has set off a new flurry of criticism in the media of conservative religious beliefs that the Bible gives Israel a divine right to the land. Since many evangelicals share this view, I expect some will attempt to link this ungodly act with a literal belief in Bible prophecy. The last decade has increasingly seen an attempt by some to link a literal interpretation of the Bible to extremism. Some critics have tried to blame such activities as the threats of nuclear war, Islamic terrorism, American cult extremists, and the bombing in Oklahoma City, as all identical in nature and inflamed by a literal interpretation of the Bible. Such false linkage is then presented as proof that beliefs of this kind are a dangerous threat to society and that steps must be taken to control such views and preempt supposed actions that might follow from them.

SECULAR PROPHECY PHOBIA

Since they reject the Bible as a whole, especially the supernatural implication required for fulfillment, secularists have always thought that belief in Bible prophecy was weird, In recent years a number of books and articles have appeared attempting to explain to secularists biblical prophecy beliefs in an attempt to assess the impact of such beliefs on the thinking of society in general. Some of the books include: Apocalypse: On the Psychology of Fundamentalism in America by Charles Strozier; Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession by Robert Fuller; and the most widely-heralded When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture by Paul Boyer.2

Why, apart from pure academic exercises, would secularists (who believe that life should be lived apart from religious influence) be interested in the prophetic beliefs of biblical literalists? Apparently some secularists believe that one is not properly enlightened if he or she is ignorant of the prophetic beliefs of a large segment of the common people. In this way, Robert Fuller speaks of "my insistence that religion can and should be made the subject of intellectual inquiry."3 Likewise, Paul Boyer contends that "Much evidence (some direct, some inferential) suggests that, despite gradual erosion in the twentieth century, prophetic belief remains deeply rooted in the United States as the century ends."4

The December 19, 1994 issue of U.S. News & World Report ran a cover-story on Bible prophecy. Interestingly,it was run not in the religious section, but in the science and society section, and entitled "Waiting for The Messiah: The new clash over the Bible's millennial prophecies."5 This article reduces belief in biblical prophecy as the fulfillment of a psychological drive to find meaning in life, even though it is said to have great "destructive potential" (p. 71). What is interesting about the article is its focus on a departure by some evangelicals from the literal interpretation of prophecy and a new openness to less literal alternative approaches. The tone of the article seems to be that finally, even some of those crazy literalists are waking up and realizing that Bible prophecy cannot be taken literally in these enlightened and modern times.


Source: gohttp://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/tt5.html


Quasar92
 

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there is nevertheless, a noticeable trend by some who are "engulfed in the idea that one cannot interpret prophecy literally."
Even just believing the Bible, seems to have become a rare treasure today. Even on this site we are on.
 
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Source: go http://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/tt5.html

"The recent assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has set off a new flurry of criticism in the media of conservative religious beliefs that the Bible gives Israel a divine right to the land.
It's amazing how much has happened since 1995. Your link is so old that the page has been changed since Windows 95. I had to Google Yitzhak Rabin. The name rang a bell, like I heard it before, but i didn't know who he was.

In 1994 comet Shoemaker Levey 9 smashed into Jupiter 21 times over a six day period. This took place the year that 7 sets of 70 weeks culminated in the passing of 3430 years since the Exodus.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 1970 and The Late Great Planet Earth. It's amazing how much new light can be shown on an issue when knowledge has been increased.

220px-The_Late%2C_Great_Planet_Earth_cover.jpg


Hal was probably busy in 1969 with the excitement of getting his book ready. Something was going on over in Jerusalem that Isaac Newton had predicted in the 18th century that might have slipped by. The Knesset had voted to establish a company for the reconstruction of the Old City of Jerusalem in January 1969.

Isaac Newton* said that there would be a modern day command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem.

"Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,'

All that we would have to do is to just add 49 years, "the compass of a Jubilee", to that modern day command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes.

In 1969 the Knesset gave the order and set up a governmental agency to restore and to rebuild the old City of Jerusalem.

The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd.

is the only fully government-owned company in the Jewish Quarter (100% of its shares are held by Israel’s Ministry of Construction).

The Company was established in the year 1969 following the liberation of Jerusalem, and it serves as an arm of the government for executing governmental policy in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Company is the primary lessee of 133 dunams of public land inside the walls of the Old City, and of another approximately 17,500 square meters outside the walls (in the City of David).

The Company also serves as a government housing company, and in this capacity it handles real estate and asset registration, the reassignment and transfer of rights, lawsuits relating to expropriation, ownership claims, evictions and the management of land registration ledgers.​

  • The Company was established in 1969 by the government of Israel.
  • The Company was established in order to rehabilitate the Jewish Quarter and develop it as a national, religious, historical and cultural site, with an emphasis on its unique character.
  • The rehabilitation of the Jewish Quarter took 16 years.
company profile - The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem

After the Six-Day War, in April 1968 the State of Israel expropriated the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, an area of approximately 134 dunams including the Western Wall plaza and the buildings inside.

In July 1968, the government decided to create the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd., and in January 1969 the Company was established.

The Company was established with the purpose of developing and restoring the Jewish Quarter, which lay devastated and in ruins following the terrible damage done by the Jordanians when it fell to them in Israel’s War of Independence (1948).

areas of activity - The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem


May_1969_zpsdynbetgh.jpg


*Sir Isaac Newton on Daniel 9:

"The former part of the Prophecy related to the first coming of Christ, being dated to his coming as a Prophet; this being dated to his coming to be Prince or King, seems to relate to his second coming. There, the Prophet was consummate, and the most holy anointed: here, he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign. For Daniel's Prophecies reach to the end of the world; and there is scarce a Prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Christ, which doth not in something or other relate to his second coming."

"This part of the Prophecy being therefore not yet fulfilled, I shall not attempt a particular interpretation of it, but content myself with observing, that as the seventy and the sixty two weeks were Jewish weeks, ending with sabbatical years; so the seven weeks are the compass of a Jubilee, and begin and end with actions proper for a Jubilee, and of the highest nature for which a Jubilee can be kept: and that since the commandment to return and to build Jerusalem, precedes the Messiah the Prince 49 years; it may perhaps come forth not from the Jews themselves, but from some other kingdom friendly to them, and precede their return from captivity, and give occasion to it."

"Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah; the time of his birth, that of his death, that of the rejection of the Jews, the duration of the Jewish war whereby he caused the city and sanctuary to be destroyed, and the time of his second coming: and so the interpretation here given is more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as Interpreters usually do. We avoid also the doing violence to the language of Daniel, by taking the seven weeks and sixty two weeks for one number. Had that been Daniel's meaning, he would have said sixty and nine weeks, and not seven weeks and sixty two weeks."

"Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah;​
  • the time of his birth,
  • that of his death,
  • that of the rejection of the Jews,
  • the duration of the Jewish war whereby he caused the city and sanctuary to be destroyed,
  • and the time of his second coming:
and so the interpretation here given is more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as Interpreters usually do".

About the time of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation in the midst of much clamor and opposition. - Sir Isaac Newton

In the midst of much clamor and opposition.

Peaceful Sabbath.
 
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Quasar92

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Source: go http://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/tt5.html

"The recent assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has set off a new flurry of criticism in the media of conservative religious beliefs that the Bible gives Israel a divine right to the land.
It's amazing how much has happened since 1995. Your link is so old that the page has been changed since Windows 95. I had to Google Yitzhak Rabin. The name rang a bell, like I heard it before, but i didn't know who he was.

In 1994 comet Shoemaker Levey 9 smashed into Jupiter 21 times over a six day period. This took place the year that 7 sets of 70 weeks culminated in the passing of 3430 years since the Exodus.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 1970 and The Late Great Planet Earth. It's amazing how much new light can be shown on an issue when knowledge has been increased.

220px-The_Late%2C_Great_Planet_Earth_cover.jpg


Hal was probably busy in 1969 with the excitement of getting his book ready. Something was going on over in Jerusalem that Isaac Newton had predicted in the 18th century that might have slipped by. The Knesset had voted to establish a company for the reconstruction of the Old City of Jerusalem in January 1969.

Isaac Newton* said that there would be a modern day command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem.

"Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,'

All that we would have to do is to just add 49 years, "the compass of a Jubilee", to that modern day command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes.

In 1969 the Knesset gave the order and set up a governmental agency to restore and to rebuild the old City of Jerusalem.

The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd.

is the only fully government-owned company in the Jewish Quarter (100% of its shares are held by Israel’s Ministry of Construction).

The Company was established in the year 1969 following the liberation of Jerusalem, and it serves as an arm of the government for executing governmental policy in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Company is the primary lessee of 133 dunams of public land inside the walls of the Old City, and of another approximately 17,500 square meters outside the walls (in the City of David).

The Company also serves as a government housing company, and in this capacity it handles real estate and asset registration, the reassignment and transfer of rights, lawsuits relating to expropriation, ownership claims, evictions and the management of land registration ledgers.​

  • The Company was established in 1969 by the government of Israel.
  • The Company was established in order to rehabilitate the Jewish Quarter and develop it as a national, religious, historical and cultural site, with an emphasis on its unique character.
  • The rehabilitation of the Jewish Quarter took 16 years.
company profile - The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem

After the Six-Day War, in April 1968 the State of Israel expropriated the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, an area of approximately 134 dunams including the Western Wall plaza and the buildings inside.

In July 1968, the government decided to create the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd., and in January 1969 the Company was established.

The Company was established with the purpose of developing and restoring the Jewish Quarter, which lay devastated and in ruins following the terrible damage done by the Jordanians when it fell to them in Israel’s War of Independence (1948).

areas of activity - The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem


May_1969_zpsdynbetgh.jpg


*Sir Isaac Newton on Daniel 9:

"The former part of the Prophecy related to the first coming of Christ, being dated to his coming as a Prophet; this being dated to his coming to be Prince or King, seems to relate to his second coming. There, the Prophet was consummate, and the most holy anointed: here, he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign. For Daniel's Prophecies reach to the end of the world; and there is scarce a Prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Christ, which doth not in something or other relate to his second coming."

"This part of the Prophecy being therefore not yet fulfilled, I shall not attempt a particular interpretation of it, but content myself with observing, that as the seventy and the sixty two weeks were Jewish weeks, ending with sabbatical years; so the seven weeks are the compass of a Jubilee, and begin and end with actions proper for a Jubilee, and of the highest nature for which a Jubilee can be kept: and that since the commandment to return and to build Jerusalem, precedes the Messiah the Prince 49 years; it may perhaps come forth not from the Jews themselves, but from some other kingdom friendly to them, and precede their return from captivity, and give occasion to it."

"Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah; the time of his birth, that of his death, that of the rejection of the Jews, the duration of the Jewish war whereby he caused the city and sanctuary to be destroyed, and the time of his second coming: and so the interpretation here given is more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as Interpreters usually do. We avoid also the doing violence to the language of Daniel, by taking the seven weeks and sixty two weeks for one number. Had that been Daniel's meaning, he would have said sixty and nine weeks, and not seven weeks and sixty two weeks."

"Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah;​
  • the time of his birth,
  • that of his death,
  • that of the rejection of the Jews,
  • the duration of the Jewish war whereby he caused the city and sanctuary to be destroyed,
  • and the time of his second coming:
and so the interpretation here given is more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as Interpreters usually do"​


What part of the post coming from Rapture Ready is out of date. The Bible is much older. Is it out of date as well?


Quasar92


 
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BABerean2

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What part of the post coming from Rapture Ready is out of date.

The Pretrib part...

PROPHETIC DEVELOPMENTS
with particular reference to the early Brethren Movement.
F. Roy Coad (Brethren Historian) pages 10-26
http://brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=418

Lacunza, Manuel, “Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty“
PDF Files

Origin of the Pretrib Rapture Doctrine
Pastor Tim Warner
http://www.answersinrevelation.org/pretrib_history.pdf

Pretribulationist Revisionism
(Grant Jeffrey’s revision of early Church Posttrib viewpoints)
Pastor Tim Warner
http://www.answersinrevelation.org/Jeffrey.pdf


 
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Quasar92

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The Pretrib part...

PROPHETIC DEVELOPMENTS
with particular reference to the early Brethren Movement.
F. Roy Coad (Brethren Historian) pages 10-26
http://brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=418

Lacunza, Manuel, “Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty“
PDF Files

Origin of the Pretrib Rapture Doctrine
Pastor Tim Warner
http://www.answersinrevelation.org/pretrib_history.pdf

Pretribulationist Revisionism
(Grant Jeffrey’s revision of early Church Posttrib viewpoints)
Pastor Tim Warner
http://www.answersinrevelation.org/Jeffrey.pdf




You have been provided the Scriptural teaching of the pre-trib rapture of the Church, by Jesus, Matthew, Luke, John and Paul, a number of times before. Your posting a video of someone's opinions about it, is invalid. You have failed repeatedly to field a point by point Scriptural argument supporting your views to refute the Scriptures that refute yours, as posted below.

Either prove any part of the four posts in the link are false, or your views are they are all my personal work..

The Biblical teaching of the pre-trib rapture of the Church in Theology/Prophecy & Revelation Forum Forum


Quasar02
 
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victorinus

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I use a literal interpretation exclusively when matching prophecy with history - nothing else can be trusted - especially with numbers - I looked for a thousand year empire and found one - it was a christian empire where they reigned with Christ - so many think Christ will reign but it does not say this - really
 
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dysert

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I use a literal interpretation exclusively when matching prophecy with history - nothing else can be trusted - especially with numbers - I looked for a thousand year empire and found one - it was a christian empire where they reigned with Christ - so many think Christ will reign but it does not say this - really
Rev. 19:15 says, in part, "And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron." Note that this is future tense. It hasn't happened yet, but it is going to happen at some point in the future.
 
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BABerean2

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Either prove any part of the four posts in the link are false, or your views are they are all my personal work..

The Biblical teaching of the pre-trib rapture of the Church in Theology/Prophecy & Revelation Forum Forum


Quasar02

OK. I will do it again.

The timing of the event at the end of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is found in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, on the Day of the Lord, when He comes as a thief. The word "But" connects the two chapters. Based on 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15-16, it is a Second Coming event.

We know chapter 4 is connected to chapter 5 because of the words "we" and "sleep" in the verse below.
1Th 5:10  who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

There is no trip back to heaven in the two chapters. It must be imported from another passage.

For the first 1800 years of the Church almost all Christians understood that the event at the end of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 would occur at the beginning of Christ's Second Coming.

That was before John Nelson Darby showed up in America promoting his Two Peoples of God doctrine, which must ignore the New Covenant fulfilled by Christ in Hebrews 8:6-13, and Hebrews 12:22:24.

Darby replaced the One Seed, with the many seeds in Galatians 3:16.

Darby replaced the children of the promise, with the children of the flesh in Romans 9:8.

Darby replaced the word "so", with the word "then" in Romans 11:26.
I have heard Dispensational preachers like John Hagee, make this change on television.


Darby replaced the New Covenant based on Grace, with a doctrine based at least partially on race. (1 Timothy 1:4)


And now you are promoting John Darby's Two Peoples of God doctrine and claiming that it is a "literal" interpretation of scripture.



Origin of the Pretrib Rapture Doctrine
Pastor Tim Warner
http://www.answersinrevelation.org/pretrib_history.pdf

.

 
 
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Quasar92

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I use a literal interpretation exclusively when matching prophecy with history - nothing else can be trusted - especially with numbers - I looked for a thousand year empire and found one - it was a christian empire where they reigned with Christ - so many think Christ will reign but it does not say this - really


How about Rev.20:6?

6 " Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand Years"


Quasar92

"
 
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Biblewriter

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There is a simple rule for determining which prophecies are literal and which are symbolic.

Without a single exception, in every Biblical case in which a prophet saw a vision or a dream in which something happened, and then we were told what the vision meant. The meaning was something entirely different from what the prophet saw. And the symbolism was always moral, rather than physical. That is, what the prophet saw had some kind of a moral equivalence to what the vision meant.

But whenever we are told of a prophetic statement that a certain event was going to happen, and we are told that it did happen, the prophecy was fulfilled literally. To this we can add those events which the prophet was told would happen, and history tells us that the events in question have already happened. In every one of these as well, the prophecies were fulfilled literally, down to the tiniest detail. This is particularly evident in the case of Daniel 11:5-35. This section was fulfilled literally, in such absolute detail, that unbelievers claim that the very accuracy of the prophecy proves it could not have been written before the events took place.

So from these two observations, we can see a rule for interpreting Bible prophecy. If it is only a dream or a vision, it is symbolic, and does not mean that what the prophet saw is going to happen. Instead, it means that something that has some kind of a moral resemblance to what the prophet saw is going to happen. But if the text explicitly says that any particular event is going to take place. It means exactly what it says, down to the tiniest detail.
 
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jgr

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There is a simple rule for determining which prophecies are literal and which are symbolic.

Without a single exception, in every Biblical case in which a prophet saw a vision or a dream in which something happened, and then we were told what the vision meant. The meaning was something entirely different from what the prophet saw. And the symbolism was always moral, rather than physical. That is, what the prophet saw had some kind of a moral equivalence to what the vision meant.

But whenever we are told of a prophetic statement that a certain event was going to happen, and we are told that it did happen, the prophecy was fulfilled literally. To this we can add those events which the prophet was told would happen, and history tells us that the events in question have already happened. In every one of these as well, the prophecies were fulfilled literally, down to the tiniest detail. This is particularly evident in the case of Daniel 11:5-35. This section was fulfilled literally, in such absolute detail, that unbelievers claim that the very accuracy of the prophecy proves it could not have been written before the events took place.

So from these two observations, we can see a rule for interpreting Bible prophecy. If it is only a dream or a vision, it is symbolic, and does not mean that what the prophet saw is going to happen. Instead, it means that something that has some kind of a moral resemblance to what the prophet saw is going to happen. But if the text explicitly says that any particular event is going to take place. It means exactly what it says, down to the tiniest detail.
What is the result when your rule is applied to Genesis 3:15?
 
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Biblewriter

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What is the result when your rule is applied to Genesis 3:15?
My apologizes for failing to state an exception for the use of figures of speech.

Other such figures of speech in the Bible are "I am the door," and "I am the way."
 
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Bobgf

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So from these two observations, we can see a rule for interpreting Bible prophecy. If it is only a dream or a vision, it is symbolic, and does not mean that what the prophet saw is going to happen. Instead, it means that something that has some kind of a moral resemblance to what the prophet saw is going to happen. But if the text explicitly says that any particular event is going to take place. It means exactly what it says, down to the tiniest detail.

I thought the LORD spoke to his prophets only in visions and dreams ?

Numbers 10:6
“Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
7 Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face— clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the Lord.



Bob..
 
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Biblewriter

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I thought the LORD spoke to his prophets only in visions and dreams ?

Numbers 10:6
“Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
7 Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face— clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the Lord.



Bob..

The scripture you quoted does not say that visions and dreams were the only way God would ever speak to his prophets. But even when He did speak in that way, the visions were sometimes in the form of seeing things happen. And other times were in the form of specific words spoken to the prophet. These specific words are what I spoke of.
 
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Bobgf

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The scripture you quoted does not say that visions and dreams were the only way God would ever speak to his prophets. But even when He did speak in that way, the visions were sometimes in the form of seeing things happen. And other times were in the form of specific words spoken to the prophet. These specific words are what I spoke of.

Not to sound argumentative, James, but I'm having difficulty applying your simple rule for determining which prophecies are literal from which are symbolic. I guess I'll just have to work on that a little longer.

Bob..
 
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victorinus

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How about Rev.20:6?

6 " Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand Years"
they lived before Christ redeemed us and came back to reign during the byzantine empire
 
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Biblewriter

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Not to sound argumentative, James, but I'm having difficulty applying your simple rule for determining which prophecies are literal from which are symbolic. I guess I'll just have to work on that a little longer.

Bob..

Basically, If God said something will happen, it was going to happen. So if it has not happened yet, it will happen in the future.
 
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