Who Decides - God or Us?

For the past 10 years, I have been meeting persons who have the view that you do not have to take things in the Bible literally. They have the view that you get to decide if it's literal or not, and in most cases, people take almost everything in the Bible symbolic, from Genesis through to Revelation.

Is this righteous, or godly, and is it acceptable to God? Who decides if an account is literal of symbolic? God's word, or us?
2 Timothy 3:16, 17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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According to scripture, it is God who decides, and any of us who thinks differently, is not allowing ourselves to be corrected, and trained in righteousness, to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
It's as bad as it sounds, so we want to take it seriously.

Let's consider, a few examples where persons have decided that a literal account does not need to be taken literally, but can be viewed as figurative, of a symbolic representation.
Let's start with Jonah, since I just came from a thread, where some take this view.

Is the account of Jonah a literal account, or symbolic?
Matthew 12:38-42; Luke 11:29-32

Jesus - the son of God said:

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

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The word of God tells us the account of Jonah is literal - it actually is a real event that occured in history, which God had recorded, and which his servants benefited from, and used. These were real people with a real story.
If we go against that, we are not allowing ourselves to be corrected, and trained in righteousness, to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Are Adam and Eve allegorical characters, or real people?
Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:6-8; Acts 17:24-26; Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Corinthians 15:44-49; 1 Timothy 2:13, 14; Jude 14, 15Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:6-8; Acts 17:24-26; Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Corinthians 15:44-49; 1 Timothy 2:13, 14; Jude 14, 15

Without question, the word of God tells us that Adam and Eve were real people, and the account is not allegorical.
The events really took place in history, which God had recorded for the benefit of his servants.
If we go against that, we are not allowing ourselves to be corrected, and trained in righteousness, to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Jesus said to the Pharisees abd Scribes,
Mark 7:6-8

We don't want to make the word of God invalid. This is a grave sin, and separates us from God, according to Jesus.
However, this is what happens when we insist on our own interpretation - thinking that we have the right to interpret the Bible. This is the result of the deviation from first century Christianity, to everyone having a monopoly on God's word, resulting in thousands of splinter sects having their own interpretation of God's word.

The word of God has been made invalid, by those who insist that the two accounts above are symbolic and not literal.
It's important to look at some more, for our benefit, so I'll do that in a moment.

Was Noah and the flood a literal historical account, or an allegorical story?
Genesis 5:28-32; Genesis 11:10; 1 Chronicles 1:1-5; Isaiah 54:8, 9; Ezekiel 14:14; Ezekiel 14:19, 20; Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 3:23-38; Luke 17:26-30; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:18-20; 2 Peter 2:5

God himself; Jesus Christ the son of God; three Prophets of God; four disciples of Christ, all refered to the person and genealogy of Noah, and the flood account as historically real - not allegorical.

The apostle Peter said:

For if God did not spare the angels having sinned, but having cast them down to Tartarus, in chains of gloomy darkness, delivered them, being kept for judgment;
and He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, one of eight, having brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly

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2 Peter 2:4, 5

God said:

In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer. “For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.“

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Isaiah 54:8, 9

If any of us insist that Noah and the flood are allegorical, we are contradicting God and his word - making the word of God invalid by our own doctrine.
Is contradicting God a righteous thing to do?
Romans 3:4

...let God be true, and every man a liar, as it has been written: "That You may be justified in Your words, and will prevail in Your being judged."

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Is the book of Job allegorical, or an actual event recorded as history?
Ezekiel 14:14
Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 14:20
then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.

God, lists Job, among righteous Noah, and Daniel.
God himself declared Job as a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. Job 1:8

James 5:11
Behold, we count blessed those having persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

The faithful disciple James, wrote to the congregation of the example of Job, which highlights the compassion and mercy of God.

Neither God, not his servants consider Job fictional.
If we do, we need to adjust our thinking, to be in line wih God's.

What about taking symbolism, or allegorical passages as literal? Some do this. So, it's important to look at these also.
Are the rich man and Lazarus the beggar real characters or allegorical?

Luke 15:1-32
1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to...

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”
30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Luke 16:1-31
1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Jesus does not break from his parables, to say, "Well now, let me tell you a true story..."
Therefore, there is no valid reason for persons to claim that the rich man and Lazarus, is a literal account.
There is actually no reason to argue about this.
Persons simply want this to be a literal account in order to support their unscriptural beliefs.
There is no way for such persons to prove that Jesus switched from parables to a historical event. That's their imagination.

So, we can move on to something else.

BBAS 64 said:

Good day, CoreyD

You may find this series helpful, Knowing Scripture with RC Sproul

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW0rTnBsGGERdIjRCQcSpFp

IN Him

Bill

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Thanks. Can you explain why I would, please.

Are the twelve thrones and twelve tribes at Matthew 19:28 literal, or symbolic?

Matthew 19:28

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit down upon His throne of glory, you having followed Me, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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Luke 22:28-30

28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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1 Corinthians 6::2

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

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Revelation 20:4

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

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Revelation 20:6

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.

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Revelation 3:21

To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

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Daniel 7:27

Then the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, Whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship, whom all dominions shall serve and obey.”

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Revelation 5:10

“And you have made them a Kingdom, Priests and Kings to our God, and they shall reign over The Earth.”

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What we know from the scriptures :

• The Saints (Holy ones) will rule in the kingdom with Christ. Daniel 7:13, 13, 27
• They are to "sit on thrones" Luke 22:30; "sit on twelve thrones" Matthew 19:28; "sit on Jesus' throne" Revelation 3:21.
• The holy ones are not just twelve (12). Revelation 18:20; Colossians 1:1-4; Philippians 4:22; Ephesians 2:19

So, since the holy ones (Saints) are more than twelve (12), and they sit on Jesus' throne, the reference to the number 12 in relation to the thrones, is not literal, but symbolic, as is the case in Revelation 21:10-14.

They also are the same kings and priests that are given authority to judge, and rule with Christ for the 1,000 years. Revelation 20:4, 6; 1 Corinthians 6:2
These are the conquerors who stick with Jesus in his trials. Luke 22:28-30
Revelation 14:4

They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

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These number 144,000 Revelation 14:1

Is the number 144,000 literal, or symbolic?

Revelation 7:2-9
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:

The Saints numbering 144,000 are contrasted with a multitude that cannot be counted.
It's reasonable then to conclude that the number is literal, since it is contrasted with a literal multitude, which no one was able to count.
They are also described as a little flock, Luke 12:32

The 144,000 are taken out of the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 7:4 They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. Revelation 14:4
A multitude from every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues, is then seen before the throne serving God, and they are shepherded by the lamb to waters of life, and God wipes out every tear from their eyes.
This corresponds to Revelation 21:1-4 Please see this post.

Thus, the 1,000 year rule of Christ, which includes a judgment, and involves shepherding people to eternal life, is the same as Matthew 19:28 -
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world English Standard Version / in the renewal of all things Berean Standard Bible / in the regeneration Berean Literal Bible, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
See The 1,000 Year Judgment & Beyond.

The 12 tribes of Israel, mentioned in Matthew 19::28; Luke 22:30; Revelation 7:5-8, is not a literal number, but is the same as the great multitude that no one could number.
These are the people who will be ruled nd judged during Christ's 1,000 year rule, when the Saints are judging with him.