Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language?

[Josie]

Jumping off of a thread from a few days ago....... let's look at this specifically.

Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language and which are literal?

 

[Daisy]

Parables/illustrations, for one...numbers often have a symbolic meaning in the Bible, even prophecies often have more than one symbolic meaning...2 or even 3 fold fulfillments...

 

[soylentgreen]

All of it. It would be easier to list all the stories that are real. None of it.

 

[tosca1]

Jumping off of a thread from a few days ago....... let's look at this specifically.

Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language and which are literal?

The Second Coming of Christ - the Judgment is literal.
Eternal life after death, is literal.

Eternal punishment in a place that God calls Hell, is literal - so many verses in the Bible to support that.
As to the fire that describes it, I don't know for sure if that can be taken literally.
It could be that God uses fire to emphasize that it isn't a pleasant place to be.
But one thing we can take literally is that it is something that will be felt.

 

[Josie]

All of it. It would be easier to list all the stories that are real. None of it.

None of it? No people in The Bible were actually real?

 

[Josie]

Parables/illustrations, for one...numbers often have a symbolic meaning in the Bible, even prophecies often have more than one symbolic meaning...2 or even 3 fold fulfillments...

How does someone determine which stories are parables and which are literal? For example, --- Jonah. Is that a literal story or a parable?

 

[Daisy]

How does someone determine which stories are parables and which are literal? For example, --- Jonah. Is that a literal story or a parable?

Mostly common sense and context...take Lazarus and the rich man, for example...


The Rich Man and Lazarus—What Is the Lesson?

JESUS CHRIST often taught a lesson by telling a story. Here is how Jesus began one famous story: “A certain man was rich, and he used to deck himself with purple and linen, enjoying himself from day to day with magnificence. But a certain beggar named Lazarus used to be put at his gate, full of ulcers and desiring to be filled with the things dropping from the table of the rich man. Yes, too, the dogs would come and lick his ulcers.”

So Jesus simply said a certain man was rich, dressed expensively and ate well, while Lazarus was hungry, covered with ulcers and licked by dogs. Was this a story about real people? No. The Catholic Jerusalem Bible in a footnote explains that this is a “parable in story form without reference to any historical personage.” Note why, from what Jesus next says:

“Now in course of time the beggar died and he was carried off by the angels to the bosom position of Abraham. Also, the rich man died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, he existing in torments, and he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in the bosom position with him. So he called and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this blazing fire.’”—Luke 16:19-24.

As you can see, Jesus said nothing about the rich man’s living a degraded life worthy of fiery punishment; the man’s failing was that he did not feed the poor. Further, Jesus said nothing about Lazarus’ doing good things, things that clearly would merit his going to heaven, which is what some churches claim is the meaning of his being taken to Abraham’s bosom. Furthermore, Abraham, like David, was dead and in his grave, so angels literally could not carry Lazarus to his bosom. (Acts 2:29, 34; John 3:13) And if the rich man were in a literal fire, surely Lazarus could not benefit him with just a drop of water!

Who, then, was pictured by the rich man and who by Lazarus? What was represented by their deaths? The rich man pictured the self-important religious leaders who failed to feed the people spiritually, and Lazarus pictured the common people who accepted Jesus Christ. Their deaths represented a change in their condition.

This change, or death to the former condition of the rich man and of Lazarus, occurred when Jesus fed the neglected Lazaruslike people spiritually. Thus, they came into the favor of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God. At the same time, the self-important Jewish religious leaders “died” with respect to having God’s favor and came to be tormented by the teachings of Christ and his followers. For example, when Stephen publicly exposed them, “they felt cut to their hearts and began to gnash their teeth . . . and put their hands over their ears.” They felt torment.—Acts 7:51-57.

So rather than teaching a fiery-hell torment after death, Jesus’ story describes the change of condition that his teachings accomplished among two classes of people.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1984762#h=1:0-12:33

 

[soylentgreen]

None of it? No people in The Bible were actually real?

It is quite possible such figures did exist. However the stories in the bible are simply stories that have those people in them. Much in the same way a fictional story about the president might contain an actor who will say and do things no president has actually done. For example the story of sherlock holmes contains the very real london. But because london is in the book that does not make the story or character real. The bible at best is a fictional account that may contain actual historical figures.

 

[calamity]

Jumping off of a thread from a few days ago....... let's look at this specifically.

Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language and which are literal?

I doubt any of it is "literal." At best, it's fictionalized history, in that it uses some real places and people in an exaggerated context.

 

[Exquisitor]

Jumping off of a thread from a few days ago....... let's look at this specifically.

Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language and which are literal?

It's all figurative and much of it is real.

Adam and Eve are real, although whether there was an Adam and Eve here is uncertain. The Garden of Eden is a vision that every priest has although it could be debated that the Scriptures were not the source of the vision. All this could be built with the stroke of a pen, however the Vision of the Three worlds seems to advent them.

The authors got pretty specific in the vision, which is a testament to their seeing, but there is no reason to believe they saw the rest of the story and did not make it up. After the comet strike in 2807 BC everyone wished they had an ark and wrote stories, because such and adventure is one of His pastimes, you can be sure it has happened somewhere, in fact it happened here, but only a three mile wide Comet and no need for an Ark. Just lots of rain and flooding and a tidal wave biigger than any we've seen, but not to wash into Turkey.

So, no Noah, no Abraham, the promise to Abraham is one that God Makes to His species constantly, it is fulfilled every five-thousand years. At any rate its a story, so don't think it was God that was being deceptive.

No Moses, no Exodus, In Judges they tell the truth, "Behold, I have given the land into Judah's hand."

Christ was coming though and He needed a people, so he stirred up some priests from India, and like any cult, it took root, and in a generation they had their history revised.

Samuel is the first book of historical record.

There are plausable explanations for Daniel on both sides, it is plausable that the potency had to go somewhere, and it is plausable that there was no-one like Daniel and in shame they wrote their prophesies.

Christ is real and the end times are misunderstood.

I'll post my web page on the subject, it reads fast, but it's all in there.

Tribulation Theory

Tribulation Theory: At the White Horse Tribulation 2020-2026, 2030.5, the first Seal is prominent in the coronavirus. Five Convergences occur in the ten-thousand year Golden Age...

www.azapizzazz.com

 

[Exquisitor]

Jumping off of a thread from a few days ago....... let's look at this specifically.

Which stories/teachings in The Bible are figurative language and which are literal?

The Bible is our only record of Christ and the law applied to old Israel legally, not the United States legally, we don't have stonings, we can tolerate minority groups.

Heaven and Hell are real, but temporary and not the eternal destination.

We don't know the scope or how activities on this planet compare or pertain to our neighbors.

 

[tosca1]

JESUS CHRIST often taught a lesson by telling a story. Here is how Jesus began one famous story: “A certain man was rich, and he used to deck himself with purple and linen, enjoying himself from day to day with magnificence. But a certain beggar named Lazarus used to be put at his gate, full of ulcers and desiring to be filled with the things dropping from the table of the rich man. Yes, too, the dogs would come and lick his ulcers.”

So Jesus simply said a certain man was rich, dressed expensively and ate well, while Lazarus was hungry, covered with ulcers and licked by dogs. Was this a story about real people? No. The Catholic Jerusalem Bible in a footnote explains that this is a “parable in story form without reference to any historical personage.” Note why, from what Jesus next says:

“Now in course of time the beggar died and he was carried off by the angels to the bosom position of Abraham. Also, the rich man died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, he existing in torments, and he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in the bosom position with him. So he called and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this blazing fire.’”—Luke 16:19-24.

As you can see, Jesus said nothing about the rich man’s living a degraded life worthy of fiery punishment; the man’s failing was that he did not feed the poor. Further, Jesus said nothing about Lazarus’ doing good things, things that clearly would merit his going to heaven, which is what some churches claim is the meaning of his being taken to Abraham’s bosom. Furthermore, Abraham, like David, was dead and in his grave, so angels literally could not carry Lazarus to his bosom. (Acts 2:29, 34; John 3:13) And if the rich man were in a literal fire, surely Lazarus could not benefit him with just a drop of water!



So rather than teaching a fiery-hell torment after death, Jesus’ story describes the change of condition that his teachings accomplished among two classes of people.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1984762#h=1:0-12:33

There are two men called Lazarus in the Bible. The first Lazarus is the subject of a story told by Jesus (Luke 16:19–31).
Lazarus was very poor, probably homeless, and definitely a beggar (Luke 16:20). He often stayed at the gate of a rich man in hopes of getting scraps from his table.
Both men died, and Jesus tells of how Lazarus was taken to “Abraham’s side,” a place of comfort and rest,
while the rich man when to “Hades,” a place of conscious torment (Luke 16:22–23).

Some Bible scholars believe that Jesus was telling a parable, that is, a fictional story not meant to be a literal account.

However, Jesus uses actual names in the story, He does not interpret the story, and neither does He add a moral to the end.
He lets the story stand for itself. Because of these details, the story of Lazarus and the rich man could be a true account, relating the actual fates of Lazarus and the unbelieving rich man.

Either way, Jesus’ teaching on the reality of heaven and hell is clear.
The Lazarus in Jesus’ story does not appear anywhere else in the Bible, and we do not know when in the timeline of history he may have lived, if he was a real person.

Who was Lazarus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Lazarus in the Bible? Who are the two different men named Lazarus in the Bible?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[tosca1]

“Now in course of time the beggar died and he was carried off by the angels to the bosom position of Abraham. Also, the rich man died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, he existing in torments, and he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in the bosom position with him. So he called and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this blazing fire.’”—Luke 16:19-24.

As you can see, Jesus said nothing about the rich man’s living a degraded life worthy of fiery punishment;

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things,


..."your good things," could mean so many things.
What are the "good things" to a person who does evil in the eyes of God? Especially, when one is rich, and in a position of power?



There's no need for Jesus to detail why the rich man had ended up in hell. Jesus didn't have to give an account what the rich man did
to deserve that place! Suffice it to say that, obviously, he deserves to be where God had placed him -
unless you're saying, God made a mistake?



Here is what's clear from that narrative though, whether it's a parable or not:

the teaching still says that........................... there is heaven, and there is hell.
And, hell is a place of torment!

 

[tosca1]

Mostly common sense and context...take Lazarus and the rich man, for example...


The Rich Man and Lazarus—What Is the Lesson?

JESUS CHRIST often taught a lesson by telling a story.

God isn't going to waste precious Bible space if the narrative doesn't mean anything!

Uh.....maybe, you missed this part?



Luke 16
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’


27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,

28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’





There.
That's why we repeat the warnings in the Bible about the reality of Hell - we warn others about it!


This is important stuff!

We cannot exclude the teachings about Hell!
What more, edit and change the warning that God wants to give people!

 

[Daisy]

Uh.....maybe, you missed this part?

You sure did...

 

[tosca1]

You sure did...

Explain....................... what exactly did I miss?

 

[Daisy]

Explain....................... what exactly did I miss?

Um, it is an illustration that represents something...read it again...this time with comprehension...

Who, then, was pictured by the rich man and who by Lazarus? What was represented by their deaths? The rich man pictured the self-important religious leaders who failed to feed the people spiritually, and Lazarus pictured the common people who accepted Jesus Christ. Their deaths represented a change in their condition.

This change, or death to the former condition of the rich man and of Lazarus, occurred when Jesus fed the neglected Lazaruslike people spiritually. Thus, they came into the favor of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God. At the same time, the self-important Jewish religious leaders “died” with respect to having God’s favor and came to be tormented by the teachings of Christ and his followers. For example, when Stephen publicly exposed them, “they felt cut to their hearts and began to gnash their teeth . . . and put their hands over their ears.” They felt torment.—Acts 7:51-57.

So rather than teaching a fiery-hell torment after death, Jesus’ story describes the change of condition that his teachings accomplished among two classes of people.

 

[tosca1]

Um, it is an illustration that represents something...

Represents "something?"

No....you read it! I already posted what it represents!

Who, then, was pictured by the rich man and who by Lazarus? What was represented by their deaths? The rich man pictured the self-important religious leaders who failed to feed the people spiritually, and Lazarus pictured the common people who accepted Jesus Christ. Their deaths represented a change in their condition.


This change, or death to the former condition of the rich man and of Lazarus, occurred when Jesus fed the neglected Lazaruslike people spiritually. Thus, they came into the favor of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God. At the same time, the self-important Jewish religious leaders “died” with respect to having God’s favor and came to be tormented by the teachings of Christ and his followers. For example, when Stephen publicly exposed them, “they felt cut to their hearts and began to gnash their teeth . . . and put their hands over their ears.” They felt torment.—Acts 7:51-57.

.....and after all that lengthy explanation .......................................what is the CONSISTENT TEACHINGS?


That there is Heaven. And, there is Hell!
And Hell is a place of torment!

Read how many times "torment," was used in that narrative! The rich man even said, "I am in agony in this fire!"


And what was said in the end?


Luke 16

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’


30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”



Moses and the prophets of God................... give warnings about that place of torment and eternal punishment.
Luke 16 is also about.................................. giving and heeding WARNING about Hell!