The Book of Revelation: What to take literally?

[JONAH]

Is there anything besides the seven letters to the seven churches which is to be taken literally in Revelation? A friend of mine recently asked me this question.

What do you think? I'm inclined to answer "no", but I am still thinking on it.

[historyb]

I do not take it literally it is coded so that the early Christians knew what it said, we have sense lost that ability.

[JONAH]

I think that's certainly the case to an extent. It only makes sense that over the millenia we have lost some sense of the symbols and the idioms of the text.

I do not take it literally it is coded so that the early Christians knew what it said, we have sense lost that ability.

[Hansc]

I think it is a very difficult book to understand. Certainly it primarily deals with symbols, e.g., there really is no seven headed monster from the sea, but the symbol does represent an actual evil power structure that will be active in the days before Christ's return. There really aren't four literal horses running around in the last days, but the forces that those horses symbolically represent will be unleashed.

The eighth power really will be energized and resume a powerful role after a long dormancy and Christ really is literally coming back and I believe relatively soon. To also make the book harder to understand, it has a certain circular quality to it where events, such as the earthquake are repeated but from a different aspect.

[JONAH]

Yeah, the structure of the text isn't so easy to determine. It seems like the same events are described in different ways in various parts of the Book. I read recently that there is a chiastic structure to Revelation, but I'm not sure what to make of that. In any event, I think figuring our the structure of the text is something that should be done before interpreting the text.

Any way, my friend was a bit surprised when I told him I don't take anything but the seven letters literally in Revelation. He is a bit on the literalist side, and seems to think it is obvious that some of the book is to be taken literally, like the descriptions of heaven and hell. To me, even this is obviously metaphorical language, but perhaps "obvious" is too strong a word... I'm with C.S. Lewis on this one: The streets of the New Jerusalem are no more literally made of gold than Jesus is literally a lamb.

I think it is a very difficult book to understand. Certainly it primarily deals with symbols, e.g., there really is no seven headed monster from the sea, but the symbol does represent an actual evil power structure that will be active in the days before Christ's return. There really aren't four literal horses running around in the last days, but the forces that those horses symbolically represent will be unleashed.

The eighth power really will be energized and resume a powerful role after a long dormancy and Christ really is literally coming back and I believe relatively soon. To also make the book harder to understand, it has a certain circular quality to it where events, such as the earthquake are repeated but from a different aspect.

[Shamar]

I think both Genesis and Revelations need to be taken on all 4 levels of understanding...... and most particularly at the sod level.

[Shamar]

I think it is a very difficult book to understand. Certainly it primarily deals with symbols, e.g., there really is no seven headed monster from the sea, but the symbol does represent an actual evil power structure that will be active in the days before Christ's return. There really aren't four literal horses running around in the last days, but the forces that those horses symbolically represent will be unleashed.

The eighth power really will be energized and resume a powerful role after a long dormancy and Christ really is literally coming back and I believe relatively soon. To also make the book harder to understand, it has a certain circular quality to it where events, such as the earthquake are repeated but from a different aspect.

I agree, Hans

[Hansc]

I think both Genesis and Revelations need to be taken on all 4 levels of understanding...... and most particularly at the sod level.

What's a sod level?

[Shamar]

I agree, Hans

With the Hebrew text, there are 4 levels of "understanding". There is P'shat (pronounced peh-shaht' - meaning "simple") which is the plain, simple meaning of the text in its natural, normal sense using the customary meanings of the word’s being used, literary style, historical and cultural setting, and context. The p'shat is the keystone of Scripture understanding.

Second is Remez (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint") --This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealling a deeper meaning. Third is D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept"). This is a teaching or exposition or application of the P'shat and/or Remez. Sometimes we see this presented as a "sermon."

And lastly, without ever first going through the first three levels, there is the Sod (pronounced either sawd, or sood [like "wood"] - meaning "hidden")
This understanding is the hidden, secret or mystic meaning of a text. An example most people are familiar with is Revelation 13:18, regarding the "beast" and the number "666."

[Jed]

A considerable is symbolic..example revelation 17 the purple and scarlet beast with the woman riding it. The woman is adorned in jewery and purple, colours of a harlot..woman represents a church..so what church do you think is depicted by a beast and woman purple and scarlet? It goes on to say a city located on seven mountains...so you can see these are clues to identities of the actual endtime entities..