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Literal or Symbolic

Literal or Symbolic? 🤔 The Law of Normal Reading for All Scripture

Your Essential Guide to Biblical Interpretation

When we open the Bible, how do we know if a verse is describing a physical, historical event (literal) or conveying a spiritual concept through a picture (symbolic)?

Guesswork and personal opinion can twist any message. The solution lies in applying a single, consistent framework to all of Scripture: The Law of Normal Reading (also known as the Literal-Grammatical-Historical Method). This interpretive framework is a crucial Prophetic Hotspot, establishing the certainty of God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation.

The Foundational Principle: Read It Like Any Other Book

The principle guiding us is simple: We treat the Bible as we would any other form of communication. God gave us His truth in human language so we could understand it plainly.

The goal is always to find the meaning the original human author intended and what the original audience understood, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This process is called exegesis (drawing the meaning out of the text), which protects us from eisegesis (reading our own ideas into the text).

The Four Pillars of Normal Reading

  1. The Literal Principle (Plain Sense):
    • Rule: Scripture is interpreted literally—in its normal, plain sense—unless a literal reading is utterly impossible, contradicts a known truth of Scripture, or the context clearly signals a figure of speech.
    • KJV Example: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). This is a statement of historical fact and is taken literally.
  2. The Grammatical Principle (Language):
    • Rule: Pay attention to the original language, grammar, and sentence structure. What is the verb tense? What does the word mean in this specific context?
    • KJV Example: In the Old Testament, the names of God (like Jehovah-jireh, “The Lord Will Provide”) literally communicate different aspects of His character.
  3. The Historical Principle (Context):
    • Rule: Understand the passage within its historical and cultural setting. Who was the author? To whom were they writing? What was happening in the world at that time?
    • KJV Example: Understanding the Roman persecution behind the book of Revelation helps clarify the original urgency and message to the seven churches.
  4. The Genre Principle (Literary Form):
    • Rule: Recognize the literary genre. A Psalm (Poetry) uses figures of speech more frequently than a Gospel (Narrative History).
    • KJV Example: When David writes, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer…” (Psalm 18:2), the genre of Poetry tells us “rock” is a figure of comparison (a metaphor) for God’s stability, not that God is a literal stone.

How to Discern Symbolism (When the Text Forces It)

The literal rule applies even to figures of speech! We must first acknowledge the literal meaning of the word before understanding its figurative intent. You know you are reading a symbol when:

  1. It is defined in the text: The Bible often interprets its own symbols. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:20, KJV). The literal definition is given!
  2. A literal reading is physically impossible or nonsensical: The phrase “I am the door” (John 10:9) is clearly figurative because Jesus is a man, not an inanimate slab of wood. Therefore, the literal meaning of a door (an entrance) is used to illustrate a figurative truth (the only way into the sheepfold/salvation).
  3. The Literary Genre is inherently symbolic: Apocalyptic literature (like Daniel and Revelation) often uses established symbols (beasts, colors, numbers) to describe literal historical or future events. Even here, the goal is to understand the literal reality the symbol represents.

The Return Question: Consistency is Key

The nature of our interpretation defines our theology. If we spiritualize or allegorize historical or prophetic passages that can be taken literally, we undermine the whole message.

For example, if the historical account of the Exodus (literal history) is spiritualized, why should we expect the promise of Christ’s Resurrection (literal event) to be different?

If the rule of interpretation demands a literal understanding of narratives, commands, and promises throughout all of Scripture, are we respecting this consistency when we approach the final, glorious promise—that Christ will literally return to earth to reign? Or are we inadvertently replacing the physical, historical reality of The Lord’s Return with a mere symbolic hope?