Should you take time in the bible literally?

[coby]

I'm not just talking about in Genesis but in a lot of prophecy we see 42 months, 1260 days 3 and a half years repeated a lot. Is this something you take literal? Or would you look at it as having some other meaning maybe? Thoughts? Revelation 8 and Daniel 12 both are where I found these and genesis of course

Yes a day is a year or something and then you can count exactly when Jesus came. It's one reason a Jewish family member got saved. It had to be Jesus.

 

[coby]

With historicism someone had to lay on his side so many days, Ezekiel or something and that was exactly when the Dome of the Rock came and the State of Israel 1948 and 1967, that was interesting.

 

[tourist]

You absolutely take time literally and all of the numbers too keeping in mind that a day in the eyes of the Lord is like a 1000 years and a thousand years a day. In Genesis it was specifically stated evening and morning was a day marking that particular day of creation. This should be taken literally and not to be taken as a 6000 year period.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

That's assuming the holy city refers to a physical city.

And what happens when the salt loses it's Savour, is it not trodden under foot of men?

Isaiah 51:16-17 "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.[SUP]17 [/SUP]Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out."

Isaiah 52:1-2 "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

Isaiah 62:11-12 "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken."

 

[resurrection33]

Then perhaps the Creation story is figuartive? How about that talking snake in the garden? Must be figuative. Then of course, Jesus didn't literally rise bodily from the dead it was just a 'rising of hope' in our hearts!
See what happens when you go down that path?

Clearly the waters mentioned in some verses in Psalms are about what’s going on in our minds. Here are a few examples. One needs to develop judgment. When the Lord says, “Do not kill,” he clearly means that literally. In the following examples, the psalmist clearly is speaking figuratively.

He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of many waters. Psalm 18:16 RSV

[1] The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
[2] he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
[3] he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3 RSV

Therefore let every one who is godly
offer prayer to thee;
at a time of distress, in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him. Psalm 32:6 RSV

 

[crossnote]

Clearly the waters mentioned in some verses in Psalms are about what’s going on in our minds. Here are a few examples. One needs to develop judgment. When the Lord says, “Do not kill,” he clearly means that literally. In the following examples, the psalmist clearly is speaking figuratively.

He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of many waters. Psalm 18:16 RSV

[1] The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
[2] he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
[3] he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3 RSV

Therefore let every one who is godly
offer prayer to thee;
at a time of distress, in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him. Psalm 32:6 RSV

There is a HUGE difference between the Psalms, which are mainly poetic, and Genesis which is historical.
You run into trouble when you spiritualize history or when you historicize poetry.

 

[resurrection33]

There is a HUGE difference between the Psalms, which are mainly poetic, and Genesis which is historical.
You run into trouble when you spiritualize history or when you historicize poetry.

I'm pleased we agree.

 

[Bowman]

I'm not just talking about in Genesis but in a lot of prophecy we see 42 months, 1260 days 3 and a half years repeated a lot. Is this something you take literal? Or would you look at it as having some other meaning maybe? Thoughts? Revelation 8 and Daniel 12 both are where I found these and genesis of course

No.

The important thing to remember is that numbers mark a time period in which events transpire....but not an exact time period that matches the number.

As an example, we have the following different ways of pointing to the same time event...

The ‘1,000 years’ (Rev 20.2 – 7) is also referred to as ‘1260 days of prophecy’ (Rev 11.3); ‘1260 days of nourishment’ (Rev 12.6); ‘time, and times and half a time of nourishment’ (Rev 12.14); and ‘42 months’ (Rev 11.2; 13.5).

The reason for the same event to be expressed in various ways is for separate vantage points.