Literally

 

If you take the Apostles literally, you are forced to interpret the prophets figuratively or symbolically.

This is clearly how Jesus taught them to read the Old Testament on the Emmaus Road, and how he taught Paul in Damascus/Arabia. Let me give just three examples.

Example 1. Hosea 11:1 - "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."

Literal reading: this is about Israel and the Exodus.

The Apostle Matthew's reading: it's about Jesus, 

Matthew 2:13-17

"13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Example 2: Psalm 16:9-11. David writes a beautiful Psalm about eternal joy at God's write hand. 

"9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

11 You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

 

Literal reading: David is talking about himself. 

The Apostle Peter's reading: it's about Jesus,

Acts 2:22-31

"22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption.

28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption."

Example 3: Amos 9:11-15 Shows us a glorious future for Israel, 

“In that day I will raise up

the booth of David that is fallen

and repair its breaches,

and raise up its ruins

and rebuild it as in the days of old,

12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom

and all the nations who are called by my name,”

declares the Lord who does this.

13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper

and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;

the mountains shall drip sweet wine,

and all the hills shall flow with it.

14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,

and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,

and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.

15 I will plant them on their land,

and they shall never again be uprooted

out of the land that I have given them,”

says the Lord your God."

 

Literal reading: God will restore Israel and it will rule the Gentiles.

The Apostle James reading: This is about the Church giving full access to Gentiles,

Acts 15:13-20

"13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 “‘After this I will return,

and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;

I will rebuild its ruins,

and I will restore it,

17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,

and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,

says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’

19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood."

Notice how the Apostles read all these passages in light of Jesus Christ. They do this continually in the New Testament. Jesus did it too. Remember when he said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days? If you take this literally you'll be as confused as his Jewish opponents, thinking he is talking about the physical building. He was really talking about himself, as he is the temple that counts. 

The false dichotomy of literal verse firgurative is just that, false. No one thinks the antichrist is a literal animal, even though that's what "Beast" literally means. The literalists cannot be consistent. Some passages are meant to be literally taken, some aren't. This is true in any written text. The question is: how should we read it? The true hermeneutic is how did the Apostles read it? That should be our baseline. If you take the Apostles literally you cannot take the prophets anyway but figuratively pointing to Christ, his ministry and his return. And remember the Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, so we need to follow the Apostles lead on how to read the prophets.