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BIBLICAL FIGURES OF SPEECH LITERAL OR SYMBOLIC?

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Pini56:
Hello,

Just a thought. When three people are thrown into the fiery furnace in Daniel's time, this was a literal fire because when they were thrown in, the guards that threw them in were consumed by the fire. In the midst of the fire these three were not harmed because there was a fourth Person in there with them, the Lord of course. Could this be used similarly with the burning bush, as the Lord was in the midst of this also. I might dare to suggest that maybe it was a literal fire but because the Lord was in the midst of it, Moses was protected from being consumed, the bush as well. I am sorry I didn't have time to fully explain and give you chapter and verse but I was in a hurry. This might help with the discussion though. Regards Geoff

lilitalienboi16:

--- Quote from: Geoff on January 04, 2016, 09:29:51 AM ---Hello,

Just a thought. When three people are thrown into the fiery furnace in Daniel's time, this was a literal fire because when they were thrown in, the guards that threw them in were consumed by the fire. In the midst of the fire these three were not harmed because there was a fourth Person in there with them, the Lord of course. Could this be used similarly with the burning bush, as the Lord was in the midst of this also. I might dare to suggest that maybe it was a literal fire but because the Lord was in the midst of it, Moses was protected from being consumed, the bush as well. I am sorry I didn't have time to fully explain and give you chapter and verse but I was in a hurry. This might help with the discussion though. Regards Geoff

--- End quote ---

Great observation Geoff.

I am very inclined to believe that it was first literal. That is my preferred view but I cam see the symbolism in it too as Kat was leaning more towards. I see no contradiction in that.

Thank you for the reminder in Daniel's account.

God bless,
Alex

Kat:

--- Quote from: Geoff on January 04, 2016, 09:29:51 AM ---Hello,

Just a thought. When three people are thrown into the fiery furnace in Daniel's time, this was a literal fire because when they were thrown in, the guards that threw them in were consumed by the fire. In the midst of the fire these three were not harmed because there was a fourth Person in there with them, the Lord of course. Could this be used similarly with the burning bush, as the Lord was in the midst of this also. I might dare to suggest that maybe it was a literal fire but because the Lord was in the midst of it, Moses was protected from being consumed, the bush as well. I am sorry I didn't have time to fully explain and give you chapter and verse but I was in a hurry. This might help with the discussion though. Regards Geoff
--- End quote ---

Hi Geoff, well yes it certainly was a literal fire in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and that story in in Daniel 3.

Dan 3:4  Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
v. 5  that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;
v. 6  and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

Dan 3:20  And he (Nebuchadnezzar) commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:24  Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
v. 25  "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
v. 26  Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
v. 27  And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
v. 28  Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!

So the fire was certainly very literal fire that these godly men were case into, because they worshiped God and not the king, but God sent an angel to protect them. There is another incident where King Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel cast into a den of literal lions and again God protected him from any harm.

Dan 6:16  So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."
v. 17  Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
v. 18  Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.
v. 19  Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.
v. 20  And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
v. 21  Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!
v. 22  My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."

The fire in the fiery furnace was not from/of God, but He has power over all the elements that He has created, so He rendered the lions harmless to Daniel and the fire as well to those that served and obeyed Him.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

octoberose:
 "and the smell of fire was not on them. "

That has always been my favorite part of this 'story'. They didn't even smell like smoke, meaning they walked through the flames and they came out of it not looking bedraggled and smelly, but unscathed. I think about that in my fiery trials. Am I walking around moaning and groaning and 'smelling like smoke?" . Or do I live my life in faith and victory through Christ so that if you didn't know the struggles in my life you would never know there are any struggles?
  The Joy of the Lord is my Strength is my verse to keep remembering this year.  :)

lilitalienboi16:

--- Quote from: octoberose on January 04, 2016, 05:00:51 PM --- "and the smell of fire was not on them. "

That has always been my favorite part of this 'story'. They didn't even smell like smoke, meaning they walked through the flames and they came out of it not looking bedraggled and smelly, but unscathed. I think about that in my fiery trials. Am I walking around moaning and groaning and 'smelling like smoke?" . Or do I live my life in faith and victory through Christ so that if you didn't know the struggles in my life you would never know there are any struggles?
  The Joy of the Lord is my Strength is my verse to keep remembering this year.  :)

--- End quote ---

Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:5-18
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, producing for us a transcendently transcendent eonian burden of glory,
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eonian.

 8)

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