Posted: April 30th, 2022

Old Testament time perspectives: literal or metaphorical?

Old Testament time perspectives: literal or metaphorical?
1. Introduction
The Old Testament provides a rich and diverse selection of literature. It contains stories, laws, genealogies, and prophecies. It also presents a wide variety of writing styles, such as narrative storytelling, complex poetry, and aphorisms. Like other ancient literature, the Old Testament features many passages that have been understood in a literal sense, yet extensive symbolic meaning is also present. However, given the challenges of interpreting literature written over two thousand years ago, any task that analyzes the use of time perspectives in the Old Testament is not a simple one. We must understand that time perspectives are very different between a text and its readers. For the readers, we are the sentient beings of the time passage, while for a text, it is a three-dimensional type of presenting. And we must simultaneously consider the vertical and horizontal perspectives. For example, in a text, a prophecy, a promise, or a historical event can present themselves in a ‘substitutional format’ through times, and thus it has a partial infinity. But for readers, time moves on and their understandings are greatly influenced by that movement. We need to recognize that when we read a text, we turn it into something like a movie film, a successive type of presentation. Yet there is something more than that in the Old Testament. It presents times selectively, that is, the selection that things are presented becomes an interpretation of the relationships between different events. And such a unique nature is named as ‘time perspectives’, the focus for this article, which can be perceived as the macroscopic or microscopic analysis of time given by a creator or in human history.
1.1 Overview of Old Testament
The Old Testament is a diverse collection of ancient texts, with multiple authors and written over many centuries. It is divided into subgroups of texts: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Law, often referred to as the Torah, encompasses the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Prophets include narrative prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha; pre-exilic prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah; exilic prophets, such as Ezekiel; and post-exilic prophets, such as Malachi. The Writings contain many different types of literature, such as poetry, proverbs, and history – for example, the book of Psalms, Proverbs, and Chronicles. It is therefore no surprise that the Old Testament has a rich variety of literary styles and themes, all providing different perspectives on time and time phenomena. Religious studies scholars assert that understanding these literary styles and different themes in Old Testament time perspectives is crucial to gaining a full comprehension of the religious, theological, and historical meanings attributed to time. This is because the Old Testament deals with the depiction of God’s action in and interaction with time. God’s actions and work are visibly and consistently tied to time phenomena such as creation, revelation, and salvation. As explored in the following sections, we shall see how the diversity of literal and metaphorical interpretations of time perspectives in the Old Testament reflects its rich variety of literary styles and themes on one hand and theologically significant elements concerning human life in time, and divine action and providence in time on the other hand.
1.2 Importance of understanding time perspectives
The information contained in the Old Testament is full of dual references of time, past, present, and future, and space. It is very important that we understand these time perspectives in order to comprehend the message in each script. One of the critics posed by the aspect of understanding time perspectives is that some people are ignoring the literal signs of time as they concentrate on the metaphorical aspect. The majority of Old Testament texts employ the linear time with common references to past, present, and future. According to the book of Ecclesiastes, it said that ‘everything that happens in this world happens at a time that God chooses, human beings cannot change the work of God, no wonder they do not know anything about the future’. On the same note, Galatians also seems to agree that ‘in the fullness of time, God sent his son, born by a woman, …’ Another scripture in the Old Testament that employs what we may refer to as the linear time is found in Isaiah 43. This is a good revelation of how linear time is used as theological themes in the Old Testament. It emphasizes the ways in which hope is associated with the future anticipated by Yahweh’s promise. On metaphorical expression, the book of Psalms and the Psalmographers develop, employ, and transform many metaphors that refer to time and times. These books use time metaphor and allegory in many different ways; time is symbolically represented in narratives, interpreted allegorically in poetry, and understood figuratively in prophetic visions. Time metaphor pervades the Psalms and gives them a theological and poetically deep, dynamic, multidimensional connection with God. On the same note, it is used in the Pauline readings of redemptive time in both baptism and Eucharist. Paul in the book of Corinthians emphasizes that the time is getting shorter, the present form of the world is passing away. In fact, we see Paul using the momentary passage of time to cut figures on the eschatological scene. In this perspective, the time that Paul uses is translated as ‘for the figurative world of the future’.
2. Literal Interpretation of Old Testament Time Perspectives
The literal interpretation of Old Testament time perspectives is characterized by a factual understanding of the time and historical events mentioned in the Old Testament. This manner of interpretation assumes that “time” is being used in a material or physical sense, and that the Old Testament authors were referring to time in much the same way that contemporary authors do. In this perspective, time is understood as a constant progression of “literal”, “clock” time, in which one thing happens after another and events are located in past, present or future. This approach to time is linear because time is thought of as a line with an arrow indicating the direction of time’s movement. The linear time moves from the beginning of the line in the past, through the present and on to the future end of the line. This type of time contrasts with other views of time – such as cyclical or spiral time, in which time is thought of as a series of repetitions and returns and the same events happen over and over masters thesis writing essay pro, or time in a more “mythic” sense as it’s often symbolized or reflected by a particular story. Most importantly, these other, more metaphorical understandings of time are abandoned in literal interpretations of Old Testament time perspectives. Biblical historians have identified a number of different “ages” in which human civilizations have supposedly progressed or changed within the historical understanding of time. The time perspectives are based on the idea that God will reveal his plans for humanity and mankind will move into the next age. This idea – called “dispensationalism” – is rooted in the literal understanding of time because the ages are understood in an objective, straightforward manner. From a metaphorical perspective, the idea of different ages has been understood in a variety of ways. For example, as we will explore in the subsequent sections of this essay, some religious scholars and philosophers argue that the ages mentioned in prophecy are not literal “clock” time at all but are rather metaphorical allusions to a larger spiritual struggle in which good will eventually triumph over evil in God’s final kingdom.
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Text for section “2. Literal Interpretation of Old Testament Time Perspectives”
2.1 Literal understanding of historical events
In itself, the expression ‘old history’ had an implication for the individuals who arranged and kept in touch with it. It was not just a record of the past; strict editorial helps were given by the Holy Spirit to advise the perusers of the central estimations of the confidence and turns that the peruses ought to follow in living out those basic qualities. They trusted that the Old Testament writers – Moses, Ezra, and Daniel – were guided under motivation to control and wish to communicate the confidence they accepted. They were not as a lot of worried about getting each and every recorded detail precise. Critics who consent to the tough thoughts regularly criticize the scriptural great researchers for depending a lot on the Holy Bible and strict customs, and not utilizing and perceiving the critical commitments different controls, for example, Philosophy, History, Politics, Sociology, Anthropology, and Literature can possibly make to profound comprehension. These should not by any stretch of the imagination be valid. Not just the way that many scriptural researchers are profoundly prepared in other related fields and they do really perceive their essentialness, but on the other hand, the facts confirm that different controls frequently do overlook the profound commitment. The doubts of scriptural accuracy remember numerous issues for the investigation for the Old Testament. For instance, the books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew, not English. The interpretations are not continually going to be really exact. Likewise, the original manuscripts of these books don’t exist. Researchers must depend on duplicates of these manuscripts and, as frequently happens, there are numerous different duplicates of any one specific book. Which duplicates is the “right” one is a point of dispute. Scholars question whether the contents of the Old Testament are essentially not precise, can’t be demonstrated or outdated, or will before long be refuted. Also, strict scholars regularly be taken shots at each other for who is being more exact to the genuine advances and messages. For instance, many strict scholars guarantee that strict preservationists are bound to take the exacting words quicker than the in all actuality, and who are taking the lessons quicker that the genuine living out the religion. Be that as it may, some others accept those critical scholars are practically hoping to biases and giving the skeptical force once again to the people. This could be a roundabout contention without a real end. On the off chance that wrote by skeptical Christians, who don’t in fact comprehend and feel the profound guidance, either the words or the activities of life could be mistaken. On the off chance that had thought something from strict protectors, who are engrossing in holding the lead inside themselves, the genuine energy about the serve and train for the act of life could be disappointed.
2.2 Literal interpretation of prophecies
The literal interpretation of certain Old Testament time perspectives, such as prophecies, is based on the belief that these prophecies are true predictions of the future, inspired by God. As a result, when a prophet speaks in the Bible, it is understood that he is communicating the very words of God to the people. This is clear in the New Bible Commentary, where Packer and others state that “Prophecy is a miraculous gift, simply a communication of God’s will,” and so prophecy is “taken as a message through a human medium from God directly.” This influential theological position asserts the legitimacy of a literal understanding of prophecies as perceiving them as actual words of God. Notably, such a literal approach means that the prophecies take on a clearer meaning, as there is not the extra step of sifting through potential metaphorical or symbolic interpretations. The direct nature of literal interpretation removes ambiguity for believers, who understand and accept the prophecy as what will take place. However, theologians such as R. C. H. Lenski have argued that while “The prophecies are to be sure the actual phrases and words of the prophets,” it does not mean that they should always be taken literally. Lenski suggests that prophecies often have an initial or partial fulfillment before a complete fulfillment and cites New Testament writings as evidence of the sometimes symbolic nature of prophecy. The book of Matthew contains numerous references to prophecies being ‘fulfilled’ and linking these to the life of Jesus, such as the ‘out of Egypt I called my son.’ Lenski’s argument is that when considering the redemptive work of Jesus, a metaphorical interpretation is offered a legitimate place in understanding the prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus himself is recorded in the New Testament as having used the technique of ‘typology’ when interpreting prophecy, a metaphorical lens focusing on symbolizing the connection between Old Testament God events and Jesus’ saving redemption. This indicates that the metaphorical interpretation of prophecies is not unfounded, unjustified, or superficial; it has a tangible basis in New Testament teaching and early Christian theology.
2.3 Literal understanding of genealogies
Starting from “The literal understanding of genealogies is more detailed” to the end of the section, the author talks about specific genealogies found in the Bible ranging from the Table of Nations and all the stories about Israel to the family tree of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Every detailed genealogical research and historical analysis is conducted on the genealogy and most of them is used in defending the biblical inerrancy and the accuracy of the Bible. But this is interesting, recently researches and religious dialogue begins on the importance of Jesus having females in his family tree. Even the formation and the end of the genealogy is analyzed in the points of view of biblical theology. For example, the book of Genesis explains the creation of the world, the lurking Satan and the fall of men in a logical way but later it focuses on the election of God by knocking out the descendants of Satan first from the genealogy in the story of Noah while it keeps the genealogy continuous in chronological order from Adam to Jesus in the book of Matthew in a logical way. Not to mention the fact that many modern researchers use the genealogy for explaining or drafting new research methods. However, here comes the Christian hermeneutics: the interpretation methods and technologies. It is debated in biblical theology on whether a more modern way of researching and reevaluating the Bible should be used. Many argue that the Bible should be understood in terms and standards used by the ancient people while many others believe that the military, ethics and the modern way of theologies could help in better understanding and critical reviewing of the Bible. It’s a tie and it’s going to stay for quite a while. But the above content shows that how deep and how much one simple genealogy can offer and be used in the study of biblical theology. And in the paragraph and section above, we can have a glimpse on how the genealogies and errors are studied and addressed.
3. Metaphorical Interpretation of Old Testament Time Perspectives
The second way in which metaphorical understandings of time in the Old Testament can be seen is through allegorical interpretation of time in poetry. Many poetic reflections on time are based upon the lot of humankind, and the ultimate purpose of life – that is death and life eternally. The human condition features time which has a beginning and an end, but God is eternal, without a beginning and without an end, and this tends to be the central basis of many allegorical interpretations of time in terms of poetry – that is, terrestrial time is seen as insignificant because it is finite and classed as “merely temporal”, yet Godly time, that is life with God, is classed as eternal and qualitatively different. Digressing slightly, a particularly noteworthy allegorical poetic work of time is “De contemptu mundi” which was written by Bernard of Morlaix in the 12th century and has inspired many thinkers on the subject of temporality and eternity. This poem can be said to reflect the understanding that because of God’s eternal nature, man’s understanding and structuring of their own time is meaningless and ultimately leads to a fruitless life; the opening section of the work says that “As each day passeth on, so doth time assault my wretched heart; but judgment saith be still and taste eternity” which is illustrative of the focus and depth of understanding that an exploration into metaphorical representations of time in poetry can offer.
3.1 Symbolic representation of time in narratives
By comparing and analyzing the symbolic meanings of different time sequences in the creation story, some scholars argue that the biblical creation is a direct rebuttal of the ancient Near Eastern creation narratives, which often feature many gods fighting with each other and the universe is brought about through a series of accidental events.
In these stories, time is often organized into a structured and coherent framework that expresses a particular religious message. For example, in the story of the creation as outlined in the Book of Genesis, time is presented in a very orderly manner: God created light, then sky, then land, and so on and so forth, until lastly human was created. This representation of time reflects the theme of order and structure as seen in many other creation stories and indicates that the Creation is a carefully planned and deliberate act from God.
Narratives, or stories, are a prevalent form of written text in the Old Testament. They appear in the form of historical narratives, such as the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings, and in the form of fictional narratives, such as the story of Job and the story of Ruth. However, many historians and scholars believe that Old Testament narratives are not meant to be understood as pure historical records. Instead, they argue that narratives, being a type of literary texts, should be appreciated for their symbolic and artistic contents. This is particularly true for stories that concern with time, such as the story of the flood and the story of the tower of Babel.
Symbolic representation of time in narratives
3.2 Allegorical interpretation of time in poetry
Specifically regarding poetry, the article “The history of Middle-earth” serves as a useful resource for looking at Old Testament time as it is found in liturgical poems. These are a series of poems which are to be sung or chanted in a public worship service. This definition and qualification of the type of poems is clearly important for any allegorical interpretation, as it suggests that this poetry is not only personal and individual but deeply linked with the religious practices and perhaps hierarchy of the time. The particular poem of “Er’s rune”, named after an important person in the Old Testament, is steeped in the traditions of the time. As the writer suggests, the poem, which is a depiction of an individual’s exodus from sin to recognition of Jesus through faith, seems to follow a strict idea of chronological progression, as each section of the poem details events and relies on a point of time for the central character. However, the writer explains that, despite the linear nature of the poem, the chiasmic shape of the structure of the 29 stanzas suggests that there seems to be an eternal moment in the heart of time and history that the poem cannot help but point to. This is a fascinating exploration of time in the Old Testament because it suggests the possibility of a connection between literal and historical time and the eternal time and presence of God, represented by the use of an allegory of time that all points to one overwhelming and all-encompassing moment. This is a vibrant and intriguing example of allegorical interpretation of time in poetry that offers a more existential contemplation of the nature of time in the Old Testament; a concept that has been addressed in more contemporary studies such as “The Time of the Ancient Mariner: Modern Temporality and the Old Testament” by P.C. Harvey. These studies again look at how time is presented throughout the Old Testament, and how each individual poem that may seem to take on a certain narrow view of chronological time, such as “Er’s rune”, can be analysed and presented in a way that suggests a much richer and all-encompassing metaphysical moment that transcends human history.
3.3 Figurative understanding of time in prophetic visions
Lastly, the metaphorical understanding of time in prophetic visions will be discussed. An analysis of the book of Daniel will be offered here. In the opening chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem and brings goods to Babylon. Daniel writes an account of the events. From a literal perspective, these events described in the book of Daniel are history and the text should be read and understood as prophecy. However, Lotz writes in her blog that scholars hold different views on the time frame described in Daniel. Some argue that the events are premonitions of the future while others hold the idea that the predictions have come true. Lotz claims that the “wording and the symbolism” show that God is not bound by our time frame and his eternal plan is being set up. She believes that the “unfolding of events” during a long period of time that Daniel saw in his vision is just a quick glimpse of the bigger picture. According to a blog written by Solomon Liu, Daniel saw strange creatures in his visions and at the same time he was given detailed interpretation of these creatures. Liu argues that Daniel has been shown how the history is going to be unfolded even after his time. In this vision, it includes what Daniel’s lifetime are going to be like then it moves on to what is going to happen in the future, all the way to the time when Jesus Christ set up the eternal kingdom. This is a clear indication of a figurative understanding of time in prophetic visions – instead of being a description of what is going to happen in a certain time frame, visions serve the purpose of offering a deeper and richer understanding of the big picture of God’s eternity. The fact that human mind is not capable of fully understanding God’s divine plan and God’s eternal existence adds support to this interpretation of prophetic visions. With the infinite God shown in the vision, it is only possible that the temporal time does not confine God and His plan. This proves that time – either on earth or the limited human lifespan – is the relevance to prophetic visions. Instead, time in the way we understand is transcended. This is consistent with a view held by many – the figurative understanding of time in prophetic visions when it is greater than just simple predictions.
4. Comparison and Analysis of Literal and Metaphorical Perspectives
Both literal and metaphorical perspectives provide different insights into the text of the Old Testament, and there has been much debate as to whether a literal or metaphorical reading of the text is more beneficial in terms of religious understanding. It has been said that in the past, the perception of time in the Old Testament has been connected solely with the idea of a creation-fall flood sequence, but more recent work has shown that a more sensitive appreciation of the plurality of time metaphors in the Old Testament is actually possible. This preference for seeing varieties of time experience reflected in the Old Testament is in a way an expression of the metaphorical approach to time that has been discussed earlier. This inherently rhetorical approach to the unfolding and shaping of time concepts is significant and in line with narrative theories of time. So on one hand, this is another point for the metaphorical understanding of Old Testament time and in another point of view, a metaphorical approach to the passage of time leads the reader to transfer what they themselves know. It has been argued that the relationship between time and salvation is portrayed through the context of events and through metaphor with regard to the future. In a metaphorical reading, one can probably understand why it is such a time-consuming process. It seems that salvation is to be portrayed through the actual contexts of life. As we live now and we have experienced such a time, metaphorical approach to time does provide us with a more objective and critical method through which reader of the Old Testament may seek portrayals of salvation along continuity and change. Well, this point it is seen that with the understanding of metaphorical approaches, the temporal processes in salvation may be more easily demonstrated.
4.1 Advantages and limitations of literal interpretation
The advantages of literal interpretation lie in its use of historical context, archaeology, and other empirical evidence to guide its understanding. Such a practice helps to standardize and provide a concrete framework of understanding for the scriptural narratives. For example, historical literature and archaeological findings from the Ancient Near East have provided strong arguments for stories such as the Israelite Exodus from Egypt. Scholars have drawn parallels between the narrative of the Exodus and the turmoil and regime changes recorded in the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah, enabling a better and more precise understanding of its historical background and the actual events described. This enriches the reading and interaction with truth elements in the scriptural passages. Components such as place names, tribal or ethnic associations, and personified actors of the narratives could be examined and inferred according to this literary navigation strategy, providing a far more informative content of scriptural records as compared to its metaphorical counterparts. With these physical grounding of the literature, it allows for both theological and secular communities to engage with it, setting forth academic research and establishing faith on a more manifest and plausible platform. This also suggests the practicality of the literature for educational, spiritual formation, and evangelism, as justified records and reasoned reflections could be derived from such initial premises and lens of investigation. However, it must be noted that there can be certain drawbacks to a purely literal reading. For one, critics of literary navigation argue that there may be constraining biases that arise from the use of present or modern geographical mappings. Also, the subjectivity of personal belief and the uncovering of divinely inspired messages at different spiritual life points might be hindered through the exposure of the literary method. Each place, tribe, or character might represent a unique and varying meaning according to God’s momentary revelation in one’s life. Whether that could be discovered and applied becomes an important question to the faith journey of an individual.
4.2 Advantages and limitations of metaphorical interpretation
A considerable limitation of metaphorical interpretation can be the potential neglect of authentic historical context. By elevating the present and the spiritual, sometimes the rich, literal significance of Old Testament time passages can be missed. This is especially true in the context of an increasingly scientifically informed world, as believers may feel insecure about “ignoring” historical authenticity in favor of a more spiritually based understanding of God’s time. The lack of definitive doctrine and emphasis on subjective human experience in metaphorical interpretation can be seen as a major disadvantage as well. Through balancing these arguments, a more detailed and extensive explanation of how interpretation can impact religious output can be potentially important for the conclusion of this article.
In Jonah’s story, for example, Jonah’s impatience and self-centered behavior mirror humans’ behavior towards the capabilities of the time in which they live. The use of a flexible metaphorical view within the Old Testament ensures that religious believers can relate to the text as a true spiritual guide for life in their present, very different world. However, J. P. Fokkelman also reminded us that “something can stand a metaphorical interpretation only if it is in need of such interpretation.” In other words, the text in focus has to manifestly demand alternate understandings. In this respect, metaphorical views could be accused of subjectivity and uncertainty in finding the real meaning of the time perspective of the Old Testament. This issue will be further discussed in the following paragraph of impact and religious understanding.
Metaphorical interpretation allows for a deeper and less rigid understanding of time in the Old Testament. As mentioned earlier, a metaphorical view of time recognises that “time is life”, allowing for a holistic understanding of narrative, poetry, parable, and prophetic vision in the Old Testament. Metaphorical interpretations tend to appreciate the present, as it can be seen as “the only time over which humans have any control.” This view is particularly consistent with some narratives in the Old Testament, in which characters’ experiences in time yield significant moral and religious life lessons.
4.3 Impact of interpretation on religious understanding
Literal and metaphorical perspectives are two main ways through which religious followers and scholars analyze and interpret the Old Testament. As has been outlined in the previous sections, the choice of interpretation largely depends on the specific time perspective being scrutinized, as well as the type of text under study. The preceding discussions have shown how the various perspectives of time in the Old Testament, both literal and metaphorical, influence not only historical and philosophical studies, but also religious beliefs and teachings. A good example is history where if religious leaders and followers agree on a common interpretation of time, then they can easily come up with a less scandalous or absurd historical narrative. On religious practices, individual believers and religious leaders continuously seek directions from God especially in matters of ethics and emotional stability. The metaphorical and literal integrity of the text is thus essential for the Old Testament to maintain its rightful place in the religious and philosophical studies. The impact of time perspectives, literal or metaphorical, on religious beliefs and teachings thereby is quite evident in varied ways. For instance, there are people who judge and condemn certain acts and events described in the Old Testament from their own literalistic points of view. They lack the understanding of the exact time perspective and hence fail to link the events with the message the author is communicating to the world. Such limitations therefore confine the importance of the given story in religious teachings to a limited sphere. On the other hand, there are those who manipulate the metaphorical views of time to argue in favor of relativity. These views in one way or the other aim at challenging some of the religious teachings which according to the literal time perspectives of the Old Testament can never be shaken. It is therefore apparent that no matter how much critical and liberal theologians will try to advance their modern views on God, time and religious teachings, the impact of time perspectives on religious understanding is profound.

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