I'm sure any Christian would be happy to tell you which verses are literal and which are figurative. I guarantee their opinions will be different from all the other 2 billion Christians. It seems the writers were very uneducated about astronomy when they wrote this stuff. They had no clue the stars were balls of burning gas millions of miles away from earth. This is yet more evidence that the guys who wrote the Bible should have no influence on society today.
2007-06-15 06:50:11
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answer #1
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answered by razzthedestroyer 2
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Well, for a believer, it would depend mainly upon your personal convictions. Some verses may come off as being more straightforward than others, but some still may more abstract and paint a picture which few can see.
This verse could describe an eclipse, a powerful bomb, or possibly even an airborne war tactic taking place during an eclipse.
God does not have to "defy" science, because He created it, and He knows every law of science, even those yet undiscovered. He knows what rules may be bent and stretched to His will, without being broken. Much in the same way that experts in other fields know when to ignore some rules in order to make the larger picture work out favorably for them in the end.
2007-06-15 13:23:32
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answer #2
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answered by lildemocrat86 3
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And behold, the Great Asteroid was perturbed by the planet Jupiter so that its orbit became unstable, and yea it changed its eternal path and entered unto a direct path that would bring it to the planet Earth, and after many orbit it came to pass that the Great Asteroid came into direct contact with the Earth. There was a great tribulation amongst the population as they saw the dark cloud of dust and fire that the Great Asteroid threw up into the sky, and there was weeping and the gnashing of teeth as the fire overtook the population and killed all.
And that is how the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago.
2007-06-15 13:20:31
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answer #3
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answered by ? 6
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I think this is an easy passage to take literally as many of the things it describes can easily happen. Sun is black - eclipse. Moon as blood - there is a blood moon you know - it happens when the Earth comes between the Moon and the Sun, it is a type of eclipse too that makes the moon look red. And the stars falling, well besides shooting stars there are very foggy nights or due to pollution that you have starless nights. So pick another passage. You shouldn't have trouble finding the ones you are not suppossed to take literally. Happy Hunting!
2007-06-15 13:16:12
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answer #4
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answered by Another Garcia 5
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It depends on how far and deep you want to interpret this. Eventually, our sun will implode in on itself, so the first part of the verse can be true. The moon can "look" red from the earth's perspective if an asteroid were to hit the planet as back in the days of the dinosaurs. And again, comets and asteroids hitting the earth can be mistaken for stars.
2007-06-15 13:18:33
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answer #5
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answered by gxl 1
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Sorry, but this one is so obvious that it's painful:
"and the sun became black AS sackcloth of hair, and the moon became AS blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth"
In other words, it looks like it, but isn't - sheesh! Here's the problem with so many former Christian atheists: they have poor interpretive skills and are generally weak willed. The minute they encounter difficulty, they fold and blame either the bible or else God.
2007-06-15 13:18:29
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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Come come, even you are laughing with tongue in cheek over this question.
the quote the sun...etc, could certainly be a comet hitting the earth scattering dust into the atmosphere so as the moon would appear blood and even the sun to disappear for awhile.
Could this be a warning unto mankind of an impending disaster, catastrophic in nature to this earth...it has happened before you know.
2007-06-15 13:16:25
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answer #7
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answered by kickinupfunf 6
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The bible is written in many different styles. Some of it is to be understood literally. Such as the historical texts. Like, Chronicles. Some is written figuratively, in poetic language. Although, Hebrew poetry is quite different than English/American. Like, Psalms. However, just because its figurative, does not suggest that it does not have something substantial to contribute. Revelations is John's vision that he believed came from God. It is written figuratively. However, biblical scholars believe that each thing is symbolic of a real thing. Look at a reputable commentary if you are trying to understand this passage.
2007-06-15 13:19:18
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answer #8
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answered by Zuker 5
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No. And there is also evidence that this was actually encrypted message in the form of a letter and is not even about the end of time. Some people take it literally. Who cares, if the end of the world is coming who am I to worry about trying to stop it.
2007-06-15 13:18:04
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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"stars are lightyears away and much larger than the earth "
Obviously the all-loving being who brings this down upon us will have to form wormholes to get the stars here so quickly. This will use up most of their mass and energy and keep the destruction down to Biblical proportions, rather than cosmological proportions.
2007-06-15 13:44:23
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answer #10
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answered by Jay 3
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