Visionary Literature yall.

What this means?

How to Read the Bible as Literature: Visionary Literature

1. The Bible has many symbolic parts

2. We have to look for those symbols true meaning

3. Be careful on interpretation

4. Don't over analyze

5. The goal is to grasp the over all meaning of the passage

Allyson Carroll, Ben Nix, and Hayden Henderson

Visionary Literature Quote

"When reading visionary literature, be prepared to use your imagination to picture a world that transcends earthly reality" (Ryken 167).

To expedite on this, the bible contains material that goes beyond earthly possibility and must be read with and open imagination to visualize scenes or characters that could not be visualized with a strictly "only possible" mindset.

Key Elements of Accurate Literary Interpretation

1. Imagination- because most of visionary literature is not real

2. Symbolism- certain things may be proved to be true but it is how were they expressed through symbols in the Bible.

3. Keen Eye- look for symbols

4. Don't over analyze- not everything has a hidden meaning

5. The over-all meaning is the goal

Problems of the Genre

• When reading visionary literature, one must expand his imagination in order the visualize unfamiliar scenes
• Requires "the willing suspension of disbelief" which is a formula for justifying fantastic or non-realistic elements in literature
• Example: We know that one can not fly with wings, but when reading about this people suspend their disbelief and enter the realm of make-believe to understand the truth being conveyed
• Often readers do not allow their minds to think beyond the surface level
• Visionary literature includes symbols that are often complicated to interpret
• It could give off the wrong idea depending on how one uses their imagination
• Some do not know when to study the text generally and when to study it as a fantasy
• It is written in brief units and always changing direction, making it difficult to follow

Visionary Literature Defined

Visionary Literature: Pictures settings, characters, and events

that differ from ordinary reality.

Major Characteristics

1- Allows the reader to escape reality and read something other than the defined barriers of possibilities of the real world (anything is possible to imagine through visionary literature)

2- Visionary literature can reverse or transform reality, such as how God predicts wrath and blessings in the Bible (Isiah 32:9-10 and Amos 9:13)

3- Supernatural worlds such as heaven and hell could not be possible without visionary literature

4-We can visualize supernatural agents and hellish creatures through visionary literature

(for example: God and Angels & "living creatures" with "six wings and ... covered with eyes all around" [Revelation 4:8])