Literalness is not normative or privileged

The book of Revelation raises huge interpretative issues, particularly in relation to what is considered to be literal and what metaphorical. In considering metaphor as ‘loose resemblance’ to what ‘John’ saw in a vision, we may be able to remove some of the difficulties with what appear to be polar opposites from a traditional standpoint. If we are able to view expressions such as ‘a third of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was burned up’ as a loose resemblance indicating great destruction, then we are able to deal with the fact of the grass of the earth, plants and trees being spared destruction in the following chapter.

It is important to recognise that, contrary to what we may believe, literalness is not normative or privileged.—Margaret Sim, A Relevant Way to Read, 40–41