Christians, if God's prophecies will inevitably come true, why are they symbolic and not literal?

God has chosen to communicate to us in a way that does two important things:

1) It makes us work diligently enough to find the meaning that once we have learned it we appreciate and value the message--and remember it better.

2) He has communicated in a way that survives translation through both time and language.

Consider this: there were no airplanes in Christ's day, or that of the prophets. How would they have been able to use the word "airplane" if it didn't exist then? And let's just say they had used said word--how would it have been translated today? No one then would have known what it meant--so there would be no equivalent for it in the modern languages either.

Blessings!

EDIT: For those who want to test one of God's prophecies, or to prove that God does not exist (i.e. prove the prophecy false), it is as simple as doing just one thing: Rebuild and/or live in Babylon! God has said it will never again be built. (Jeremiah chapters 25 & 50)

You must study the writing styles to understand this. For example, the apocolyptic writing style of the Revelation was written in a codified form for a reason. It was in order to avoid Roman persecution. The symbols that are used are not obscure at all, and are repeatedly used and people do know what they mean. For example, a "horn" is used to represent a ruler, king, or great leader. A "whore" is used to represent an apostate religious group (ie, a religion that is gone wrong or impure) "Babylon" is used to represent a secular nation or system. The "sea" represents non-Jewish people groups, and etcetera.

However, most of the Biblical prophecy is NOT written in apocolyptic style and is very clearly and literally understood. For example, over 60 specific prophecies about Jesus were written over 200 years prior to his birth...(example, "they cast lots for his clothing" which the Romans actually did, and that he was "pierced through" which he was with a spear, and that he would be born in "Bethlehem" but he would be "called a Nazerene", and many others that were very clear cut) Also, the prophecies against Tyre and Sidon came true and are still true to this day.

how could the Bible written before the first century have such detail concerning what happened in 2001...... that some jumbo jet airplanes would be hijacked and flown by arabs using box cutters as weapons to bash into two buildings over 100 floors tall.. in the city of new york in the nation of america?

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prophecy of the Bible involves Israel and other equally old nations that make some impact on / against Israel. it doesnt concern itself with events in america which isnt even 250 years old yet.

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some prophetic events concerning Israel: becoming a nation 1948.

the Jews return to the land of Israel: after the berlin wall came down in 1989.

other events in the news is a matter of prophecy from the Bible concerning Israel.

europe becoming a conglomerate of nations, the "eu" is a matter of prophecy.

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if you are looking for fulfilled prophecies of the Bible and prophetic end time events then do a search on it and you'll find a plethora of websites and articles to keep you busy for quite some time.

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Only those of little faith, that know little or nothing about the overall will of God, believe the Bible to be symbolic, and not literal. As for what He is "trying to hide", the hidden things of God were revealed to the Apostle Paul by the risen Christ almost 20 centuries ago. For 99% of "professing Christians", it is STILL a mystery!

because prophecies of any sort are just like horoscopes. Horoscopes are written in such a fashion that you can read anything in any of them to suit you. Prophecies can't name a specific date and time because, frankly, they're bogus. Oh sure you can say that in the future humans will fight a great war and a great plague and darkness will reign blah de blah... but there is always a war, define plague, and every generation thinks their generation is the worst one the world has ever seen.

I believe that every single prophesy that God makes to his people, will most certainly literally come true; just as they have done in the past. Just as God's Word says in 2 Tim. 3:1, I truly believe that it is speaking of the days in which we are living today. If we are not living today in perilous times, I do not know what else you would call it.

Man can't understand the ways of God. You must be born in the spirit to understand the things of God. They are not vague. They are very very specific. The message is that God will revenge against evil, and the only way to escape his eternal wrath is to follow Christ. See the link.

Just about every prophecy I have seen is very literal.

Which ones are you finding vague and symbolic and hard to understand?

He wasn't trying to hide anything. It was the only way for people to understand the actual meaning of them at the time.

Why do you want to contradict God?

Just have faith, it's so depressing to sit there and try to prove God wrong and that life has no meaning.

Read the bible.