Interpret the text literally and grammatically

J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, Grand Rapids: Dunham, 1964, pg 9, "The literal method of interpretation is that method that gives to each word the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage... It is called the grammatical-historical method to emphasize ... that the meaning is to be determined by both grammatical and historical considerations."

Paul Tan, "To determine the normal and customary usages of Bible language it is necessary to consider the accepted rules of grammar and rhetoric, as well as the factual historical and cultural data of Bible times."

Paul N. Benware, Understanding End Times Prophesy, Moody Publishers, Chigago, pg 23, "Literal interpretation assumes that, since God wants His revelation understood by people, He based His revelatory communication on the normal rules of human communication... Literal interpretation understands that in normal communication and in the Scriptures figures of speech are valuable as communication devices... Literal interpretation is to be the basic, primary way of approaching the texts of Bible prophecies. Generally speaking, literal interpretation is a system based on the grammatical-historical approach of hermeneutics... This general approach provides the foundation for true interpretation. However, it is not the whole story, as Elliott Johnson observes, 'What we have discovered is that a normative principle must be a general principle, but a general principle cannot legislate a particular sense or senses. Rather a general principle can only specify general limits to a textual sense. Thus our definition of literal would be appropriately designated as a system of limits. This system specifies the general maxim... that any sort of text is consistently interpreted in its own context. As an example, "serpent" as a word normally means "animal" and only an animal. But this normal usage and sense does not legislate that "serpent" in Genesis 3:14 must mean merely an animal. On the other hand, a literal system begins with recognizing "serpent" as an animal. Then it looks to the immediate or extended contexts for other clues to the meaning. This serpent speaks (3:1-5), and speaks as an enemy of God. Thus in the literal system, this serpent is more than an animal; it is God's enemy... The value of this literal system is that it specifies a normative role for the textual contexts in interpretation and a normative practice of interpretation. It thereby excludes ideas extrinsic to the text.' It is essential, therefore, to have this literal mind-set as we approach the prophetic Word of God. Without it there is no reliable check on an interpretation, and the interpreter becomes the final authority. If in Genesis 17:8 the land of Canaan does not refer to a specific piece of real estate in the Middle East, to what does it refer? Can it refer to heaven or the church? Such ideas would come from outside the text of Genesis 17:8. But when such spiritualizing or allegorizing takes place, the interpretation is no longer grounded in fact, and the text becomes putty in the hand of the interpreter."