I just made the point that “nonliteral” doesn’t mean “not real.” In fact, when that interpretive approach happens in the New Testament, the meaning of a passage goes beyond a mundane “literal” expectation.
One of the more dramatic examples of a more-than-literal interpretation is what Luke does with a prophecy in Amos. In Amos 9:11–12, a prophecy about a time far distant to the prophet himself, God says through Amos:
In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name.
On the surface—literally, one might say—the prophecy seems to be about repairing a physical structure, perhaps a tent booth (Deut. 16:13–16) or a wall. The purpose of this restoration is that “they” may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations called by God’s name. The identity of “they” isn’t specified, but given the history of Edom, one expects Israel is the one who will possess Edom. That creates the possibility that the “booth” of David may be metaphorical for David’s dynasty.
Luke doesn’t see any of that in Acts 15. In that chapter Peter relates the vision (Acts 10) God showed him about the message of salvation being for Gentiles, not Jews only. Right after that, when the apostle James hears about Paul’s new ministry to the Gentiles, he sees what God has accomplished through Peter and Paul as the fulfillment of Amos 9! Luke writes:
With this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; . . . that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name.” (Acts 15:15–17)
Luke (and James) don’t balk at accepting a dramatically abstracted interpretation (Edom becomes “mankind,” and “nations” is made the more specific “Gentiles”). This is quite different than what one would “literally” expect as a prophetic outcome, but it is quite real since the gospel was truly for everyone. When we study Scripture, we need to be open to other passages, especially those involving prophecy, working this way too.