Maimonides’ naturalization of prophecy and revelation goes to great lengths.

We find it also necessary to say a few words on the figures (الاستعارات al-isti’arat), hyperboles (ألإغياآت), and exaggerations (المبالغات al-mubalighat) that occur in Scripture [literally, ‘in the texts of the prophetic books’ في نصوص الكتب النبوة]. They would create strange ideas if we were to take them literally without noticing the exaggeration which they contain, or if we were to understand them in accordance with the original meaning of the terms, ignoring the fact that these are used figuratively.

What are some examples of what Maimonides would like to declare as figurative? The hint, of course, lies in the formula that one must “distinguish between that which is possible, and that which is impossible”. So we find that when God says in Ezekiel XXXII.33 “I will blot him out out from the book of life”, Maimonides is convinced that “we must not assume that God has a book in which He writes, or from which he blots out”.

The guiding principle for Maimonides is reason, as he exhorts his pupil:

Employ your reason, and you will be able to discern what is said allegorically, figuratively, or hyperbolically, and what is meant literally, exactly according to the original meaning of the words. You will then understand all prophecies, learn and retain rational principles of faith, pleasing in the eyes of God who is most pleased with truth, and most displeased with falsehood; your mind and heart will not be so perplexed as to believe or accept as law what is untrue or improbable, whilst the Law is perfectly true when properly understood. … If you adopt this method, you will not imagine the existence of things which God has not created, or accept principles which might partly lead to atheism, or to a corruption of your notions of God so as to ascribe to Him corporeality, attributes, or emotions, as has been shown by us, nor will you believe that the words of the prophets are false: for the cause of this disease is ignorance of what we have explained.