Absolutely. And everything that can be taken literally should be taken literally. Clearly Herod being a four-legged animal can't be taken literally.
In John 18:36 we read "my kingdom is not of this world". That simple statement alone should indicate that 99% of the speculation on the book of Revelation is on the wrong trail.
99% is pretty high. But let's understand something regarding John 18:36. The Lord's Prayer reads: "Thy Kingdom come ... on earth as it is in heaven".
He taught his disciples to pray for His Father to send the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. Jesus's Kingdom is not of this world. It is in Heaven at the moment. But it will be established on this earth when He returns. His Father will send the King along with the Kingdom when the time is right.
Figurative truth is just as valid as literal truth. If we always keep in mind the clear context of the Bible it helps greatly in knowing what the figurative language is about and not about.
Absolutely ---
....Absolutely. And everything that can be taken literally should be taken literally.
These are two radically different statements. The second one is profoundly unbiblical. Remember Acts 15?