Dreams are not ALWAYS metaphorical as you say. For even God has given me proof of this in my life as well in scriptures you can see it.
Remember Joseph? how he saw his family bow down to him? and it came to pass just as he seen it?
Also the Lord has given me a dream before that came to pass just the way i seen it.
In the dream i was fishing with a friend in a small pond that is not so far from my house. In the dream i had two fishing lines in the water. One was right off the bank to my left , and the Other was to the right of that one a little ways ( not useualy where i would cast ). In the dream I got a bite on both lines , and i couldnt get both at the same time so my friend grabbed the other one , and at the same time we both tryed to hook the fish , my friend missed his fish , but i caught mine , i realed it in and and looked at it , then woke up.
Well about 3 months later , me and my friend were going fishing at that pond , i told him about the dream , and i said lets go sit here like i seen in my dream , and il cast my poles out right were they were in the dream , ( for he was wanting to sit on the other side of me , but i wanted it to be like i seen in the dream just to see) . and sure enough just as i seen in the dream it happen! I got a bite on both lines and just like the dream he got one and i got the other. He missed his fish and i realed mine in , just like the dream i held it up and it was the same size as i seen in the dream.
This makes me wonder things , would that have happen that way if God did not give me the dream? Consider what happen to joseph , would josephs family had bowed to him if God did not give joseph the dream? Then josephs brothers would not have sold him . Its amazing to me these things to see them come to pass , its a marvoul to me How That God knows the future.
However i do consider that it could mean something else , but i doubt it at this point , i know there is going to be another flood

God bless you and keep you.
Yours brother in Christ
st_joel