Did the verses "Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, 'Come willingly or unwillingly'" and "And He made them testify against themselves, 'Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yes!'" come as metaphors, similes, and imagery, not as reality?

Scholars have stated that the default is to interpret a word literally, unless a metaphorical interpretation is strongly supported by common usage or other evidence, because the literal meaning is what first comes to mind. Some exegetes have indeed narrated that the two verses mentioned in the question are to be interpreted metaphorically, but the preponderant view—as stated by Ash-Shawkani—is to interpret them literally, due to established reports traced back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and statements from the Companions. There is no need for a metaphorical interpretation.