Reading the Signs

As the year 2000 approached, we heard all sorts of claims about Christ's appearing in the future and the termination of the age. In times of crisis or change, there is always an upsurge of interest in the apocalyptic, and confident predictions are often made on the basis of its scheme of history.

Unfortunately, the frequent erroneous predictions and mistreatments of apocalyptic writings have led to a lack of trust in these interpretations and a lessening of sensible interest in books such as Daniel and Revelation. These writings deserve better treatment.


In Reading the Signs, T. C. Smith provides a sensible and revealing approach to studying apocalyptic writings and prepares us to better evaluate the extreme claims that are often based upon these writings.

T. C. Smith, Professor Emeritus of Furman University, is a distinguished Baptist New Testament scholar and minister. He has taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, Berkeley Baptist Divinity School and the Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley, and the American University of Beirut. Since retirement from Furman, Smith has taught adjunctively at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Davidson College. He holds degrees from Louisiana College, Southern Seminary, and the University of Edinburgh.