Signs of the times (Matthew 16:3)

slider

The Bible has been the most influential text in all of Western culture. It's difficult to understand medieval or early modern or much of modern literature without knowing it...

Prof. Barbara Newman, Northwestern University
from 2006 Bible Literary project

slider

It's not that it's impossible to read some writers without a Biblical background, but that you would miss a whole dimension to their work.

Prof. Steven Goldsmith, University of California at Berkeley
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

slider

I can only say that if a student doesn't know any Bible literature, he or she will simply not understand whole elements of Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth

Prof. Robert Kiely, Harvard University
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

slider

...there is truth in the remark. "without Tyndale[Bible translator], no Shakespeare"...

Prof. David Daniell, University College London
from The Bible in English

slider

You can't really study Western literature intelligently or coherently without starting with the Bible.

Prof. Gerald L. Bruns, University of Notre Dame
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

slider

...a familiar understanding of Christian doctrine in historical perspective thus contributes to a fuller appreciation of Shakespeare's art, but Shakespeare's art

Prof. Roland M. Frye
from Shakespeare and the Christian Doctrine

slider

In English tradition and also for an American tradition begun by Puritan writers, a knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is even more crucial than classical references.

Prof. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, Princeton University
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

slider

There is no book more important for our culture than the Bible, and it is fundametal to the study of English literature and language.

Prof. David Jasper and Prof. Stephen Prickett
from the Bible and literature

Signs of the times (Matthew 16:3)

bible verse

“…and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:3)

meaning

origin and application

Jesus said the above in a response to the Pharisees and Sadducees who tried to tempt him to give a sign from heaven. The “signs of the times” that these people cannot interpret are signs that Christ is coming.
Signs of the times became a popular catchphrase to mean signs that take place at our time. “Sign o’ the Times” was used as a title of a famous album by Prince in 1987. Later, Mob Rules in his live album released in 2005 has a namesake title.

example

Children getting fat because of a lack of exercise is a sign of the times.

Keywords

signs times

Related Information

NIV official site
Chinese Bible (???)

< Previous Next >

Signs of the times (Matthew 16:3)

bible verse

meaning

origin and application

example

Keywords

Related Information

Search idiom or name

FIND THE ORIGIN OF IDIOMS

From A-Z

Find By Book In The Bible

What's in a name?

Society for English Learning Through Biblical Literature

About Us

Resources