“In those days” in the Bible often refers to a specific time period in the past when significant events occurred or divine actions were taken. It serves to contextualize narratives and prophecies, indicating a time of specific historical or spiritual significance.
Scripture
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
4 There were giants in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Meaning of “In Those Days” in the Bible
The phrase “in those days” appears frequently throughout the Bible, serving as a temporal marker that grounds the narrative in a particular historical or spiritual context. It often refers to times of trial, divine intervention, prophetic utterances, or pivotal moments in Israel’s history. For example, in the book of Jeremiah, the phrase is employed to denote a future time of restoration: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:31, NIV). Here, “in those days” signals a prophetic vision of renewal and hope, contrasting the present hardships experienced by the Israelites and framing God’s promise of grace and transformation.
Additionally, in the New Testament, “in those days” signals a bridge between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. For instance, in Luke 1:5, the mention of “in the days of Herod” places the birth of John the Baptist within a specific historical moment that was fraught with oppression but also ripe for divine action. This phrase not only highlights critical events but also emphasizes God’s continual engagement with humanity across different eras, assuring believers that God’s purposes are unfolding throughout history. Collectively, these occurrences encourage reflection on divine faithfulness and the anticipation of future fulfillment, reminding readers that significant spiritual transformations often arise from tumultuous times, resonating with the cyclical nature of trials and triumphs in the biblical narrative.
“In those days” also evokes the backdrop of significant societal and spiritual changes. For instance, the phrase enhances the understanding of the context in the book of Judges, illustrating a time when Israel was characterized by moral ambiguity and chaos. The recurring refrain in Judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” indicates a period of disorganization and a longing for leadership. This underscores a national identity crisis, hinting at the need for divine governance to restore order. The phrase thus encapsulates not just a time frame, but a complex condition that necessitates God’s intervention to re-establish righteousness and community cohesion.
Furthermore, the phrase serves a pivotal role in the prophetic literature, where it often foreshadows future promises and Messianic hope. For example, in the prophetic visions illustrated by Isaiah, the notion of “in those days” suggests an eschatological future when peace and justice will reign under divine rule. Such references distinguish the present struggles faced by the faithful and the anticipated age of restoration where God’s glory will fill the earth. By framing these prophetic utterances with “in those days,” the text invites readers to maintain faith amid current adversities, while looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises. This ongoing thread in biblical narrative reinforces the continuity between past trials and future hope, indicating that God’s plan unfolds progressively through various epochs.
Historical Context and Prophetic Significance
The phrase “in those days” often serves to anchor a narrative within a specific historical context, indicating a time of significant events or transitions. It can refer to periods of turmoil, divine intervention, or prophetic fulfillment. This temporal marker helps readers understand the circumstances surrounding the events being described, often highlighting the need for God’s guidance or the fulfillment of His promises during challenging times.
Eschatological Implications
In many biblical texts, “in those days” is used to refer to future events, particularly in eschatological contexts. It can signify a time of restoration, judgment, or the establishment of God’s kingdom. This phrase invites believers to reflect on the hope and expectations surrounding the end times, emphasizing the continuity of God’s plan throughout history and the ultimate fulfillment of His promises.
Spiritual Reflection and Moral Lessons
The phrase also serves as a prompt for spiritual reflection, encouraging readers to consider the moral and ethical lessons from the past. By invoking “in those days,” the text often calls attention to the behaviors, choices, and consequences faced by individuals or communities, urging contemporary readers to learn from these examples and apply the lessons to their own lives. This reflective aspect emphasizes the timeless nature of biblical teachings and their relevance across generations.
How to Deepen Your Faith and Understanding of Scripture
Deepening your faith and understanding of Scripture is a journey that requires both intention and openness. Start by setting aside dedicated time each day for prayer and reflection, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding as you read. Choose a specific book of the Bible to focus on, allowing its themes and messages to unfold over time. Consider journaling your thoughts and questions, as this can help you process what you’re learning and how it applies to your life. Engaging with a community—whether through a Bible study group or church fellowship—can also enrich your experience, as sharing insights and perspectives often illuminates passages in ways you might not have considered alone. Remember, deepening your faith is not just about knowledge; it’s about cultivating a relationship with God, so approach your study with a heart open to transformation and a desire to live out the teachings of Christ in your daily life.
Bible References to “In Those Days”:
Deuteronomy 4:30-31: 30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice.
31 for the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
Judges 17:6-10: 6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place.
9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.”
10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in.
1 Samuel 3:1-4: 3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!”
Isaiah 2:2-4: 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 And many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”
4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Jeremiah 3:16-18: 16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.
17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
Ezekiel 38:16-18: 16 You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land.
17 “Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?
18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused.
Daniel 12:1-3: 1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Hosea 3:4-5: 4 For the people of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods.
5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.
Joel 2:28-32: 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”
29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.”
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Amos 9:11-15: 11 “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old,”
12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,”
declares the Lord who does this.
13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.”
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
Micah 4:1-3: 1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it.
2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Zechariah 8:23-23: 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Matthew 24:19-22: 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Mark 13:17-20: 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
18 And pray that it may not happen in winter.
19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.
20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
Luke 21:23-24: 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.
24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Acts 2:17-21: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;”
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Timothy 3:1-5: 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Hebrews 1:1-2: 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Revelation 9:6-10: 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces,
8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.
9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.
10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.