In the context of biblical studies, the term "shifts" can refer to changes or transitions in various aspects of life, society, or divine plans as depicted in the Scriptures. These shifts can be seen in the movement of God's people, changes in leadership, transitions in covenants, and shifts in spiritual understanding or practice.

1. Shifts in Leadership:

The Bible records numerous shifts in leadership, often orchestrated by God to fulfill His purposes. One prominent example is the transition from King Saul to King David. Saul, the first king of Israel, was rejected by God due to his disobedience (1 Samuel 15:26). God then chose David, a man after His own heart, to lead Israel (1 Samuel 13:14). This shift was significant in establishing the Davidic line, from which Jesus Christ would eventually come.

2. Shifts in Covenants:

The Bible outlines several covenants between God and His people, each representing a shift in the divine-human relationship. The transition from the Old Covenant, based on the Law given to Moses, to the New Covenant, established through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a central theme in the New Testament. Hebrews 8:13 states, "By calling this covenant 'new,' He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear" . This shift emphasizes the fulfillment of the Law through Christ and the establishment of a covenant based on grace and faith.

3. Shifts in Spiritual Understanding:

Throughout the Bible, there are shifts in spiritual understanding and practice. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked a significant shift in how believers experienced God's presence and power. Acts 2:4 describes this event: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them" . This shift empowered the early church to spread the Gospel with boldness and marked the beginning of a new era in God's redemptive plan.

4. Shifts in Geographic and Social Contexts:

The Bible also records shifts in geographic and social contexts, often as part of God's plan for His people. The Exodus from Egypt represents a major shift from slavery to freedom for the Israelites. Similarly, the Babylonian Exile and subsequent return to Jerusalem were significant shifts that shaped the identity and faith of the Jewish people. Jeremiah 29:10-11 speaks to this promise of restoration: "For thus says the LORD: 'When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope'" .

5. Shifts in Eschatological Expectations:

The Bible also addresses shifts in eschatological expectations, particularly concerning the end times and the return of Christ. Jesus' teachings in the Gospels, along with the prophetic visions in the Book of Revelation, highlight a future shift from the present age to the establishment of God's eternal kingdom. Revelation 21:1-2 describes this ultimate shift: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" .

In summary, shifts in the Bible are often indicative of God's sovereign plan and purpose, demonstrating His control over history and His desire to bring about redemption and restoration for His people.

The Shifts to which Hermogenes is Reduced, who Deifies Matter, and ...
... Chapter VI."The Shifts to Which Hermogenes is Reduced, Who Deifies Matter, and
Yet is Unwilling to Hold Him Equal with the Divine Creator. ...
/.../tertullian/against hermogenes/chapter vi the shifts to which.htm

Constant, Instant, Expectant
... he uses one foot and then another; he tries his arm and stretches: now he uses one
foot and then another; he tries his arm and now his leg; he shifts his ground ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/constant instant expectant.htm

The Ancestral Home
... Daniel's grandson, Thomas, during the years between 1775 and 1834 shifts his tent
to Piscataway, New Jersey, thence to New Brunswick, thence to Somerville ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/fagg/forty years in south china/i the ancestral home.htm

Felicitous Phrases
... amusing, sympathetic, and interesting. ancient, subtle, and treacherous. annoyances,
shifts, and inconveniences. anxious, fearful, and anticipative. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iii felicitous phrases.htm

Preface
... And even though the last few decades have witnessed shifts and adjustments in the
socioreligious world, the main scheme and the future projections presented in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/preface.htm

Christ Born of a virgin, of Her Substance the Physiological Facts ...
... But to what shifts you resort, in your attempt to rob the syllable ex (of) [7211]
of its proper force as a preposition, and to substitute another for it in a ...
/.../tertullian/ on the flesh of christ/chapter xx christ born of a.htm

How to Make Use of Christ as the Life when the Soul is Dead as to ...
... of their sleep. So we see the bride shifts and putteth off Christ's call
and invitation to her, to arise and open to him. 7. Yea ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xxiii how to make.htm

Pretended Symbolical Explanations.
... Zeus and the female Hera (whence both sister and wife), he is subject to change;
if a season, he turns about: but the Deity neither changes nor shifts about. ...
/.../a plea for the christians/chapter xxii pretended symbolical explanations.htm

The Ignatian Epistles and their Claims. The Internal Evidence.
... The internal evidence of these three epistles abundantly attests that, like the
last three books of the Sibyl, they are only the last shifts of a grave ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter iii the ignatian epistles.htm

Ezra-Nehemiah
... The scene now shifts to a period at any rate fifty-eight years later (458 BC) Armed
with a commission from Artaxerxes, Ezra the scribe, of priestly lineage ...
/.../mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/ezra-nehemiah.htm

Shifts (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Shifts (1 Occurrence). 1 Kings 5:14 He sent them
to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they ...
/s/shifts.htm - 6k

Shiggaion (2 Occurrences)

/s/shiggaion.htm - 8k

Shiftless (1 Occurrence)

/s/shiftless.htm - 7k

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