He was numinous. vs the old times

Some examples from the web:

• I remember when my dad retired, and I asked him why he was leaving because he was obviously so passionate about what he was doing still.
• Whoever he was, he was working for Victoria.
• If he was buying another phone, that means he was hiding something.
• His aide confirmed he was there the night before he was murdered.
• He was your patient before he was mine.
• So clearly he was wearing this when he was attacked.
• He was given the only dose of an experimental vaccine right before he was bitten.
• His going-out stuff that he was wearing when he was picked up.
• He was arrested because he was fighting for his client.
• He was anxious, and witnesses got the impression that he was being pursued.
• He was kicked out when he was suspected of stealing government documents.
• He was right because he was powerful.
• He was dead before he was reported missing.
• He was physically sick, but mentally he was completely there.
• He was stalking everyone around the person he was obsessed with.
• There appear to be stitches, so he was injured before he was killed.
• He was declared temporarily insane and hospitalized until he was 21.
• He was an alcoholic and he was completely unhappy.
• He was working undercover in Pakistan when he was killed last year.
• I'm saying he was motionless or maybe he was frozen in fear.

Some examples from the web:

• Jan 29, 2011 ... Which one is correct? If none of them are, could you be so kind as to provide a correct alternative? This song reminds me of the old times.
• They loved to sit there in the silence, with only each other and the sheeny, prying lizards for company, talking of the old times and planning for the new; ...
• With what scorn a pilot was looked upon, in the old times, if he ever ventured to deal in that feeble phrase "I think," instead of the vigorous one "I know!