diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/JwtParser.java b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/JwtParser.java
index 828563ea..44019f77 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/JwtParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/JwtParser.java
@@ -28,15 +28,17 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     public static final char SEPARATOR_CHAR = '.';
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the jti claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code jti} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param id
-     * @return the parser for method chaining.
+     * @return the parser method for chaining.
      */
     JwtParser requireId(String id);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the subject claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code sub} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param subject
      * @return the parser for method chaining.
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireSubject(String subject);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the audience claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code aud} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param audience
      * @return the parser for method chaining.
@@ -52,7 +55,8 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireAudience(String audience);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the issuer claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code iss} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param issuer
      * @return the parser for method chaining.
@@ -60,7 +64,8 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireIssuer(String issuer);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the issuedAt claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code iat} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param issuedAt
      * @return the parser for method chaining.
@@ -68,7 +73,8 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireIssuedAt(Date issuedAt);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the expiration claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code exp} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param expiration
      * @return the parser for method chaining.
@@ -76,7 +82,8 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireExpiration(Date expiration);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for the notBefore claim.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code nbf} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
      * @param notBefore
      * @return the parser for method chaining
@@ -84,15 +91,14 @@ public interface JwtParser {
     JwtParser requireNotBefore(Date notBefore);
 
     /**
-     * Sets an expected value for any given claim name.
+     * Ensures that the specified {@code claimName} value is present when parsing the JWT.  If not present,
+     * an exception will be thrown indicating that the JWT is invalid and may not be used.
      *
-     * If an expectation is set for a particular claim name and the JWT being parsed does not have that claim set,
+     * If a particular claim is required and the JWT being parsed does not have that claim set,
      * a {@Link MissingClaimException} will be thrown.
      *
-     * If an expectation is set for a particular claim name and the JWT being parsed has a value that is different than
-     * the expected value, a {@link IncorrectClaimException} will be thrown.
-     *
-     * If either {@code claimName} is null or empty or {@code value} is null, the expectation is simply ignored.
+     * If a particular claim is required and the JWT being parsed has a value that is different than
+     * the required value, a {@link IncorrectClaimException} will be thrown.
      *
      * @param claimName
      * @param value
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaims.java b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaims.java
index 38df87ee..196c82ff 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaims.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaims.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class DefaultClaims extends JwtMap implements Claims {
 
     @Override
     public Date getExpiration() {
-        return getDate(Claims.EXPIRATION);
+        return get(Claims.EXPIRATION, Date.class);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public class DefaultClaims extends JwtMap implements Claims {
 
     @Override
     public Date getNotBefore() {
-        return getDate(Claims.NOT_BEFORE);
+        return get(Claims.NOT_BEFORE, Date.class);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public class DefaultClaims extends JwtMap implements Claims {
 
     @Override
     public Date getIssuedAt() {
-        return getDate(Claims.ISSUED_AT);
+        return get(Claims.ISSUED_AT, Date.class);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ public class DefaultClaims extends JwtMap implements Claims {
         Object value = get(claimName);
         if (value == null) { return null; }
 
+        if (Claims.EXPIRATION.equals(claimName) ||
+            Claims.ISSUED_AT.equals(claimName) ||
+            Claims.NOT_BEFORE.equals(claimName)
+        ) {
+            value = getDate(claimName);
+        }
+
         if (requiredType == Date.class && value instanceof Long) {
             value = new Date((Long)value);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultJwtParser.java b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultJwtParser.java
index 9bbe3b2b..a759549d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultJwtParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultJwtParser.java
@@ -381,16 +381,18 @@ public class DefaultJwtParser implements JwtParser {
             Object expectedClaimValue = expectedClaims.get(expectedClaimName);
             Object actualClaimValue = claims.get(expectedClaimName);
 
-            if (Claims.ISSUED_AT.equals(expectedClaimName)) {
-                expectedClaimValue = expectedClaims.getIssuedAt();
-                actualClaimValue = claims.getIssuedAt();
-            } else if (Claims.EXPIRATION.equals(expectedClaimName)) {
-                expectedClaimValue = expectedClaims.getExpiration();
-                actualClaimValue = claims.getExpiration();
-            } else if (Claims.NOT_BEFORE.equals(expectedClaimName)) {
-                expectedClaimValue = expectedClaims.getNotBefore();
-                actualClaimValue = claims.getNotBefore();
-            } else if (expectedClaimValue instanceof Date && actualClaimValue != null && actualClaimValue instanceof Long) {
+            if (
+                Claims.ISSUED_AT.equals(expectedClaimName) ||
+                Claims.EXPIRATION.equals(expectedClaimName) ||
+                Claims.NOT_BEFORE.equals(expectedClaimName)
+            ) {
+                expectedClaimValue = expectedClaims.get(expectedClaimName, Date.class);
+                actualClaimValue = claims.get(expectedClaimName, Date.class);
+            } else if (
+                expectedClaimValue instanceof Date &&
+                actualClaimValue != null &&
+                actualClaimValue instanceof Long
+            ) {
                 actualClaimValue = new Date((Long)actualClaimValue);
             }
 
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaimsTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaimsTest.groovy
index cb584a4d..161957f0 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaimsTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/jsonwebtoken/impl/DefaultClaimsTest.groovy
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class DefaultClaimsTest {
         def actual = new Date();
         claims.put("aDate", actual)
         Date expected = claims.get("aDate", Date.class);
-        assertEquals(expected, actual);
+        assertEquals(expected, actual)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -73,6 +73,31 @@ class DefaultClaimsTest {
         // note that Long is stored in claim
         claims.put("aDate", actual.getTime())
         Date expected = claims.get("aDate", Date.class);
-        assertEquals(expected, actual);
+        assertEquals(expected, actual)
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void testGetClaimExpiration_Success() {
+        def now = new Date(System.currentTimeMillis())
+        claims.setExpiration(now)
+        Date expected = claims.get("exp", Date.class)
+        assertEquals(expected, claims.getExpiration())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testGetClaimIssuedAt_Success() {
+        def now = new Date(System.currentTimeMillis())
+        claims.setIssuedAt(now)
+        Date expected = claims.get("iat", Date.class)
+        assertEquals(expected, claims.getIssuedAt())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testGetClaimNotBefore_Success() {
+        def now = new Date(System.currentTimeMillis())
+        claims.setNotBefore(now)
+        Date expected = claims.get("nbf", Date.class)
+        assertEquals(expected, claims.getNotBefore())
+    }
+
 }