code: public static Date convertDate(Object target) {
          if (target instanceof JsonNode) {
              return convertDate((JsonNode) target);
          }
          DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat();
          try {
              return target instanceof Date ? (Date) target
                      : target instanceof Number ? new Date(((Number) target).longValue())
                              : target instanceof String ? df.parse(target.toString()) : null;
          } catch (ParseException e) {
              return null;
          }
      }
docs: Convert a target object to {@link Date}.
  
  @param target
  @return