Their sense of urgency was not a mistake — it was a response to the extraordinary moment they inhabited. Just like someone expecting a visitor and keeps looking out the window to see if he is arriving.
Did the Early Christians Get the “Last Days” Wrong?
Every generation of Christians eventually encounters the same uneasy question: Did the earliest believers expect Jesus to return within their lifetime — and were they simply mistaken? It’s an honest concern, because the New Testament speaks with striking urgency. Jesus warns that certain events will unfold within “this generation” (Matthew 24:34). Paul writes as though some believers might still be alive when Christ comes (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). James says “the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:8). Peter declares that “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7). And Revelation frames its visions as things that “must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1; 22:6).
At first glance, this language seems to suggest that the early Christians lived with the expectation that history was about to conclude — yet two thousand years have passed. But before assuming they were wrong, it helps to ask a deeper question: What exactly did they believe was imminent? Once we explore that, the picture becomes far richer and far more coherent.
The Bible’s Language of “Coming”
One of the most important insights comes from the Old Testament. When modern readers hear that “the Lord is coming,” we often imagine the final, visible return of Christ. But Scripture uses the word “coming” in more than one way. In the prophets, God “comes” many times without physically appearing.
Isaiah describes the Lord “riding on a swift cloud” and “coming to Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1). Micah speaks of God “coming out of his place” to tread upon the high places of the earth (Micah 1:3). These passages describe divine intervention — God acting decisively in history — not the final end of the world.
Once we recognise this pattern, the New Testament’s language begins to open up. Jesus, shaped by the prophetic tradition, often speaks in the same vocabulary. His warnings about a coming judgment echo the Old Testament’s imagery of God “coming” to judge nations. This means that not every reference to Christ’s “coming” must refer to the final, cosmic consummation.
A Crisis on the Horizon
This becomes especially clear when we consider one of the most dramatic events in early Christian memory: the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Jesus repeatedly warned that the Temple — the centre of Jewish worship — would fall. He spoke of armies surrounding the city, of unprecedented tribulation, and of a judgment that would come upon that generation (Matthew 24:2, 34). These warnings align closely with the events recorded by the historian Josephus (Josephus 1981).
Many scholars argue that Jesus was looking at two horizons at once. One was near: the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem, which did indeed occur within forty years of his ministry. The other was far: the ultimate renewal of creation, which Christians still await. The early church lived in the tension between these horizons, experiencing the first while longing for the second (Wright 1996; Sproul 1998).
The “Last Days” Have Layers
This helps explain why the New Testament speaks of the “last days” as both present and future. In one sense, the last days began with Christ’s resurrection. The kingdom of God had already broken into history. The Spirit had been poured out. A new covenant had dawned. Something decisive had already happened (Wright 2012).
And yet, in another sense, the last days were still unfolding. The final resurrection had not yet occurred. Death had not yet been destroyed. The world had not yet been visibly renewed. The kingdom had begun, but it had not yet reached its full consummation.
This “already/not yet” rhythm runs through the entire New Testament and allows Christians to say, without contradiction, that the last days have arrived — and that the last days are still ahead.
Did Some Early Christians Expect the Final End Soon?
Almost certainly. Human beings are not immune to hope or longing. The early church lived through persecution, upheaval, and the collapse of the Temple system. It is understandable that some believers may have thought the final consummation was imminent. But Christian doctrine does not collapse simply because Christian expectation is sometimes over‑eager. Hope is not error. Expectation is not failed prophecy.
A More Nuanced, More Beautiful Picture
When we put all of this together, the early Christian view of the last days becomes far richer than the simple claim that “they got it wrong.” They lived in a moment of genuine eschatological significance. They saw God act in history. They witnessed the fall of the old covenant order. They believed, rightly, that the kingdom had already begun. And they looked forward, rightly, to the day when Christ would return in glory.
Their sense of urgency was not a mistake — it was a response to the extraordinary moment they inhabited. Just like someone expecting a visitor and keeps looking out the window to see if he is arriving.
Perhaps that is the real lesson for us. The early Christians were not embarrassed by the nearness of God. They lived as though history mattered, as though God was at work, as though the world was moving toward a goal. They lived with expectation — not because they miscalculated, but because they believed that God was not distant.
Maybe that is the heart of Christian eschatology: not a timetable, but a posture. A way of living alert to God’s presence, God’s action, and God’s future.
References (Harvard Style)
Biblical Texts The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles.
Secondary Sources
Akin, J. (2019). The Bible is a Catholic Book. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.
Craig, W.L. (2008). Reasonable Faith. Wheaton: Crossway.
Josephus, F. (1981). The Jewish War. Translated by G.A. Williamson. London: Penguin.
MacArthur, J. (1999). The Second Coming. Wheaton: Crossway.
Sproul, R.C. (1998). The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids: Baker.
Wright, N.T. (1996). Jesus and the Victory of God. London: SPCK.
Wright, N.T. (2012). How God Became King. London: SPCK.