Seems Paul thinks the 2nd Coming was imminent in his day or he would not be using it as an inspiration for godly living. I got to thinking he did return in their day but we just don't know HOW he returned because we make assumption about what that should look like. So I got to searching around the New Testament and found several authors and Jesus himself who also believed in an imminent return and found a lot of reason to think he did just that in 70 AD. Here are 22 verses that indicate he was going to return in their lifetime. Are we prepared to say they all got it wrong or would it be better to think we got it wrong as to how it should look?

JESUS SAID HE WOULD RETURN IN THEIR LIFETIME:

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Mt. 16:27,28

“Tell us, when will these things be (the destruction of the temple), and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age? . . . This generation will not pass away until all of these things take place.” – Mt. 24:3,34

“Behold, I am coming soon! (tachu – quickly, speedily (without delay)) Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” – Rev. 22:7,12,20

“You (Chief Priests and Sanhedrin) shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” – Mt. 26:64

“If I want him (John) to remain until I come, what is that to you. You follow me!” – Jn. 21:21-23 (According to church tradition, all the apostles except John died before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.)

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” – Mt. 10:22-23

JOHN WROTE THAT JESUS IS COMING SOON

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly (en tachos – lit.: in speed, usages: quickly, shortly, soon, speedily) come to pass.” – Rev. 1:1

“Blessed is he that reads . . . hears . . . and keeps the things written (in this prophecy), for the time is at hand.” (eggus – near, of place or position). – Rev. 1:3

“The world is passing away . . . it is the last hour (eschatos ) . . . Even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.” – 1 Jn. 2:17-18

THE ANGEL WHO SPOKE TO JOHN SHOWED HIM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SOON

“The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” (en tachos – quickly) – Rev. 22:6

PAUL EXORTED THEM TO GODLY LIVING BECAUSE THEIR TIME WAS SHORT

“The time is short (sustello – to draw together, hence, to wrap up), from now on it would be wise for those who have wives to be as if they had them not.” – 1 Cor. 7:29

“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” – Rom. 13:11-12

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” – Rom. 16:20

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” – 1 Cor. 10:11

THE WRITER OF HEBREWS ENCOURAGED PERSEVERANCE BECAUSE JESUS WOULD NOT DELAY HIS COMING

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching. . . . You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.”” – Heb. 10:25,36-37

JAMES WROTE THE SECOND COMING WAS IMMINENT

“The coming of the Lord is at hand . . . the Judge is standing right at the door” – 5:8,9

PETER WROTE THAT THEY WERE IN THE LAST DAYS AND IT WAS TIME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN

“Christ was manifest in these last times.” (eschatos – extreme, last in time, place, or space) – 1 Pet. 1:20

“The end of all things is at hand.” (eggizo – to come or bring near, to join one thing to another, to approach) – 1 Pet. 4:7

“It is time for judgment to begin.” – 1 Pet. 4:17

Whew!

That’s twenty two statements in the New Testament encouraging the brethren to godly living because Jesus was about to return, in the lifetime of at least some of them. Only two authors in the whole New Testament don’t have anything to say about this.