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The early Christians thought this too, until they were dying of old age and various believers decided they'd better write something down.

Actually, in Biblical terms, we have been in the "end times" since the Day of Pentecost.

Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilences, and not to be troubled by them, and there has been. During the Black Plague, some people thought it was the end of the world. When the calendar turned over from 999 to 1000, there were people who thought it was the end of the world. The fact is, there have been wars, rumors of wars, diseases, plagues, earthquakes and such since sin came into the world. It is part of living in a cursed creation, and so it will be until Christ returns to judge the quick and the dead and create a new heavens and a new earth.

I rather believe that Jesus died heartbroken that his role as "Messiah" - which term similarly described both David and Solomon while neither claimed divinity - did not lead to his either ridding Judaea of the Romans, nor to his anticipation of "rebuilding" The Temple.

I'd rather recall Jesus as a Jew, and rabbi, who may yet succeed in his task if Israel stands the test of time, in a way similar to how I believe we will have won the Vietnam war by winning the current one.

Yet it's difficult for me to view Paul as any more than a "Hellenizer" of a message which I don't feel Jesus would have understood, no less endorsed.

Though while I in no way would condemn a Christian for her/his beliefs by Deuteronomy 4:19 and Malachi 1:11, as I wrote in my earlier post, and yet fervantly believe, I'll continue to love God, fear Him as to try and not fear humanity so much and try to do good as best I can.