7} Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. {8} You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. James 5:7-8 (NASB)
18} Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 1 John 2:18 (NASB)
{2} For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. {3} While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 (NASB)
(Who are "they" and what is the "destruction" that will "come upon them suddenly?")
But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. {29} "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' {30} "Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US.' {31} "For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Luke 23:28-31 (NASB)
and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; {17} for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Revelation 6:12-17 (NASB)
Every one of the apostles believed they would see these events unfold in their lifetime. Jesus even told them they would!
{1} And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." Mark 9:1 (NASB)
John wrote these things were "coming soon", and the "time was near
." A growing number of biblical scholars now believe John's gospel was written in 65 or 66 AD. If so, there's only one event that fits all the events foretold by Peter, Paul, James, Matthew, Luke, and Mark. Only one.
From both external and internal evidence of the Book of Revelation,
an early date is the only option which will harmonize well with the content of the book. Although the later date of 96 AD is widely accepted in many Christian circles and groups today (even though this theory basically only rests on one statement in one external source), the evidence in the book of Revelation itself points rather clearly to an earlier date of 65-66 AD for the time of writing, the time when John was banned to the Isle of Patmos during the persecution by Caeasar Nero.
Believing the words of the Lord given to the apostles doesn't make one an "evil preterist", it makes one a disciple of Christ.
For what it's worth.