Final answer:
It is true that early Christians believed the end of the world was imminent, with many predicting specific dates for the Second Coming of Christ, like the years 1000 and 1033, and 19th-century movements such as the Shakers and Millerites also anticipating the apocalypse.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early Christians believed that the end of the world was imminent is true. Historical evidence suggests that throughout Christian history, there have been numerous instances where groups have anticipated the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world. One prominent example can be seen before the year 1000, where there was widespread belief that the apocalypse was near. This was not isolated to Western Europeans, as the notion of impending end times was also held by various sects across different periods, such as those of the Shakers and Millerites in the 19th century.
These millennial sects fervently embraced the belief that the Second Coming was approaching, and some, like the followers of William Miller, even set a specific date for the anticipated event. The Mormons also considered themselves as living in the "latter days" and often spoke of a forthcoming new dispensation. However, when prophesied dates for the Second Coming passed without event, such movements often lost momentum and disintegrated.
Even after the year 1000, when the anticipated apocalypse did not occur, the belief in an imminent end of the world persisted, leading to the adjustment of the anticipated date to 1033, marking a thousand years since the death of Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, time and again, these apocalyptic predictions did not manifest, yet the underlying belief in an eventual Second Coming remained an integral aspect of Christian eschatology.