the great controversy-第80节

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evidence　that　the　end　of　all　things　was　at　hand。　In　different　lands　there
were　isolated　bodies　of　Christians　who；　solely　by　the　study　of　the
Scriptures；　arrived　at　the　belief　that　the　Saviour's　advent　was　near。

In　1821；　three　years　after　Miller　had　arrived　at　his　exposition　of　the
prophecies　pointing　to　the　time　of　the　judgment；　Dr。　Joseph　Wolff；　〃the
missionary　to　the　world；〃　began　to　proclaim　the　Lord's　soon　coming。　Wolff
was　born　in　Germany；　of　Hebrew　parentage；　his　father　being　a　Jewish　rabbi。
While　very　young　he　was　convinced　of　the　truth　of　the　Christian　religion。　Of
an　active；　inquiring　mind；　he　had　been　an　eager　listener　to　the
conversations　that　took　place　in　his　father's　house　as　devout　Hebrews　daily
assembled　to　recount　the　hopes　and　anticipations　of　their　people；　the　glory
of　the　coming　Messiah；　and　the　restoration　of　Israel。　One　day　hearing　Jesus
of　Nazareth　mentioned；　the　boy　inquired　who　He　was。　〃A　Jew　of　the　greatest
talent；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but　as　He　pretended　to　be　the　Messiah；　the　Jewish
tribunal　sentenced　Him　to　death。〃　〃Why；〃　rejoined　the　questioner；　〃is
Jerusalem　destroyed；　and　why　are　we　in　captivity？〃　〃Alas；　alas！〃　answered
his　father；　〃because　the　Jews　murdered　the　prophets。〃　The　thought　was　at
once　suggested　to　the　child：　〃Perhaps　Jesus　was　also　a　prophet；　and　the　Jews
killed　Him　when　He　was　innocent。〃Travels　and　Adventures　of　the　Rev。　Joseph
Wolff；　vol。　1；　p。　6。　So　strong　was　this　feeling　that；　though　forbidden　to
enter　a　Christian　church；　he　would　often　linger　outside　to　listen　to　the
preaching。

When　only　seven　years　old　he　was　boasting　to　an　aged　Christian　neighbor　of
the　future　triumph　of　Israel　at　the　advent　of　the　Messiah；　when　the　old　man
said　kindly：　〃Dear　boy；　I　will　tell　you　who　the　real　Messiah　was：　He　was
Jesus

358

of　Nazareth；　。　。　。　whom　your　ancestors　have　crucified；　as　they　did　the
prophets　of　old。　Go　home　and　read　the　fifty…third　chapter　of　Isaiah；　and　you
will　be　convinced　that　Jesus　Christ　is　the　Son　of　God。〃Ibid。；　vol。　1；　p。
7。　Conviction　at　once　fastened　upon　him。　He　went　home　and　read　the
scripture；　wondering　to　see　how　perfectly　it　had　been　fulfilled　in　Jesus　of
Nazareth。　Were　the　words　of　the　Christian　true？　The　boy　asked　of　his　father
an　explanation　of　the　prophecy；　but　was　met　with　a　silence　so　stern　that　he
never　again　dared　to　refer　to　the　subject。　This；　however；　only　increased　his
desire　to　know　more　of　the　Christian　religion。

The　knowledge　he　sought　was　studiously　kept　from　him　in　his　Jewish　home；
but；　when　only　eleven　years　old；　he　left　his　father's　house　and　went　out
into　the　world　to　gain　for　himself　an　education；　to　choose　his　religion　and
his　lifework。　He　found　a　home　for　a　time　with　kinsmen；　but　was　soon　driven
from　them　as　an　apostate；　and　alone　and　penniless　he　had　to　make　his　own　way
among　strangers。　He　went　from　place　to　place；　studying　diligently　and
maintaining　himself　by　teaching　Hebrew。　Through　the　influence　of　a　Catholic
instructor　he　was　led　to　accept　the　Romish　faith　and　formed　the　purpose　of
becoming　a　missionary　to　his　own　people。　With　this　object　he　went；　a　few
years　later；　to　pursue　his　studies　in　the　College　of　the　Propaganda　at　Rome。
Here　his　habit　of　independent　thought　and　candid　speech　brought　upon　him　the
imputation　of　heresy。　He　openly　attacked　the　abuses　of　the　church　and　urged
the　necessity　of　reform。　Though　at　first　treated　with　special　favor　by　the
papal　dignitaries；　he　was　after　a　time　removed　from　Rome。　Under　the
surveillance　of　the　church　he　went　from　place　to　place；　until　it　became
evident　that　he　could　never　be　brought　to　submit　to　the　bondage　of　Romanism。
He　was　declared　to　be　incorrigible　and　was　left　at　liberty　to　go　where　he
pleased。　He　now　made　his　way　to　England　and；　professing　the　Protestant
faith；　united　with　the　English　Church。　After　two　years'　study　he　set　out；　in
1821；　upon　his　mission。

While　Wolff　accepted　the　great　truth　of　Christ's　first

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advent　as　〃a　Man　of　Sorrows；　and　acquainted　with　grief；〃　he　saw　that　the
prophecies　bring　to　view　with　equal　clearness　His　second　advent　with　power
and　glory。　And　while　he　sought　to　lead　his　people　to　Jesus　of　Nazareth　as
the　Promised　One；　and　to　point　them　to　His　first　coming　in　humiliation　as　a
sacrifice　for　the　sins　of　men；　he　taught　them　also　of　His　second　coming　as　a
king　and　deliverer。

〃Jesus　of　Nazareth；　the　true　Messiah；〃　he　said；　〃whose　hands　and　feet　were
pierced；　who　was　brought　like　a　lamb　to　the　slaughter；　who　was　the　Man　of
Sorrows　and　acquainted　with　grief；　who　after　the　scepter　was　taken　from
Judah；　and　the　legislative　power　from　between　his　feet；　came　the　first　time；
shall　come　the　second　time　in　the　clouds　of　heaven；　and　with　the　trump　of
the　Archangel〃　（Joseph　Wolff；　Researches　and　Missionary　Labors；　page　62）
〃and　shall　stand　upon　the　Mount　of　Olives；　and　that　dominion；　once　consigned
to　Adam　over　the　creation；　and　forfeited　by　him　（Genesis　1：26；　3：17）；　shall
be　given　to　Jesus。　He　shall　be　king　over　all　the　earth。　The　groanings　and
lamentations　of　the　creation　shall　cease；　but　songs　of　praises　and
thanksgivings　shall　be　heard。　。。。　When　Jesus　comes　in　the　glory　of　His
Father；　with　the　holy　angels；。。。　the　dead　believers　shall　rise　first。　1
Thessalonians　4：16；　1　Corinthians　15：32。　This　is　what　we　Christians　call　the
first　resurrection。　Then　the　animal　kingdom　shall　change　its　nature　（Isaiah
11：6…9）；　and　be　subdued　unto　Jesus。　Psalm　8。　Universal　peace　shall
prevail。〃Journal　of　the　Rev。　Joseph　Wolff；　pages　378；　379。　〃The　Lord　again
shall　look　down　upon　the　earth；　and　say；　'Behold；　it　is　very　good。'〃
Ibid。；　page　294。

Wolff　believed　the　coming　of　the　Lord　to　be　at　hand；　his　interpretation　of
the　prophetic　periods　placing　the　great　consummation　within　a　very　few　years
of　the　time　pointed　out　by　Miller。　To　those　who　urged　from　the　scripture；
〃Of　that　day　and　hour　knoweth　no　man；〃　that　men　are　to　know　nothing
concerning　the　nearness　of　the　advent；　Wolff　replied：　〃Did　our　Lord　say　that
that　day　and　hour　should　never　be　known？　Did　He　not　give　us　signs　of　the
times；　in　order

360

that　we　may　know　at　least　the　approach　of　His　coming；　as　one　knows　the
approach　of　the　summer　by　the　fig　tree　putting　forth　its　leaves？　Matthew
24：32。　Are　we　never　to　know　that　period；　whilst　He　Himself　exhorteth　us　not
only　to　read　Daniel　the　prophet；　but　to　understand　it？　and　in　that　very
Daniel；　where　it　is　said　that　the　words　were　shut　up　to　the　time　of　the　end
（which　was　the　case　in　his　time）；　and　that　'many　shall　run　to　and　fro'　（a
Hebrew　expression　for　observing　and　thinking　upon　the　time）；　'and　knowledge'
（regarding　that　time）　'shall　be　increased。'　Daniel　12：4。　Besides　this；　our
Lord　does　not　intend　to　say　by　this；　that　the　approach　of　the　time　shall　not
be　known；　but　that　the　exact　'day　and　hour　knoweth　no　man。'　Enough；　He　does
say；　shall　be　known　by　the　signs　of　the　times；　to　induce　us　to　prepare　for
His　coming；　as　Noah　prepared　the　ark。〃Wolff；　Researches　and　Missionary
Labors；　pages　404；　405。

Concerning　the　popular　system　of　interpreting；　or　misinterpreting；　the
Scriptures；　Wolff　wrote：　〃The　greater　part　of　the　Christian　church　have
swerved　from　the　plain　sense　of　Scripture；　and　have　turned　to　the
phantomizing　system　of　the　Buddhists；　who　believe　that　the　future　happiness
of　mankind　will　consist　in　moving　about　in　the　air；　and　suppose　that　when
they　are　reading　Jews　they　must　understand　Gentiles；　and　when　they　read
Jerusalem；　they　must　understand　the　church；　and　if　it　is　said　earth；　it
means　sky；　and　for　coming　of　the　Lord　they　must　understand　the　progress　of
the　missionary　societies；　and　going　up　to　the　mountain　of　the　Lord's　house；
signifies　a　grand　class　meeting　of　Methodists。〃　Journal　of　the　Rev。　Joseph
Wolff；　page　96。

During　the　twenty…four　years　from　1821　to　1845；　Wolff　traveled　extensively：
in　Africa；　visiting　Egypt　and　Abyssinia；　in　Asia；　traversing　Palestine；
Syria；　Persia；　Bokhara；　and　India。　He　also　visited　the　United　States；　on　the
journey　thither　preaching　on　the　island　of　Saint　Helena。　He　arrived　in　New
York　in　August；　1837；　and；　after　speaking　in　that　city；　he　preached　in
Philadelphia　and　Baltimore；　and　finally　proceeded　to　Washington。　Here；　he
says；　〃on　a　motion　brought

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forward　by　the　ex…President；　John　Quincy　Adams；　in　one　of　the　houses　of
Congress；　the　House　unanimously　granted　to　me　the　use　of　the　Congress　Hall
for　a　lecture；　which　I　delivered　on　a　Saturday；　honored　with　the　presence　of
all　the　members　of　Congress；　and　also　of　the　bishop　of　Virginia；　and　of　the
clergy　and　citizens　of　Washington。　The　same　honor　was　granted　to　me　by　the
members　of　the　government　of　New　Jersey　and　Pennsylvania；　in　whose　presence
I　delivered　lectures　on　my　researches　in　Asia；　and　also　on　the　personal
reign　of　Jesus　Christ。〃Ibid。；　pages　398；　399。

Dr。　Wolff　traveled　in　the　most　barbarous　countries　without　the　protection　of
any　European　authority；　enduring　many　hardships　and　surrounded　with
countless　perils。　He　was　bastinadoed　and　starved；　sold　as　a　slave；　and　three
times　condemned　to　death。　He　was　beset