the great controversy-第66章

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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　by　robbers；　and　sometimes　nearly
perished　from　thirst。　Once　he　was　stripped　of　all　that　he　possessed　and　left
to　travel　hundreds　of　miles　on　foot　through　the　mountains；　the　snow　beating
in　his　face　and　his　naked　feet　benumbed　by　contact　with　the　frozen　ground。

When　warned　against　going　unarmed　among　savage　and　hostile　tribes；　he
declared　himself　〃provided　with　arms〃　〃prayer；　zeal　for　Christ；　and
confidence　in　His　help。〃　〃I　am　also；〃　he　said；　〃provided　with　the　love　of
God　and　my　neighbor　in　my　heart；　and　the　Bible　is　in　my　hand。〃W。H。D。
Adams；　In　Perils　Oft；　page　192。　The　Bible　in　Hebrew　and　English　he　carried
with　him　wherever　he　went。　Of　one　of　his　later　journeys　he　says：　〃I　。　。　。
kept　the　Bible　open　in　my　hand。　I　felt　my　power　was　in　the　Book；　and　that
its　might　would　sustain　me。〃Ibid。；　page　201。

Thus　he　persevered　in　his　labors　until　the　message　of　the　judgment　had　been
carried　to　a　large　part　of　the　habitable　globe。　Among　Jews；　Turks；　Parsees；
Hindus；　and　many　other　nationalities　and　races　he　distributed　the　word　of
God　in　these　various　tongues　and　everywhere　heralded　the　approaching　reign
of　the　Messiah。

In　his　travels　in　Bokhara　he　found　the　doctrine　of　the　Lord's　soon　coming
held　by　a　remote　and　isolated　people。

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The　Arabs　of　Yemen；　he　says；　〃are　in　possession　of　a　book　called　Seera；
which　gives　notice　of　the　second　coming　of　Christ　and　His　reign　in　glory；
and　they　expect　great　events　to　take　place　in　the　year　1840。〃Journal　of
the　Rev。　Joseph　Wolff；　page　377。　〃In　Yemen　。　。　。　I　spent　six　days　with　the
children　of　Rechab。　They　drink　no　wine；　plant　no　vineyard；　sow　no　seed；　and
live　in　tents；　and　remember　good　old　Jonadab；　the　son　of　Rechab；　and　I　found
in　their　company　children　of　Israel；　of　the　tribe　of　Dan；　。　。　。　who　expect；
with　the　children　of　Rechab；　the　speedy　arrival　of　the　Messiah　in　the　clouds
of　heaven。〃Ibid。；　page　389。

A　similar　belief　was　found　by　another　missionary　to　exist　in　Tatary。　A　Tatar
priest　put　the　question　to　the　missionary　as　to　when　Christ　would　come　the
second　time。　When　the　missionary　answered　that　he　knew　nothing　about　it；　the
priest　seemed　greatly　surprised　at　such　ignorance　in　one　who　professed　to　be
a　Bible　teacher；　and　stated　his　own　belief；　founded　on　prophecy；　that　Christ
would　come　about
1844。

As　early　as　1826　the　advent　message　began　to　be　preached　in　England。　The
movement　here　did　not　take　so　definite　a　form　as　in　America；　the　exact　time
of　the　advent　was　not　so　generally　taught；　but　the　great　truth　of　Christ's
soon　coming　in　power　and　glory　was　extensively　proclaimed。　And　this　not
among　the　dissenters　and　nonconformists　only。　Mourant　Brock；　an　English
writer；　states　that　about　seven　hundred　ministers　of　the　Church　of　England
were　engaged　in　preaching　〃this　gospel　of　the　kingdom。〃　The　message　pointing
to
1844　as　the　time　of　the　Lord's　coming　was　also　given　in　Great
Britain。　Advent　publications　from　the　United　States　were　widely　circulated。
Books　and　journals　were　republished　in　England。　And　in　1842　Robert　Winter；
an　Englishman　by　birth；　who　had　received　the　advent　faith　in　America；
returned　to　his　native　country　to　herald　the　coming　of　the　Lord。　Many　united
with　him　in　the　work；　and　the　message　of　the　judgment　was　proclaimed　in
various　parts　of　England。

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In　South　America；　in　the　midst　of　barbarism　and　priest…craft；　Lacunza；　a
Spaniard　and　a　Jesuit；　found　his　way　to　the　Scriptures　and　thus　received　the
truth　of　Christ's　speedy　return。　Impelled　to　give　the　warning；　yet　desiring
to　escape　the　censures　of　Rome；　he　published　his　views　under　the　assumed
name　of　〃Rabbi　Ben…Ezra；〃　representing　himself　as　a　converted　Jew。　Lacunza
lived　in　the　eighteenth　century；　but　it　was　about　1825　that　his　book；　having
found　its　way　to　London；　was　translated　into　the　English　language。　Its
publication　served　to　deepen　the　interest　already　awakening　in　England　in
the　subject　of　the　second　advent。

In　Germany　the　doctrine　had　been　taught　in　the　eighteenth　century　by　Bengel；
a　minister　in　the　Lutheran　Church　and　a　celebrated　Biblical　scholar　and
critic。　Upon　completing　his　education；　Bengel　had　〃devoted　himself　to　the
study　of　theology；　to　which　the　grave　and　religious　tone　of　his　mind；
deepened　by　his　early　training　and　discipline；　naturally　inclined　him。　Like
other　young　men　of　thoughtful　character；　before　and　since；　he　had　to
struggle　with　doubts　and　difficulties　of　a　religious　nature；　and　he　alludes；
with　much　feeling；　to　the　'many　arrows　which　pierced　his　poor　heart；　and
made　his　youth　hard　to　bear。'〃　Becoming　a　member　of　the　consistory　of
Wurttemberg；　he　advocated　the　cause　of　religious　liberty。　〃While　maintaining
the　rights　and　privileges　of　the　church；　he　was　an　advocate　for　all
reasonable　freedom　being　accorded　to　those　who　felt　themselves　bound；　on
grounds　of　conscience；　to　withdraw　from　her　communion。〃Encyclopaedia
Britannica；　9th　ed。；　art。　〃Bengel。〃　The　good　effects　of　this　policy　are
still　felt　in　his　native　province。

It　was　while　preparing　a　sermon　from　Revelation　21　for　advent　Sunday　that
the　light　of　Christ's　second　coming　broke　in　upon　Bengel's　mind。　The
prophecies　of　the　Revelation　unfolded　to　his　understanding　as　never　before。
Overwhelmed　with　a　sense　of　the　stupendous　importance　and　surpassing　glory
of　the　scenes　presented　by　the　prophet；　he　was　forced　to　turn　for　a　time
from　the　contemplation　of　the　subject。　In　the

364

pulpit　it　again　presented　itself　to　him　with　all　its　vividness　and　power。
From　that　time　he　devoted　himself　to　the　study　of　the　prophecies；　especially
those　of　the　Apocalypse；　and　soon　arrived　at　the　belief　that　they　pointed　to
the　coming　of　Christ　as　near。　The　date　which　he　fixed　upon　as　the　time　of
the　second　advent　was　within　a　very　few　years　of　that　afterward　held　by
Miller。

Bengel's　writings　have　been　spread　throughout　Christendom。　His　views　of
prophecy　were　quite　generally　received　in　his　own　state　of　Wurttemberg；　and
to　some　extent　in　other　parts　of　Germany。　The　movement　continued　after　his
death；　and　the　advent　messag