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 favour 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 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 sceptre 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 Labours , 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 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
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