260、⑦纯属世人或严格的唯物主义者因以下事实确认反对圣治：犹太教仍旧存在。换句话，历经这么多世纪，犹太人依旧没有转化，尽管他们就生活在基督徒当中，没有像圣言所预言的那样称谢主，承认祂是他们所以为的那要把他们领回迦南地的弥赛亚，而是不断顽固否认祂；然而，他们却很兴旺。但那些如此思想，并因此质疑圣治的人不知道，在圣言中，“犹太人”表示所有属于教会，并承认主的人；经上说他们要被领进的“迦南地”表示主的教会。
但犹太人顽固否认主，因为他们具有这种性质：他们若真的接受并承认主的神性和教会的圣物，就会亵渎它们。这就是为何主论到他们说：
主叫他们瞎了眼，硬了心，免得他们眼睛看见，心里明白，又转回去，我医治了他们。（约翰福音12:40；马太福音13:15；马可福音4:12；路加福音8:10；以赛亚书6:9-10）
经上之所以说“免得他们又转回去，我医治了他们”，是因为他们若真的转回去，得了医治，就会犯亵渎罪；根据前面（221-233节）所论述的圣治律法，主不允许任何人从内在进入信之真理和仁之良善，除非他能被保持在其中，直到生命结束；他若真的被允许进入，就会亵渎这些圣物。
该民族得以保存并分散在世界各地，是为了圣言原文的缘故。他们比基督徒更守之为圣；主的神性就存在于圣言的每个细节中，因为从主发出的，是与神性良善结合的神性真理；圣言由此成为主与教会的结合，以及天堂与人的同在，这在《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》（62-69节）已经说明；凡圣言被虔诚阅读的地方，都有主与天堂的同在。这就是圣治的目的，正是为了这个目的，犹太人才得以保存并分散到世界各地。关于他们死后的命运，可参看《最后的审判续》（79-82节）。
260. (7) That the merely natural person confirms himself against Divine providence for the reason that Judaism still continues in existence: He confirms himself against Divine providence because he sees that after so many centuries the Jews have not been converted, even though they live among Christians; that as predicted in the Word they do not confess the Lord and acknowledge Him as the Messiah, the Messiah who they suppose will lead them back into the land of Canaan; and that they steadfastly persist in their denial of Him; and yet despite this they prosper.
But people who think in this way and so call Divine providence into question do not know that by Jews in the Word are meant all who are in the church and acknowledge the Lord, and that by the land of Canaan into which it says they were to be introduced is meant the Lord's church.
[2] Moreover, they persist in their denial of the Lord because their character is such that if they were to accept and acknowledge the Lord's Divinity and the sanctities of His church, they would profane them. Therefore the Lord says of them,
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and convert, and I heal them. (John 12:40; also Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, Isaiah 6:9-10)
The text says, "Lest they convert, and I heal them," because if they had converted and been healed, they would have committed profanation. Moreover, it accords with the law of Divine providence discussed above in nos. 221-233, that no one is admitted by the Lord more interiorly into truths of faith and goods of charity than the extent to which he can be maintained in them to the end of his life, and that if he were to be admitted, he would profane things that are sacred.
[3] That this nation has been preserved and dispersed over much of the earth is for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they, more than Christians, hold sacred, and in every particular of which the Lord's Divinity is present. For the Word is Divine truth that emanates in union with Divine good from the Lord, and accordingly the Word is the means of the Lord's conjunction with the church and of the presence of heaven, as we showed in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 62-69 - the presence of the Lord and heaven existing everywhere the Word is read reverently. This is the objective of Divine providence, for the sake of which the Jewish people have been preserved and dispersed over much of the earth.
What their lot is like after death may be seem in A Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment and the Spiritual World 79-82.
260. 7. Strict materialists justify their rejection of divine providence when they see the continued survival of Judaism. They observe that after all these centuries the Jews have still not been converted even though they live among Christians, and that in keeping with the prophecies in the Word they do not confess the Lord and recognize him as the Messiah who, in their minds, will lead them back into the land of Canaan. They remain steadfast in their denial, and yet they prosper. However, people who think along these lines and therefore raise doubts about divine providence are not aware that "the Jews" in the Word means all the people who are part of the church and believe in the Lord, and that "the land of Canaan" where it promises to lead them means the Lord's church.
[2] The reason they are steadfast in their denial of the Lord is that given their own nature, if they were to accept and believe in the Lord's divine nature and the holy attributes of the church, they would profane them. This is why the Lord said of them, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart so that they will not see with their eyes or understand with their heart and turn, and I heal them" (John 12:42 [John 12:40]; Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Isaiah 6:9-10). It says "so that they will not turn, and I heal them," because if they did turn and were healed, they would commit profanation, and the law of divine providence given in 221-233 above is that the Lord does not grant us deeper access to the truths that our faith discloses and the good effects of our caring except as we can be kept in them to the end of our life; and if we were granted access, we would profane these holy things.
[3] The reason that the Jewish people has been cared for and spread around much of the world is for the sake of the Word in its original tongue. They revere this more than Christians do; and the Lord's divine nature is present there in every detail. It is actually divine truth united to divine good, emanating from the Lord. As a result, the Word is a union of the Lord and the church and a presence of heaven, as explained in Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 62-69. The presence of the Lord and heaven takes place wherever the Word is read reverently. This is the purpose of divine providence for which the Jews are maintained and spread over much of the world.
For their lot after death, see Supplements on the Last Judgment and the Spiritual World 79-82.
260. 7. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence by the fact that Judaism still continues. That is, that the Jews have not been converted after so many centuries, although they live among Christians, and do not, in accordance with the prophecies in the Word, confess the Lord and acknowledge Him to be the Messiah who, as they think, was to lead them back to the land of Canaan; but they constantly persist in denying Him; and yet it is well with them. Those who think thus, however, and so call in question the Divine Providence, do not know that by the Jews in the Word are meant all who are of the Church and acknowledge the Lord, and that by the land of Canaan, into which it is said they are to be led, is meant the Lord's Church.
[2] The Jews, however, persist in their denial of the Lord because their character is such that if they were to receive and acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord and the holy things of His Church they would profane them. Therefore the Lord says of them:
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. John 12:42, 40; Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Isaiah 6:9-10.
It is said, lest they should be converted, and I should heal them, because if they had been converted and healed they would have committed profanation; and it is according to the law of the Divine Providence treated above (n. 221-233), that no one is admitted by the Lord interiorly into the truths of faith and the goods of charity except so far as he can be kept in them right on to the end of life; and if he were admitted he would profane what is holy.
[3] This nation has been preserved and dispersed over a great part of the world for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they more than Christians hold sacred; and in every particular of the Word is the Divinity of the Lord, for it is Divine Truth united to Divine Good proceeding from the Lord and by means of this the Word becomes the conjunction of the Lord with the Church and the presence of heaven with man, as has been shown in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 62-69); and there is the presence of the Lord and of heaven wherever the Word is read with reverence. This is the end which the Divine Providence has in view, in preserving and dispersing them over a great part of the world. The nature of their lot after death may be seen in THE CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE LAST JUDGMENT AND THE SPIRITUAL WORLD (n. 79-82).
260. (7) The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine providence by the fact that Judaism still continues. In other words, the Jews after so many centuries have not been converted, although they live among Christians, and do not, as the Word predicts, confess the Lord and acknowledge Him to be the Messiah, who, as they think, was to lead them back to the land of Canaan, but constantly persist in denying Him; and yet it is well with them. But those who so think, and who therefore call in question the Divine providence, do not know that by "Jews" in the Word all who are of the church and who acknowledge the Lord are meant; and by "the land of Canaan," into which it is said that they are to be led, the Lord's church is meant.
[2] But the Jews persist in denying the Lord, because they are such that they would profane the Divinity of the Lord and the holy things of His church if they were to accept and acknowledge them. Consequently the Lord says of them:-
He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and should turn themselves, and I should heal them (John 12:40; Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Isaiah 6:9-10).
It is said "lest they should turn themselves and I should heal them," because if they had been turned and healed they would have committed profanation; and it is according to the law of Divine providence (treated of above,221-233) that no one is admitted by the Lord interiorly into truths of faith and goods of charity except so far as he can be kept in them until the end of his life, and if he were admitted he would profane what is holy.
[3] That nation has been preserved and has been scattered over a great part of the world for the sake of the Word in its original language, which they, more than Christians, hold sacred; and the Lord's Divinity is in every particular of the Word, for that which goes forth from the Lord is Divine truth united to Divine good, and by this the Word becomes a conjunction of the Lord with the church and the presence of heaven [with man], as has been shown in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (62-69); and there is a presence of the Lord and of heaven wherever the Word is read with reverence. Such is the end in the Divine providence, for the sake of which the Jews have been preserved and scattered over a great part of the world. What their lot is after death may be seen in the Continuation concerning the Last Judgment and the Spiritual World (79-82).
260. VII. Quod mere naturalis homo contra Divinam Providentiam se confirmet ex eo, quod Judaismus adhuc perstet. [Se confirmat ex eo,] Quod Judaei post tot saecula non conversi sint, tametsi inter Christianos vivunt, et quod secundum praedictiones in Verbo non confiteantur Dominum et agnoscant Ipsum pro Messia, qui, ut putant, illos in terram Canaanem reducturus esset, et quod constanter perstent in negatione, et usque tamen illis bene est: sed hi, qui ita cogitant, et ideo in dubium vocant Divinam Providentiam, non sciunt quod per Judaeos in Verbo intelligantur omnes qui ab Ecclesia sunt et Dominum agnoscunt, et quod per terram Canaanem, in quam dicitur quod introducendi sint, intelligatur Ecclesia Domini:
[2] quod autem in negatione Domini perseverent, est quia tales sunt, ut si reciperent et agnoscerent, Divinum Domini, et sancta Ecclesiae Ipsius, prophanarent illa; quare de illis dicit Dominus, "Occaecavit illorum oculos, [et] obturavit 1illorum 2cor, ut non videant oculis suis, et intelligant corde suo, et convertant se, et sanem illos," Johannes 12:40, 3Matthaeus 13:14, Marcus 4:12, Lucas 8:10, Esajas 6:9-10; dicitur, ne convertant se, et sanem illos, quia si conversi et sanati fuissent, prophanavissent; et secundum legem Divinae Providentiae est, de qua supra 221-233, quod 4non aliquis interius in vera fidei et bona charitatis a Domino immittatur, nisi quantum in illis potest teneri usque ad finem vitae, et si immitteretur, sancta prophanaret.
[3] Quod Gens illa conservata sit, et per multum Orbis circumsparsa, est propter Verbum in Lingua sua Originali, quod illi prae Christianis sanctum habent, et in singulis Verbi est Divinum Domini, est enim Divinum Verum unitum Divino Bono, quod a Domino procedit, et per id est Verbum conjunctio Domini cum Ecclesia, et praesentia Coeli, ut in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 62-69, ostensum est, ac praesentia Domini et coeli est ubicunque Verbum sancte legitur: 5hic est finis Divinae Providentiae, propter quem conservati sunt, et per multum Orbis circumsparsi. Qualis sors illorum post mortem est, videatur in CONTINUATIONE DE ULTIMO JUDICIO ET MUNDO SPIRITUALI 79-82.
Footnotes:
1 Sic Schmidt et alibi in libris hujus scriptoris theologicis, sed in errore fortasse pro obduravit, ut videtur
2 Prima editio: illoram
3 Prima editio: 12:42.
4 Prima editio: qnod
5 Prima editio: lagitur: