59.⑷他们为何被容忍住在那里，直到最后审判之日。原因在于，按照神性秩序，凡能被保留的，都要被保留，直到他们再也无法留在善人当中。因此，凡表面上能假装过一种属灵生活，并以一种道德生活来表现它，好像它里面真的有灵性的人都被保留，无论他们里面的信和爱实际是什么样。同样，能维持一种表面圣洁的人即便没有内在的圣洁，也得以保留。许多天主教领袖就属这种，因为他们能与普通百姓虔诚交谈，以一种神圣的方式崇拜主，将宗教信仰的种子播种在他们心里，引导他们思想天堂和地狱，通过宣讲善行激励他们行善。如此他们能引导许多人过上一种良善的生活，从而踏上通往天堂的道路。也正因如此，许多天主教徒得救了，尽管他们的领袖很少有得救的。因为这些人就是主提到的“假先知”所表示的那种人：
假先知到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。（马太福音7:15）
就圣言的内义而言，“先知”表示那些教导真理，并利用真理把人引向良善的人；“假先知”则表示那些教导虚假，并利用虚假迷惑人，把人引入歧途的人。他们就像文士和法利赛人，主以这些话来描述这等人：
他们坐在摩西的位上；凡他们所吩咐你们遵守的，你们都要谨守，遵行，但不要效法他们的行为，因为他们能说不能行；他们一切所作的事，都是要给人看的；他们在人面前把天国关了，自己不进去；他们侵吞寡妇的房产，假意作很长的祷告。你们这假冒为善的人有祸了，因为你们洗净杯盘的外面，里面却盛满了勒索和放荡；先洗净杯盘的里面，好叫外面也干净了；你们好像粉饰的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头；你们也是如此，在人前，外面显出公义来，里面却装满了假善和不法的事。（马太福音23:1-34）
他们被容忍的另一个原因是，死后，每个人都保留他在世上所获得的宗教信仰；因此，一进入来世，他就被引入其中。在天主教徒当中，宗教信仰是被那些在言论上宣扬圣洁，在行为上假装圣洁的领袖植入的；这些领袖也给百姓留下这种印象：他们能给百姓带来救赎。这也是为何这些人没有被移除，而是留在他们自己人中间。
但主要原因是，在两次审判之间，凡表面上过着一种类似于属灵生活的生活，可以说模仿一种内在的虔诚和圣洁之人，都被保留；简单人能从他们接受教导和指引，因为信仰和心思单纯的人只看到他们亲眼所见的外表。这就是为何自基督教会建立以来，凡具有这种性质的人都被 容忍，直到审判之日。前面（46节）说明，最后的审判以前发生过两次，这回是第三次。所有这些人就是组成“先前天”的人，也是启示录（20:5-6）中与头一次复活无份者所表示的人。由于他们如前面所描述的那样（54-56节），所以那层天，即先前天被摧毁了，那些指望第二次复活的人被逐出。
然而，要知道，被保留的恶人仅仅是那些允许自己受民法和属灵律法约束的人，因为他们是能与其他人在社群共同生活的人。不能受这些律法约束的人早在最后审判之日前就被扔进地狱；因为社群不断从这种人当中清洁并净化出来。因此，教会领袖若过着罪恶的生活，引诱普通百姓作恶，玩弄可憎的伎俩，就是地狱灵所用的那种（参看HH580节），就会被逐出社群；但他们会来回往返，或说这一过程交替进行。
同样，那些内心善良的人也从这些社群被带走，免得他们被内心邪恶的人污染。善人觉察内在，因而不关注外在，除非外在与内在一致。在审判之前，他们被来回带到教导的地方（对此，参看HH512-520节），最后从那里被带入天堂。他们就是组成“新天”的人，与头一次复活有份的人也是指他们。说这些事是为了叫人们知道，为何这么多的天主教领袖被容忍和保留，直到最后审判之日。关于这个主题，等到下一章（65-72节）论述过去的“先前天”时再予以详述。
59. 4. Why they were allowed to live there right up to the day of the Last Judgment. This is because the divine design calls for keeping out [of hell] all the people who can possibly be kept out, and doing so until they can no longer remain among the good. So all are kept out who are capable of pretending outwardly to lead a spiritual life-to represent it in moral behavior as though spirituality were really there inside them, no matter what the faith and the love inside them are actually like. Likewise, people who maintain an outward holiness are kept out [of hell] even if they have no inner holiness. Many of the Catholic leaders were of this kind. That is, they were able to say pious things to lay people, show holy reverence to the Lord, sow the seeds of religion in their minds, induce them to think about heaven and hell, and by preaching the importance of how we live inspire them to concentrate on doing what is good. These leaders were able to lead many people to a life of doing good and thereby set them on the path to heaven. This means that many lay adherents of that religion were saved, even though few of the leaders were. These leaders were of the type the Lord referred to as “false prophets, who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). [2] In the inner meaning of the Word, “prophets” mean people who teach what is true and use truths to lead others to the doing of good, and “false prophets” mean those who teach what is false and use bad teachings to lead people astray. They are just like the scribes and Pharisees 1whom the Lord described in the following words:
They sit in Moses' seat. Observe and do everything they tell you to observe, but do not act in accordance with their deeds, because they say but do not do. Everything they do is to be seen by others. They close the kingdom of the heavens to others, and they themselves do not go in either. They devour widows' houses and for appearance's sake pour out long prayers. Woe to you, hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. Cleanse the inside of the cup and the plate first, so that the outside of them may be clean as well. You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful outwardly, but are inwardly full of dead people's bones. Even so you also look righteous to others outwardly, but are inwardly full of hypocrisy and unrighteousness. (Matthew 23:1-28)
[3] Another reason they were allowed to stay is that after death we all maintain the religion in which we were steeped in the world; so we become immersed in it again as soon as we arrive in the other life. Among Catholics the religion was instilled by leaders who made a display of holiness in their words and imitated it in their behavior, and impressed on lay people the belief that the leaders had power over their salvation. This, then, is another reason why leaders like this were not taken away from the laity but were kept among them.
[4] The main reason, though, is that in the time between one judgment and the next, all the individuals are kept together who have led seemingly spiritual lives in outward matters and who have modeled reverence and holiness as though it were within them. Common people can be taught and led by leaders like this. After all, people of simple faith and heart do not look any deeper than the outside that they can see with their own eyes. That is why all such people from the beginning of the Christian church right up to Judgment Day have been allowed to stay. I have already explained [46] that Last Judgments have happened twice before and that this one is the third. All these people are the ones who made up the “first heaven,” the ones meant in Revelation 20:5-6 by those who had no part in the first resurrection. Because they were as described above [54-56], that heaven was destroyed, and those who were hoping for a second resurrection were cast out.
[5] It is important to note, however, that the only [evil] people who were kept out of hell were those who had allowed themselves to be restrained by both civil and spiritual laws, because they were the ones who were capable of living with others in society. [Evil] people who could not be kept in restraint by these laws were cast into hell long before the day of the Last Judgment, because communities are constantly being cleansed and purged of people like this. So if church leaders have led criminal lives, enticed lay people to do evil things, and practiced unspeakable arts of the kind used by those in hell (see Heaven and Hell 580), they are cast out of their communities; but they go back and forth. [6] Likewise, individuals who are inwardly good are also taken away from these communities so that they will not be contaminated by the ones who are inwardly evil. The good perceive what lies within others and therefore do not focus on their superficial traits except to the extent that these reflect inner ones. Before the judgment they are taken back and forth to places of instruction (see Heaven and Hell 512-520); from there they are finally brought into heaven. These are the people who make up the new heaven and are meant by those who have a part in the first resurrection.
I mention this to let it be known why so many leaders from the Catholic religion were tolerated and kept around right up to the day of the Last Judgment. But more on the same subject will be said in the next chapter [65-72], which will deal with the first heaven that passed away.
Footnotes:
1. The scribes in ancient Judaism were professional interpreters of the Law; they had risen to considerable power in the last centuries before the lifetime of Jesus. They are often linked with the Pharisees, who were a Jewish sect known for their scrupulous observance of written and traditional law. Both groups are heavily criticized in the New Testament for hypocrisy; besides Matthew 23, including those verses not quoted here, see also Matthew 15:1-14; Luke 11:37-54. For a brief description of the composition and role of these sects in Jerusalem, see Jeremias 1969, 233-267. [JSR, SS]
59. The reason why they have been tolerated there up to the day of the Last Judgment was that God's order ensures that all are preserved who could possibly be preserved, and this until they could no longer be among good people. All therefore are preserved who can put on a pretence of spiritual life in externals and display it in their morality, as if it underlay it, no matter what they are like in internals as regards faith and love. Those too are preserved who make an external show of holiness, even if without any internal content. Many of those people were like this, able to conduct pious conversations with the common people, to adore the Lord in holy fashion, to implant religious belief in people's minds and bring them to think about heaven and hell, and make them continue to do good by preaching about good works. Many have thus been led to a life devoted to good, and so into the way to heaven. As a result many of that religion have been saved, though few of those are who led them. These are the kind of people the Lord meant by false prophets, who come in sheeps' clothing and inwardly are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15). Prophets in the internal sense of the Word mean those who teach truth and by truth lead towards good; false prophets are those who teach falsity, and by it lead people astray.
[2] Such people are also like the Scribes and Pharisees, whom the Lord describes in these words:
They sit in Moses' chair. Everything they tell you to observe, observe and do it; but do not do works such as they do, for they speak of them but do not do them. They do all their works so as to gain men's regard. They shut the kingdom of the heavens to men, but do not enter it themselves. They devour widows' houses, and make a show of uttering long prayers. Woe to you, hypocrites, you clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of robbery and injustice. Clean first the inside of the cup and plate, so that the outside too may be clean. You are like whitewashed tombs which are fair to look on outside but inside are full of dead men's bones. Thus you appear outwardly righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:1-34.
[3] Another reason why they were tolerated is that each person retains after death the religious belief he accepted in the world. He is therefore put into that state as soon as he comes into the other life. Religious belief has been implanted in this people by those who have made a parade of holiness in speech and made a pretence of it in behaviour, also impressing on them the belief that they can offer them salvation. That too is why such persons were not taken away from them, but were kept among their own people.
[4] The chief reason is that all are preserved from one judgment until the next who have outwardly led a life resembling a spiritual one, mimicking inward piety and holiness, so that simple people can be taught and guided by them. For those of simple faith and heart do not look further than the outside they can see with their own eyes. This is why all of this nature from the beginnings of the Christian church have been tolerated down to the day of judgment. It was shown above that a last judgment has happened twice before, and is now happening for the third time. All these are those who made up the former heaven and are meant by those who were not from the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5-6). But because their nature was such as described above, that heaven was destroyed and those who were from the second resurrection were cast out.
[5] But it should be known that the only ones to be preserved were those who had allowed themselves to be held in check by civil as well as spiritual laws, since these could be kept together in a community. But those who could not be held in check by these laws were not preserved; they were thrown into hell long before the day of the Last Judgment, for communities were continually being purified and purged of such people. Hence it is that those who have led a life of crime and have induced the common people to do wicked deeds, entering into unspeakable tricks such as are practised by those in the hells (described in HEAVEN AND HELL 580), have been expelled from their communities, and this has happened from time to time.
[6] Equally the inwardly good too are removed from communities, so that they are not contaminated by those who are inwardly wicked. For those who are good perceive what is within and pay no attention to exterior appearance, except so far as it matches the interior. From time to time before judgment these are sent to places of instruction (on which see HEAVEN AND HELL 512-520), and from there are carried off to heaven. These are those who will compose the new heaven and who are meant by those from the first resurrection. This has been said to make it known why so many of those of the Roman Catholic religion were tolerated and preserved until the day of the Last Judgment. More on this subject will be said in the next chapter, which will deal with the former heaven which passed away.
59. IV. Why they were there tolerated, until the day of the Last Judgment. The reason was, because it is from Divine order that all who can be preserved, shall be preserved, even until they can no longer be among the good. Therefore all those are preserved, who can emulate spiritual life in externals, and present it in a moral life, as if it were therein, whatever they may be as to faith and love in internals; so also those are preserved who are in external holiness, though not in internal. Such were many of that nation, for they could speak piously with the common people, and adore the Lord in a holy manner to implant religion in their minds, and lead them to think of heaven and hell, and could hold them in doing goods by preaching works. Thus they were able to lead many to a life of good, and therefore into the way to heaven; on which account also, many of that religion were saved, although few of their leaders. For these are such as the Lord means by:
False prophets, who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15).
By "prophets," in the internal sense of the Word, are meant those who teach truth, and by it lead to good; and by "false prophets," those who teach falsity, and seduce by it. They are also like the scribes and Pharisees, who are described by the Lord in these words:
They sit in Moses' seat; all things that they bid you observe, observe and do, but do not according to their word; for they say and do not; all their works they do to be seen of men; they shut up the kingdom of the heavens against men, but go not in themselves: they eat widows' houses, for a pretence pouring forth long prayers. Woe unto you, hypocrites, ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they are full of rapine and iniquity; cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside may be clean also; ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear outwardly beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead: thus ye outwardly appear just before men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:1-34).
Another reason moreover why they were tolerated was, because every man after death retains his religious principles that he has acquired in the world; into which therefore he is introduced, when first he comes into the other life. Now with this nation, the religious principle was implanted by those who gave an oral preference to sanctity, and feigned holy gestures, and moreover, impressed the people with a belief that they could be saved through them; hence also they were removed, but were preserved among their own. But the principal reason was, that all are preserved from one judgment to another, who live a life similar to a spiritual life in externals, and emulate as it were a pious and holy internal; by whom the simple may receive instruction and guidance: for the simple in faith and heart look no farther than to see what is external, and apparent before the eyes. Hence all such were tolerated from the commencement of the Christian church, until the day of the judgment. That a Last Judgment has existed twice before, and now exists for the third time, was shown above. Of all these "the former heaven" consisted, and they are meant in the Apocalypse (20:5, 6) by "those who are not of the first resurrection." But since they were such as above described, that heaven was destroyed, and they of the second resurrection were cast out. But it ought to be known that they only were preserved who suffered themselves to be held in bonds by laws both civil and spiritual, they being capable of living together in society; nevertheless they who could not be held in bonds by those laws were not preserved, but were cast into hell long before the day of the Last Judgment: for societies are continually purified and purged from such. Hence, they who led a wicked life, who enticed the common people to do evils, and entered on abominable arts, such as exist among spirits in the hells (see the work on Heaven and Hell, 580), were cast out of societies, and this in their turns. In like manner also those who are interiorly good are removed from societies, lest they should be contaminated by those who are interiorly evil; for the good perceive the interiors, and therefore pay no regard to the exteriors, except just so far as they agree with the interiors; they are sent in their turns to places of instruction (concerning which see the work on Heaven and Hell, 512-520), and are carried thence into heaven; for "the new heaven" is formed of them, and they are meant by "those who are of the first resurrection." These things are said that it may be known, why so many of the Papal religion were tolerated and preserved until the day of the Last Judgment; but more will be said on the same subject in the following article, where "the first heaven" which passed away is to be treated of.
59. ((iv.)) Cur usque ad diem Ultimi Judicii ibi tolerati sunt, causa erat, quia ex ordine Divino est quod omnes, quotcunque conservari possunt, conserventur, et hoc usque dum non amplius inter bonos esse possunt; quapropter omnes illi conservantur qui aemulari possunt vitam spiritualem in externis, ac illam sistere in vita morali sicut inibi foret, qualescunque sint quoad fidem et amorem in internis; tam quoque conservantur illi qui in sancto externo sunt, tametsi in nullo interno. Tales multi ex illa gente fuerunt, potuerunt enim pie cum vulgo loqui, sancte adorare Dominum, religiosum animis implantare, ac ducere ad cogitandum de caelo et inferno, ac tenere in bonis faciendis per praedicationem operum; inde potuerunt plures ducere ad vitam boni, ita in viam ad caelum; quapropter etiam multi ex illa religione salvati sunt, tametsi pauci ex ductoribus. Sunt enim hi, quales a Domino, intelliguntur per
Pseudoprophetas, "qui veniunt... in indumentis ovium, ac intus sunt lupi rapaces" (Matthaeus 7:15);
Per "prophetas" in sensu Verbi interno intelliguntur qui docent verum, et per id ducunt ad bonum; ac per "pseudoprophetas," qui docent falsum, et per id seducunt. Sunt etiam sicut Scribae et Pharisaei, qui a Domino describuntur his verbis:
"In cathedra Mosis sedent...: omnia quae dicunt vobis ut servetis, servate et facite, sed secundum opera eorum ne facite; dicunt enim et non faciunt:... omnia opera sua faciunt ut ab hominibus spectentur praecludunt regnum caelorum hominibus, illi autem non introeunt:... exedunt domos viduarum, in speciem fundentes longas preces. "Vae vobis... hypocritae;... mundatis exteriorem partem poculi et patinae, intus autem sunt plena rapina et iniquitate... mundate primum interius poculi et patinae, ut sit etiam exterius mundum,... similes estis sepulcris dealbatis, quae foris apparent speciosa, intus vero plena sunt ossibus mortuorum... sic... vos extra apparetis hominibus justi, intus vero pleni estis hypocrisi et iniquitate" (Matthaeus 23:1-34).
Quod tolerati sint, etiam est causa, quia unusquisque post mortem retinet suum religiosum, quod in mundo imbuit; quapropter etiam immittitur in illud utprimum in alteram vitam venit; et religiosum apud hanc gentem implantatum est a talibus, qui praetulerunt ore et finxerunt gestu sanctum, et quoque impresserunt fidem, quod salvari possint per eos: inde quoque erat, quod tales non illis ablati sint, sed quod inter suos conservati. Primaria causa est, quod ab uno judicio ad alterum conserventur omnes, qui vitam similem spirituali in externis agunt, ac pium et sanctum sicut internum aemulantur, a quibus simplices possunt erudiri et duci; non enim ulterius spectant simplices fide et corde, quam ad externum et coram oculis apparens: inde est, quod tolerati sint omnes qui tales fuerunt a tempore inchoatae Ecclesiae Christianae usque ad diem judicii; quod ultimum judicium bis prius exstiterit, et nunc tertio, ostensum est supra; illi omnes sunt qui "prius caelum" constituerunt, et qui in Apocalypsi (cap. 20:5-6) intelliguntur per illos "qui non ex prima resurrectione;" sed quia illi tales fuerunt, ut supra descriptum est, ideo id caelum destructum est, et illi qui a secunda resurrectione ejecti. At sciendum est, quod solum illi conservati fuerint, qui se in vinculis teneri passi sunt per leges tam civiles quam spirituales, quoniam hi in societate simul esse potuerunt; verumtamen non conservati sunt illi, qui non per illas leges in vinculis teneri potuerunt; hi in infernum conjecti sunt longe ante diem ultimi judicii, nam societates continue purificatae et repurgatae sunt a talibus. Inde est, quod illi qui scelestam vitam egerunt, et ad mala facienda pellexerunt vulgus, et intraverunt in nefandas artes, quales sunt apud illos qui in infernis (de quibus in opere De Caelo et Inferno, 580,) ejecti sint e societatibus, et hoc per vices. Pariter etiam auferuntur e societatibus illi qui interius boni sunt, ne contaminentur ab illis qui interius mali; nam illi qui boni sunt, percipiunt interiora, et ideo non spectant ad exteriora, nisi quantum cum interioribus concordant: hi per vices ante judicium mittuntur ad loca instructionis (de quibus videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 512-520), et inde auferuntur in caelum; hi enim sunt ex quibus "novum caelum," et qui intelliguntur per illos qui "a prima resurrectione" sunt. Haec dicta sunt, ut sciatur cur tot ab illis, qui ex Pontificia religione fuerunt, usque ad diem ultimi judicii tolerati et conservati sunt: sed plura de eadem re dicentur in sequente articulo, ubi de "priori caelo," quod transivit, agendum est.