844. The Jews are especially notable for failing to know that they are in the spiritual world, believing themselves still to be in the natural world. The reason is that they are utterly external people, having no inward thoughts about religion. They therefore speak in the same way about the Messiah as they did previously. Some say that he will come with David and glittering with jewels will go before them, leading them into the land of Canaan, drying up rivers for them to cross by raising his rod. They say that the Christians, whom among themselves they actually call gentiles, will then catch hold of the skirts of their clothes, humbly begging to be allowed to accompany them; and they will accept the rich if they are well enough off, and these too will be their servants. They support this belief by what is said in Zechariah (8:23) and in Isaiah (66:20). On the coming of David to be their king and shepherd they quote Jeremiah (30:9) and Ezekiel (34:23-25; 37:23-26). They are utterly unwilling to be told that David there means our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the Jews there mean those who are going to belong to His church.
