506. And not allow their bodies to be put into tombs. This symbolically means that they have condemned these two essential elements and will continue to condemn them.

The bodies here symbolize the two essential elements of the New Church, as explained in no. 505 and earlier numbers. And not allowing these to be put into tombs symbolizes their rejection as condemned. This is the symbolic meaning because putting people into tombs or burying them symbolizes their resurrection and continuation of life, for committed to the earth then are the materials taken from the earth, thus things that are earthly and so unclean. Thus not to be put into tombs or buried means, symbolically, to remain immersed in earthly and unclean things, and therefore to be rejected as condemned.

It was owing to this that in the church among the children of Israel, which was a representational church, it was a statute that people regarded as condemned be cast out and not buried, as is apparent from the following passages:

(Jehovah said concerning them,) "They shall die harsh deaths. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried; they shall become dung on the face of the earth... and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the air and for the animals of the earth." (Jeremiah 16:3-4)

(Prophets who prophesy falsely) shall be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem... having no one to bury them. (Jeremiah 14:15-16)

At that time... they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets... from their graves... They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall become dung on the face of the earth. (Jeremiah 8:1-2)

The dogs would eat Jezebel on the plot of ground... having no one to bury her. (2 Kings 9:10)

...you have been cast out of your grave like an abominable twig..., like a corpse trodden underfoot. You will not be joined with them in burial... (Isaiah 14:19-20)

And so on elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 25:32-33; 22:19; 7:32-33; 19:11-12, 2 Kings 23:16.

Ephraim was the second son born to Joseph in Egypt and was, along with his older brother Manasseh, elevated by Jacob to the same status as Joseph’s brothers. Thus when the tribes of Israel are named, Ephraim and Manasseh are named as patriarchs along with their uncles – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin -- but Joseph is not. According to Swedenborg, Ephraim represents the intellectual aspect of the church, the part that explores and understands what is true – especially the true ideas that can be drawn from the Bible. Manasseh, meanwhile, represents the affectional aspect of the church, the part that feels and loves and cares. This plays into the best-known story of Ephraim’s life. When Jacob was old and nearing death, Joseph brought his two sons to be blessed. He presented Manasseh to Jacob’s right hand as the elder, and Ephraim to Jacob’s left hand. But Jacob crossed his hands and gave Ephraim the primary blessing. According to Swedenborg, Manasseh was the elder son because ultimately, what we love makes us who we are; our loves form our lives. So our loves are the most central, leading aspect of our human existence, with our intellect playing a secondary role. But as we develop, we need to reverse those. We can use our intellect to understand what is good and right and force ourselves to do it, even when our desires are for what’s selfish. If we stick to that out of a determination to follow the Lord and be good people, the Lord will eventually remove the selfishness from our hearts so we can truly love what is good. By having Jacob bless Ephraim above Manasseh, the Lord is telling us that we have to put our intellect first to pursue our spiritual journey.