Apocalypse Revealed # 506
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.
Deuteronomy 19
1
When Yahweh your God shall cut off the nations, whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;
2
you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.
3
You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
4
This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn't hate him in time past;
5
as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of these cities and live:
6
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he didn't hate him in time past.
7
Therefore I command you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for yourselves.
8
If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;
9
if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three:
10
that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.
11
But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him, and strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
12
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13
Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
14
You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.
15
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
16
If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17
then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
18
and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;
19
then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.
20
Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of you.
21
Your eyes shall not pity; life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
