441. It has been shewn that the tribe of Asher signifies charity towards the neighbour, which is the spiritual internal itself of those who are in the second or middle heaven, and that the tribe of Manasseh signifies the good of life, which is the external spiritual flowing from their internal spiritual. But temptation which is signified by the tribe of Napthali, is the uniting medium, for the internal and external are united by means of temptations. The signification of these three tribes in their order is evident from what has been stated. It is to be observed, that both men and angels must have the internal and the external in harmony with each other, in order to be in heaven. No one can be in heaven who is in one only, that is to say in the internal alone or in the external alone. For the internal is as the soul, and the external as the body; the soul cannot act except by means of the body, nor can the body act except from the soul. Therefore the internal lies impotent and dead as it were, unless the external correspond, or be correspondently harmonious with it, for there must be an external in which, and by means of which, action takes place; just as the soul acts in and by means of its body; and the external, unless there be an internal to which it corresponds, lies, as though dead, for there must be an internal from which the external may act. These things are said to shew that Asher signifies the internal, and Manasseh, the corresponding external; as also above that Judah signifies the internal, and Gad the corresponding external. The case is the same in everything. Therefore man has an internal and an external, the internal being that which is called his Spiritual, and the external that which is called his Natural; the one conjoins itself with the other by correspondences; according to the quality, therefore, of the one, such is that of the other, and everything that does not make one with the other by correspondences, is dissipated and perishes.

6238. 'As Reuben and Simeon will they be mine' means that they will be truth and the good of truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith in the understanding, and the truth of doctrine by means of which one is able to arrive at the good of life, dealt with in 3861, 3866, thus in general truth that belongs to the understanding; and from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, consequently truth realized in action, which is the good of faith or the good of truth, dealt with in 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5626, 5630, thus in general good which belongs to the new will. The things that Ephraim and Manasseh represent are clearly similar to all this.

[2] But since Reuben profaned what he represented, 4601, and Simeon polluted what he represented, 4497, 4501, 4507, on account of which they were cursed, see verses 3-7 of the next chapter, they lost their birthright and Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh were acknowledged as the firstborn in place of them, 1 Chronicles 5:1. Nevertheless what Reuben and Simeon represented remained with them, for it makes no difference what the character of the person who serves to represent something is like, 665, l097 (end), 4281. That is to say, the representation of faith in the understanding remained with Reuben, and the representation of faith in the will with Simeon. But what resided with Ephraim was the representation of the Church's understanding, and what resided with Manasseh was the representation of the Church's will.