Arcana Coelestia # 4719
4719. 'And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]' means knowledge of what the situation was and what their state was - in line with the meaning of these words in the proximate sense, which is, What the situation was with those teaching from faith, and his knowledge of their state. For 'brothers' means those who teach from faith, 4712; 'looking for (or seeing) their peace' means what the situation was with them, 4712, 4713; 'where' means the state, for in the internal sense everything denoting place means state, 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321; and 'those pasturing [the flock]' means those who teach, 343, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783.
Arcana Coelestia # 4713
4713. 'And the peace of the flock' means what the situation was with those who learned, that is, with the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'peace' as what the situation was, dealt with immediately above in 4712, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as those who learn. For 'a shepherd' or one who pastures the flock means the one who teaches and leads to good flowing from charity, while 'the flock' means the one who learns and is led, dealt with in 343, and so means the Church also.