3518. Go now to the flock. That this signifies to natural domestic good not conjoined with the Divine rational, is evident from the signification of “flock,” as being good (n. 343, 415, 1565), here, natural good, because it is said to Jacob, and indeed domestic good, because it was at home, whereas the field whence Esau (by whom is signified the good of the natural, n. 3500, 3508) took his hunting, was good not domestic. Elsewhere in the Word “flock” is predicated of the good of the rational; but in this case “herd” is predicated of the good of the natural (n. 2566). Natural domestic good is that good which a man derives from his parents, or into which he is born, quite distinct from the good of the natural which flows in from the Lord (the nature and quality of natural good may be seen above, n. 3470, 3471); and therefore for the sake of distinction the one good is called the Good of the Natural, and the other Natural Good. Moreover every man receives domestic good from his father and from his mother, which goods are in themselves distinct; that which he receives from the father being interior, and that from the mother exterior. In the Lord these goods were most distinct, for the good which He had from the Father was Divine, but that which He had from the mother was contaminated with hereditary evil; that good in the natural which the Lord had from the Father was His own, because it was His very life, and is that which is represented by Esau; whereas the natural good which the Lord derived from the mother, being contaminated with hereditary evil, was in itself evil, and this is what is meant by “domestic good.” Although of such a character, this good was yet of service for the reformation of the natural; but when it had answered this purpose it was rejected.

[2] The case is similar with every man who is being regenerated: the good which he receives from the Lord as from a new father is interior, but the good which he derives from his parents is exterior; the former good, which he receives from the Lord, is called spiritual; but the latter, which he derives from his parents, is called natural good. The good that a man derives from his parents is serviceable first of all for his reformation, for by means of it are introduced as by what is pleasurable and delightful, first, memory-knowledges, and afterwards the knowledges of truth; but when it has served as a means for this use it is separated from these; and then spiritual good comes forth and manifests itself. This must be evident from much experience, as from the single instance that when a child is first instructed he is affected with the desire of knowing, not at first for any end that is manifest to himself, but from a certain pleasure and delight that is born with him and is also derived from other sources; but afterwards, as he grows up, he is affected with the desire of knowing for the sake of some end, as that he may excel others, or his rivals; and next for some end in the world; but when he is to be regenerated, he is affected from the delight and pleasantness of truth; and when he is being regenerated, which takes place in adult age, from the love of truth, and afterwards from the love of good; and then the ends which had preceded, together with their delights, are separated little by little, and to them succeeds interior good from the Lord, which manifests itself in his affection. From this it is evident that the former delights, which had appeared in the outward form as good, had served as means. Such successions of means are continual.

[3] The case herein may be compared to that of a tree, which in its first age, or at the beginning of spring, adorns its branches with leaves, and afterwards as its age or the spring advances, decorates them with flowers; and next in summer puts forth the first germs of fruits, which afterwards become fruit; and lastly puts seeds therein, which contain in them new trees of a like kind, and indeed whole orchards in potency; and if the seeds are sown, in act. Such analogues are there in nature, which also are representative; for universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, thus of His kingdom on earth, that is, in the church, and hence of His kingdom in every regenerate man. From this it is plain how natural or domestic good, although a merely outward delight and indeed a worldly one, may serve as a means for producing the good of the natural, which may conjoin itself with the good of the rational, and thus become regenerate or spiritual good, that is, good which is from the Lord. These are the things which are represented and signified by “Esau and Jacob” in this chapter.

789. Moreover, the rest of the Prophets have predicted in many passages what this church will be like; only a few will be quoted. In Zechariah:

There shall be one day, which is known to Jehovah, neither day nor night, because around eveningtime there shall be light. On that day living waters shall come forth from Jerusalem; and Jehovah shall become king over the whole earth. On that day Jehovah shall be one, and His name one, Zechariah 14:7-9.

In Joel:

It will happen on that day that the mountains will drip new wine, the hills will flow with milk; and Jerusalem will stay fixed from and one generation to another, Joel 3:17-21.

In Jeremiah:

At that time they will call Jerusalem Jehovah's throne, and all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem for Jehovah's name's sake, and they will no longer follow the promptings of their evil hearts, Jeremiah 3:17; Revelation 21:24, 26.

In Isaiah:

Let your eyes behold Jerusalem, a tranquil dwelling, a tent which will not be blown away. Its pegs will never be removed, and its ropes will not be pulled up, Isaiah 33:20.

[2] In these passages Jerusalem means the new Holy Jerusalem described in Revelation (chapter 21); and this means the new church. In Isaiah again:

A shoot will go forth from the trunk of Jesse, and righteousness will be the girdle around his loins, and truth the belt around his thighs. Therefore the wolf will stay with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a small boy will lead them. The heifer and the bear will feed, their offspring will lie down together. The sucking child will play on the hole of the viper, and the weaned child will thrust his hand on the den of the basilisk. They will not do evil nor corrupt themselves in all the mountain of my holiness. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of Jehovah. It will happen on that day, the nations will seek the root of Jesse, which stands as a signal to the peoples, and peace will be his glory, Isaiah 11:1, 5-10.

It is well known that such events have not yet happened in the churches, least of all in the last of them. In Jeremiah:

Behold, the days are coming when I will strike a new covenant. This is the covenant: I will set my law in their midst, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will become their God and they shall become my people. All shall know me from the least to the greatest of them, Jeremiah 31:31-34; Revelation 21:3.

[3] It is also well known that these events did not take place in the previous churches. The reason is that they did not approach the visible God, whom all are to know. It is also because He is the Word, that is, the Law, which He will set in their midst and write upon their hearts. In Isaiah:

For Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth like a beam of light, and her salvation burns like a lamp. You will be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will utter. And you will be a crown of beauty and a diadem of kingship in the hand of your God. Jehovah will be pleased in you, and your land will be married. Behold, your salvation is coming, behold, his reward is with him; and they will call them the people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah, and you will be called a city sought after and not abandoned, Isaiah 62:1-4, 11-12.