245. Everyone with whom the church exists, is saved; but everyone in whom it is not, is condemned.

931. That 'during all the days of the earth' means the whole of time is clear from the meaning of 'day' as a period of time, see 23, 487, 488, 493. Here therefore 'days of the earth' is the whole time the earth remains, or is inhabited. The earth ceases to be inhabited the moment the Church is no more. For when the Church is no more, no communication of man with heaven exists any longer, and when this communication comes to an end every inhabitant perishes. As stated already, the Church is like the heart and lungs in the individual. As long as the heart is sound, and also the lungs, the individual is alive; and the same applies to the Church and its relationship to the Grand Man, which is heaven in its entirety. This is the reason for the statement here 'during all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease'. From this it also becomes clear that the earth is not going to last for ever, but that it too will come to an end, for the reference is 'all the days of the earth', that is, as long as the earth remains.

[2] People are however mistaken in their belief that the end of the earth will be one and the same event as the Last Judgement referred to in the Word, that is to say, where the close of the age, the day of visitation, and the Last Judgement, are described. For a last judgement befalls every Church when it has been vastated, that is, when no faith exists there any longer. A last judgement on the Most Ancient Church took Place when it perished, as it did among its final descendants who lived immediately prior to the Flood. A last judgement on the Jewish Church took place when the Lord came into the world. And a further last judgement will take place when the Lord comes in glory. This does not mean that at that time the earth and the world are going to be destroyed, but that the Church is destroyed and, as always happens, a new Church is raised up by the Lord at that time. At the time of the Flood the Ancient Church was raised up, at the time of the Lord's Coming the primitive Church among gentiles; and the same will happen when the Lord comes in glory. It is also what 'a new heaven and a new earth' are used to mean.

[3] It is similar with everyone who has been regenerated and becomes a member of the Church, that is, becomes the Church. When he has been created anew his internal man is called 'a new heaven' and his external 'a new earth'. In addition a last judgement awaits everybody when he dies, for at that point, according to how he has acted during his lifetime, his judgement points either to death or to life. The fact that the close of the age, the end of days, or the Last Judgement have no other meaning, and do not therefore mean the destruction of the world, is quite clear from the Lord's words in Luke,

In that night there will be two in one bed, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding together, one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Luke 17:34-36.

Here the last times are called 'night' because no faith, that is, no charity exists. The fact that some will be 'left' however is a clear indication that the world is not going to be destroyed at that time.

7840. 'From the lambs and from the she-goats you shall take it' means the good of innocence, interior and exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lamb' as the good of innocence, dealt with in 3994; and from the meaning of 'a she-goat' or of 'a kid' as the good of truth that has innocence within it, dealt with in 3995, 4005, 4006, 4871. For the meaning of 'a lamb' as the interior good of innocence, and of 'a kid' or 'a she-goat' as the exterior good of innocence, see 3519. What is meant by the good of innocence, interior and exterior, must be stated briefly. To be good, all good must have innocence within it. Without innocence good is devoid of its soul, so to speak. The reason for this is that the Lord flows in through innocence, and by means of it gives life to the good that exists with those who are being regenerated. The good that innocence gives life to is internal and external. Internal good resides with those who are called members of the internal Church, while external good resides with those who are members of the external Church. Members of the internal Church are those who have brought a specific quality to their good by means of interior truths such as belong to the internal sense of the Word, whereas members of the external Church are those who have brought a specific quality to their good by means of exterior truths such as belong to the literal sense of the Word. Members of the internal Church are those who are led to do good to the neighbour by an affection rising out of charity, whereas members of the external Church are led to do it by a sense of obedience. Every person who is being regenerated first becomes a member of the external Church, then later on a member of the internal Church. Those who belong to the internal Church excel in understanding and wisdom over those who belong to the external Church, and therefore also occupy a more internal position in heaven. From all this one may now see what the good of innocence, interior and exterior, is.