3767. 'And behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it' means the holy things that constitute the Churches and their matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as that which is holy, dealt with in 720, 901, and from the meaning of 'droves of a flock' as the things that constitute a Church, and so as matters of doctrine. Specifically 'a flock' means people who are within the Church, and who are learning and being endued with forms of good which are the goods of charity and forms of truth which are the truths of faith. In this case 'a shepherd' means one who teaches those things. In general however 'a flock' means all people who are governed by good and so belong to the Lord's Church throughout the whole world. And since they are all led into what is good and true by means of matters of doctrine, therefore 'a flock' also means matters of doctrine. For the things which make a person such, and the person himself who is such, are both meant in the internal sense by the same expression. For one's understanding of the subject - which in this case is the human being - begins with knowing what makes anyone a human being.

[2] This is why it is stated many times that names mean real things and also the people with whom these real things exist. For example, 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions concerning what is good and true and also the people who possess those cognitions. 'Egypt' means knowledge and 'Asshur' reasoning, but these names are used at the same time to mean people with whom that knowledge or reasoning is present. And the same is so with every other name. But speech among angels in heaven is composed of real things that do not involve any concept of persons, and so is composed of universal ideas. The reason for this is that in this way they include countless things in what they say, and in particular for the reason that they attribute everything good and true to the Lord and nothing to themselves. Consequently the ideas which compose their kind of speech know no limits except insofar as those ideas involve the Lord. From these considerations it is now evident why 'a flock' is said to mean the Churches and also their matters of doctrine. 'Droves of a flock' are said to be 'lying nearby the well' because the Word is the source of matters of doctrine - 'a well' meaning the Word, as stated just above in 3765.

720. 'Pairs of each' means that in relation to goods they are unholy. This becomes clear from the meaning of that number. A pair or two means not only a marriage (and when the heavenly marriage is meant it is a holy number); it also has the same meaning as six. That is to say, two relates to three in the same way that the six days of labour do to the seventh or holy day of rest. This is why in the Word 'the third day' takes on the same meaning as 'the seventh', and embodies almost the same, the reason being that the Lord's resurrection took place on the third day. This also is why the Lord's Coming into the world and into glory, and also every coming of the Lord, is described by the third day, as well as by the seventh day. The two days which go before therefore are not holy, but in relation to the third are unholy, as in Hosea,

Come and we will return to Jehovah, for He has wounded and will heal us; He has stricken and will bind us up; He will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. Hosea 6:1-2.

And in Zechariah,

It will be in all the land, said Jehovah, that two parts in it will be cut off and breathe their last, and a third will be left in it. And I will lead the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as one refines silver. Zechariah 13:8-9.

And Psalms 12:6 speaks of silver being purest when it has been purified seven times. These quotations show that just as 'sevens of each' did not mean sevens of each but things that are holy, so 'pairs of each' does not mean two of each but those which in relation to the holy are unholy. Accordingly the meaning is not at all that unclean beasts, or man's evil affections, in relation to clean beasts, or goods, were fewer by a ratio of two to seven; for with man evils far outnumber goods.