3612. 'Flee to Laban my brother, to Haran' means in the direction of the affection for external or bodily good. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as the affection for good in the natural man, dealt with in 3129, 3130, 3160, and from the meaning of 'Haran' as that which is external and therefore obscure in comparison with other things, dealt with in 1430. But what precisely 'Laban' and 'Haran' mean here becomes clear from what appears further on where Laban and Haran are mentioned; that is to say, a parallel good that springs from a common stock is meant. Indeed goods and truths are interrelated as parents, brothers, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage are in families, 685, 917, 2508, 2524, 2556, 2739. But these matters are completely concealed from anyone in whom the life of good is not present. He does not even know what good is, nor consequently what truth is. If he first knew these - that is to say, knew from doctrine coupled to life, or from life coupled to doctrine - he would know and discern countless things concerning good and truth, gradually knowing them more and more distinctly. He would eventually come to know and discern their various links and relationships to each other and at length their close ties to each other within their lines of descent, and again in each close relationship countless more things He would in the end accordingly know and discern heaven and the form it takes, that is, its beauty and happiness.

685. Marvellous ties exist between people in the next life. They are comparable to family relationships on earth, that is to say, they accept one another as parents, children, brothers, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage, their love for one another according with such differences. These differences are limitless, and the perceptions communicable are so excellent as to defy description. No thought at all is given to what they once were on earth - parents, children, blood relatives, or relatives by marriage. Nor is any thought given at all to what a person's social position has been, no matter who - to his positions of honour, or his wealth, and so on - only to the varying embodiments of mutual love and faith; and the ability to receive these they acquired from the Lord while they were in the world.