3815. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother. That this signifies because they have blood relationship from good, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the collateral good of a common stock; and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural (concerning which see above); and from the signification of “brother,” as being good (n. 3803); here consanguineous good, because it is said by Laban to Jacob, consequently by good to good. Moreover, all blood relationship derives its origin from good, for good is of love. The nearest degree of love in the descending line is called blood relationship, and is understood in the proper sense by “brother.” That in the spiritual world, or in heaven, no other consanguinities and affinities exist than those of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor, or what is the same, of good, has been made manifest to me by the fact that all the societies which constitute heaven, and which are innumerable, are perfectly distinguished from one another, in accordance with the degrees and differences of love, and thence of the derivative faith (see n. 685, 917, 2739, 3612); and also from the fact that they recognize each other, not from any relationship that had existed in the life of the body; but solely from good and the derivative truth. A father does not recognize a son or a daughter, nor a brother a brother or sister, nor even a husband a wife, unless they have been in similar good. They indeed meet when they first come into the other life, but are soon dissociated; for good itself, or love and charity, determines and assigns everyone to his own society. The blood relationship commences in the society in which each person is; and from this proceed the other relationships, even to the circumferences.

2739. From the marriage of good and truth in the heavens descend all loves, which are such as the love of parents toward their children, the love of brothers for one another, and the love for relatives, and so on, according to their degrees in their order. According to these loves, which are solely from good and truth, that is, from love to the Lord and faith in Him, are formed all the heavenly societies; which are so joined together by the Lord as to represent one man, and therefore heaven is also called the Grand Man. There are unutterable varieties, all of which take their origin and are derived from the union of good and truth from the Lord, which union is the heavenly marriage. Hence it is that the origin of all consanguinities and relationships on earth is derived from marriages, and that loves were derived in like manner according to their degrees mutually among themselves; but as there is no conjugial love at this day, consanguinities and relationships are indeed reckoned from marriage, but there are no consanguinities and relationships of love. In the Most Ancient Church the derivations of love were of this nature, and therefore they dwell together in the heavens distinguished as it were into nations, families, and houses, all of which acknowledge the Lord as their only Parent.