38. Verse 18 And to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

'The day' is used to mean good, and 'the night' evil. Consequently goods are called 'the works of the day', whereas evils are called 'the works of the night'. 'The light' is used to mean truth, and 'the darkness' falsity, just as the Lord says,

Men preferred darkness rather than light; he who does the truth comes to the light. John 3:19-21.

Verse 19 And there was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.

To gather, as in Genesis 6:21, refers to things gathered together in the memory of man. It also implies that good things and truths should be gathered together in man before he is regenerated. To gather together in a place to battle, as in Revelation 16:1, signifies the start of combat against truths in defense of falsities. The ancients were accustomed to say that, when anyone died, that he was gathered to his fathers, or to his people, and they understood that he actually came to his parents, his relations and kinsfolk in another life. 'To be gathered to his fathers' means that a person would join the spiritual community sharing similar good loves. 'To be gathered to his people' means that a person would join the spiritual community that holds same true ideas.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 16; Arcana Coelestia 679, Genesis 10, 25, 25:10)