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.

8913. Verses 18-20 And all the people saw the voices and torches, ¹ and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and the people saw and were violently shaken, and stood afar off. And they said to Moses, Speak yourself to us, and we will hear; and do not let God speak to us, lest perhaps we die. And Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come in order to test you, and in order that His fear may be before your faces, so that you do not sin.

'And all the people saw the voices and torches' means perception of God's truths that spring from good. 'And the voice of the trumpet' means those same truths going through heaven. 'And the mountain smoking means the good itself of truth, which cannot be perceived except in an outward form. 'And the people saw and were violently shaken' means the quivering that takes place when they are received. 'And stood afar off' means remoteness from internal things. 'And they said to Moses' means complaint. 'Speak yourself to us, [and we will hear]' means the reception of truth in an adjusted form, which - in that form - they will obey. 'And do not let God speak to us' means truth in an unadjusted form. 'Lest perhaps we die' means that this form will destroy the life of heaven with them. 'And Moses said to the people' means an informing. 'Do not fear, for God has come in order to test you' means that the life of heaven will not be destroyed, [but that they are tested] solely so that the existence and essential nature of that life may be known. 'And in order that His fear may be before your faces, and you do not sin' means consequent holy fear of the Divine, and preservation of spiritual life as a result.

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