Neville Goddard on Exodus 40:1-11 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Exodus 40 in context

Scripture Focus

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

3And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

4And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.

5And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

6And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

7And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

8And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.

9And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

10And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.

11And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.

Exodus 40:1-11

Biblical Context

Exodus 40:1-11 describes Moses setting up the tabernacle and sanctifying its vessels. It models the interior discipline needed to consecrate the mind for true worship.

Neville's Inner Vision

Within the narrative, the tabernacle is not a place in time but a state of consciousness you enter. The ark of the testimony is the I AM—the unshakable witness that never moves, the seat of awareness behind every thought and feeling. The veil over the ark is the momentary curtain of belief that hides your real nature; when you lift it in imagination, you invite the light. The table and the order on it symbolize your thoughts kept in proper arrangement, while the candlestick speaks the light you are to cast upon them. The altar of incense before the ark represents prayers and desires rising in harmony with the witness, not to manipulate outcomes but to sanctify motive. The burnt offering altar before the tabernacle's door declares that what you are willing to surrender in consciousness becomes a holy instrument. The laver, with its water, is cleansing perception—an inner wash that permits true sight. The oil of anointing, poured over the sanctuary and vessels, seals them as sacred; so you consecrate your entire way of being. When you act from this inner sanctum, the outer world aligns with the holiness you feel inside.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and enter the inner tabernacle as the observer of your own thoughts. Assume the I AM is sanctifying every part of your life right now.