Neville Goddard on John 16:16-22 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read John 16 in context

Scripture Focus

16A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

17Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

18They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

19Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

20Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

John 16:16-22

Biblical Context

The passage speaks of a brief time of not seeing Jesus, followed by his return. Sorrow is to be transformed into joy by an inner awakening.

Neville's Inner Vision

Beloved, the 'little while' is a shift of consciousness. You are not seeing the Christ outside, but in the moment you forget the world and, by turning your attention to the Father within, you will 'see' again. The seeming absence is the mind clinging to appearances; the coming 'seeing' is the abiding recognition that I AM is the reality you dwell in. Sorrow and lamentation are the natural posture of the mind when it identifies with lack; yet this world’s rejoicing is only the echo of outer events. The true joy is when the inner consciousness returns to its rightful ruler—the I AM—where sorrow is dissolved into joy, as a mother forgets pain at the birth. When I declare I will see you again, I affirm the permanent presence within; your heart then rejoices, and no man can take that joy from you. This is the pattern of absence and presence: the divine life within precedes any outward circumstance.