"I AM the light of the world" — John 8:12
In Exodus 34:29–35, Moses comes down from the mountain after being with God, and his face shines so brightly he must cover it with a veil. Through Neville Goddard’s teachings, this story is about imagination and a shift in consciousness.
The Mountain: Rising in Consciousness
Moses going up the mountain is not a physical journey but a symbol of rising to a improved state of self perception. In Neville’s terms, it is moving into the feeling of the wish fulfilled — lifting awareness above the senses. Meeting “God” means recognising imagination as the only creative power.
The Shining Face: Outer Sign of Inner Assumption
The shining face shows the result of an inner shift. When Moses receives the “law,” he really receives a higher state — a new assumption, a new concept of self. The glow is imagination’s creative light shining through, a sign that he has fully accepted this new state.
The Veil: Hiding Inner Transformation
Moses wears a veil when speaking to the people. This symbolises how we often hide our inner transformation from the outer world. Even if the change is not immediately visible to others, the state you occupy will eventually express itself outwardly. In Neville’s words, “Your assumption, though denied by the senses, if persisted in, will harden into fact.”
The Light: Your Own Inner Radiance
"I AM the light of the world" — John 8:12.
The light in Moses’s face is the same light referred to throughout the Bible: the awareness of “I AM,” the feeling of being the thing you desire to be. When you rise to this new state, you shine — not literally, but your world reflects your new assumption. As Neville says, “Man’s chief delusion is his conviction that there are causes other than his own state of consciousness.”
The Transformation: Moving from Glory to Glory
Paul speaks of being “changed from glory to glory.” This is the continuous movement from one state to a higher one — an ever-deepening identification with your ideal. Moses’s glow is a symbol of living in the end, fully accepting your desired state as true.
Conclusion: The Power of Imagination
Moses’s story shows that imagination is the only reality. The shining face is not about physical light but about the spiritual illumination that comes when you fully occupy your chosen state. Your “face” — your outer world — will eventually reflect the light of your inner assumption.
As Neville reminds us: “You are the light of the world.” When you know your imagination is God, and you live from that awareness, you become the light that cannot be hidden.