Exodus 35: From Willing Hearts to Sacred Imagery

Exodus 35 may, at first glance, seem like ancient building instructions—but when approached through the spiritual insights of Neville Goddard, it becomes something far more intimate. Here, the scattered children of Israel symbolise the reader’s own wandering thoughts and emotions, gradually being gathered into a unified act of inner creation. The construction of the tabernacle mirrors the process of imagining a desire fulfilled. Each offering, detail, and craftsman reflects a faculty within consciousness, called into order by the I AM presence. This chapter shows us how desire, discipline, and devotion combine to form the inner sanctuary where manifestation begins—not through outer effort, but through imaginative rest in the divine shadow.

---

The Sabbath — Entering the State of Rest

“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD...” (Exodus 35:1–3)

Symbolic meaning:
The “six days” represent the mental work of gathering scattered thoughts, constructing an inner scene, and entering into the assumption of the fulfilled desire. The “Sabbath” is the psychological rest—the felt knowing that it is done. Neville taught that manifestation requires not just imagining, but resting in the state as though it were already true. The reader, like Israel, is being trained to move from effort into faithful stillness.

---

The Willing Offerings — Emotional Investment

“Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD...” (Exodus 35:4–9 NIV)

Symbolic meaning:
Here begins the gathering of inner resources. Gold, silver, fine linen—these aren’t physical goods, but represent thoughts, emotions, and inner energies the reader begins to assemble. The “willing heart” is desire freely given, without force or manipulation. In manifestation, this is the moment when the reader gathers feelings of gratitude, beauty, and conviction to contribute toward a vivid inner reality.

---

The Call for Skilled Builders — Inner Disciplines

“Every wise-hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded...” (Exodus 35:10–19 NIV)

Symbolic meaning:
The skilled builders represent the disciplined faculties of the reader—attention, imagination, memory, persistence. These faculties are wise-hearted because they build not by sight, but by inner vision. Each detailed item (ark, veil, lampstand) is a part of the imagined state. Just as the reader gathers and shapes mental imagery to form the feeling of the wish fulfilled, the Israelites are shown shaping sacred structures. The process mirrors the inner work of manifestation.

---

The Stirred Heart — Desire Ignites Movement

“And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up...” (Exodus 35:20–22 NIV)

Symbolic meaning:
This is the first movement of desire in the reader. Neville would say: desire is the voice of God in you—it is the prompting to enter a new state. The heart is stirred, meaning the imagination is awakening. The people here symbolise emotions, fragments of thought, and longings that are no longer idle, but have begun to converge. The reader starts to take inner ownership of the scene.

---

Every Man Brings What He Has — Unifying Thought

“Every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet...” (Exodus 35:23–29 NIV)

Symbolic meaning:
Now the reader draws on all inner materials—some thoughts are vivid, others subtle; some offer stability, others spark passion. Each person in Israel represents a part of the reader’s psyche. Together, they bring what they have toward the unified vision. This mirrors how a reader pulls together mental images, feelings, and inner dialogue to form a single delightful assumption.

This is the moment where imagination becomes vivid—when all the thoughts that once wandered begin to take shape. Like a reader gathering imagery into form, the children of Israel are creating harmony out of many parts.

---

Bezalel and Oholiab — Imagination and Wisdom

“See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel... and he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge...” (Exodus 35:30–35 NIV)

Symbolic meaning:
Bezalel and Oholiab are the craftsmen of consciousness. Bezalel is the imagination at its most potent—the ability to see and feel clearly the end as though it were now. Oholiab supports with knowledge and communication—the subconscious being instructed. These faculties do the real work once the desire is stabilised. Neville said, “Imagination creates reality,” and here we see imagination given the highest honour: it becomes the builder of the divine dwelling.

---

Final Note

The people of Israel in this chapter can be seen as your own scattered thoughts and emotions. Before this point, they had been unruly, fearing the wilderness, building golden calves (false images and fears). But now, under the direction of Moses (the I AM), they are stirred by a single desire.

Like a reader who begins to gather thoughts into a cohesive inner picture, the children of Israel are being drawn together to form something beautiful: the tabernacle—the inner state of the wish fulfilled.