Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

Understanding Biblical Symbolism


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BIBLE VERSES

JOHN 16:6

"But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart."

In biblical symbolism this is not emotional sadness but rather it is a spiritual condition.

“Sorrow hath filled your heart” is the soul grieving the withdrawal of the outer form

The disciples represent the qualities of the soul.

Their “sorrow” is the inner disturbance that arises when:
- the Higher begins to withdraw from the outer level
- the soul still depends on outer forms of guidance
- the Personality cannot yet perceive the inward movement
- the qualities feel “abandoned” because they cannot follow the Higher within

This sorrow is the pain of transition, from the moment when the soul loses the comfort of the external Teacher but has not yet awakened the inner Teacher.

It is the same pattern as:
- Israel mourning when Moses ascends
- Mary weeping outside the empty tomb
- The soul grieving when the old center collapses but the new center has not yet risen

In mysticism terms:
The Higher is moving inward, but the soul is still outward‑facing, so it experiences the shift as loss.

The Esoteric Message.....
John 16:6 shows the soul’s sorrow when the Higher withdraws from the outer level and the unawakened qualities, unable to follow inward, experience the rising of the Spirit as loss rather than transformation.

 

See Also

BIBLE VERSES

JOHN 1:1

JOHN 3:16

JOHN 8:58

JOHN 10:10

JOHN 16:5

JOHN 16:7

JOHN 17:17