Neville Goddard on Daniel 3:18 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Daniel 3 in context

Scripture Focus

18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Daniel 3:18

Biblical Context

Three faithful youths refuse the king’s golden image, choosing unwavering allegiance to the true God over external pressure. Their statement makes clear that true worship comes from inner fidelity, not from outward symbols.

Neville's Inner Vision

Daniel 3:18 reads like a master key for inner alchemy. The king's image and decree symbolize external forms that claim reality, while the three youths embody the inner principle: the I AM is the only reality. Their refusal is not rebellion against a ruler but refusal to identify with any image that pretends to govern them. When they say they will not serve the gods of the king, they are articulating a conscious state: the inner ruler remains unmoved by what the outer world prescribes. In Neville's terms, they revise the dominant impression by dwelling in the awareness that they are the I AM, not the body—which means the golden image has no power to wound or compel. The furnace represents no real danger to the self that knows its true center. If you imagine yourself as the unshakable I AM, the outer image cannot compel obedience, and you walk through every "furnace" of circumstance as pure consciousness, free to worship in spirit and truth rather than by tokens.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Sit quietly and feel 'I AM' occupying the throne of your mind. In a moment of pressure, revise the image by declaring, 'I will not serve the image; I am the I AM.' Then dwell in the feeling of already having the inner loyalty.