Neville Goddard on Ezekiel 8:11-12 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Ezekiel 8 in context

Scripture Focus

11And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

Ezekiel 8:11-12

Biblical Context

Seventy elders stand in the dark, each holding a censer as they worship in private imagery. They declare that God does not see them, nor rules the earth.

Neville's Inner Vision

Think of the seventy elders as your own inner states, each craving ceremonial incense to prove a point to yourself. The 'dark' and the 'chambers of imagery' are the hidden thoughts you accept as real, the private rituals by which you pretend God is distant. The cloud of incense is the dense fog of pictures you keep rehearsing in your mind, believing they veil your true nature. When the prophet asks, 'The Lord seeth us not?' he is revealing the trap of separation you have allowed to rule your life. Your true God is the I AM within, your present awareness that does not flee. The moment you imagine yourself as separate, you are effectively declaring you are forsaken, and you breathe incense to confirm it. But you can reverse this by turning to the I AM, assuming the feeling that you are seen, known, and held by the presence that permeates every room of your inner temple. Then the secret worship becomes the worship of your own awakened consciousness, revealing that activity and absence are but states within.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Sit quietly, close your eyes, and assume the feeling 'I am seen by the I AM.' Let warmth and certainty rise until you know you are always in divine presence.