Neville Goddard on Ezekiel 8:3-17 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Ezekiel 8 in context

Scripture Focus

3And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

4And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

5Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

6He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

7And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.

8Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

10So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

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.

13He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.

14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

16And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

Ezekiel 8:3-17

Biblical Context

Ezekiel shows a visionary tour of inner idolatry: the 'image of jealousy' sits in the inner gate. The people perform corrupt worship and expose how inner beliefs shape outer acts.

Neville's Inner Vision

Beloved, Ezekiel’s ascent is your own awakening of consciousness. The hand that lifts him is the soul entering the higher atmosphere of awareness, and the vision before him is the living picture of what you carry inside. The 'image of jealousy' is any belief or image that pulls you outside your I AM for satisfaction, a longing that provokes jealousy and separation from your true sanctuary. The seventy elders with censers are your habitual thoughts, incense offered to a sense of separation, a belief that the Lord does not see you. The warning that the Lord may go far off points to the danger of ignoring your inner temple. The hole in the wall and the door you are invited to open symbolize your willingness to excavate the mental wall that hides what you really worship. Behind the wall lie the forms of creeping things, idols painted on the wall of consciousness. The women weeping for Tammuz and the men with backs to the temple reveal how you turn from inner light toward external images. The message is simple: awaken, cleanse the sanctuary, and let the I AM reign as true worship.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Sit quietly, close your eyes, and in your inner temple declare 'I AM' as the only governor. Then imagine the image of jealousy dissolving into light and replace it with a radiant sense of true worship.