Neville Goddard on Ezra 4:11-16 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Ezra 4 in context

Scripture Focus

11This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

12Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

13Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

14Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

15That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

16We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

Ezra 4:11-16

Biblical Context

The passage records a letter from opponents to Artaxerxes accusing the Jews of rebuilding a rebellious city and warning that doing so would damage the king’s revenue; it frames the project as dangerous and urges the king to stop it.

Neville's Inner Vision

Viewed through the Neville Goddard lens, the adversaries’ letter is a symbol of the mind’s old resistances, fears, and perceived losses that arise when one contemplates rebuilding the inner Jerusalem of consciousness. The city represents your wholeness and sovereignty, the walls and foundations your disciplined thoughts and imaginal acts. The claim that rebuilding would destroy the king’s revenue expresses a deeper belief that a new self must impoverish the old one. Yet the true power lies in the imagination: when you affirm the inner city as real in your consciousness and honor the I AM within (the king), the outward objections lose their grip. The king is not threatened by your dream; the letter merely tests your faith. As you persist in acknowledging the inner city as already complete, the opposition dissolves and life aligns with your inner state. The inner kingdom is your rightful dwelling, nourished by the awareness that you are, here and now, the architect of your reality.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Sit quietly, close your eyes, and in present tense declare, 'I am rebuilding my inner Jerusalem; the walls stand, and the I AM within funds this city.' Then dwell in the feel of the project already complete, letting fear dissolve.