Neville Goddard on Isaiah 31:5-9 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Isaiah 31 in context

Scripture Focus

5As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

6Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

7For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

8Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

9And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 31:5-9

Biblical Context

Isaiah 31:5-9 envisions God defending and delivering Jerusalem, a symbol of inner life, when one turns back to the Source beyond idols. It teaches that idols—external riches and images—will fall away as consciousness awakens, and fear gives way to the inner flame of Zion.

Neville's Inner Vision

Your inner Jerusalem is a state of consciousness. The LORD of hosts is the I AM that you are, and to defend and deliver Jerusalem means to hold that state steady by imaginative certainty. The summons to Turn ye unto Him is an invitation to abandon the outer idols—the silver and gold you have trusted in—and to realize they are only signals of your own mind. When you assume the feeling of the fulfilled state, the Assyrian falls—fear, limitation, resistance dissolving as your awareness closes around the present I AM. The sword is not wielded by a man; it is the decisive idea that cuts through illusion. The 'strong hold' you fear becomes a temporary fortress, and you are asked to pass over by acknowledging the flame in Zion, the furnace in Jerusalem—the steady fire of God within. This inner change shows up as protection, deliverance, and preservation in your life as you remain steadfast in the conviction that all is the I AM in action.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Sit quietly and rest in the I AM; assume the state of Jerusalem as your inner life and speak, 'The LORD of hosts defends and delivers me now.' Feel the defense as your awareness encircling you, and let the idols fall away in your attention.