Neville Goddard on Matthew 3:1-3 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 3 in context

Scripture Focus

1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Matthew 3:1-3

Biblical Context

John the Baptist proclaims a turnaround in Judaea, announcing that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He points to Isaiah's prophecy about a voice crying in the wilderness, urging preparation.

Neville's Inner Vision

I read these verses as a revelation that the kingdom is not somewhere distant but a present state of consciousness I can claim now. The wilderness is the unclaimed corners of my mind, and the voice crying in the wilderness is my inward discernment calling me to reorient my attention. Repent, in this light, is not guilt but a turning of mind—an interior revision of belief—until my I AM, my true awareness, recognizes the kingdom as at hand. When I revise my beliefs and feelings to align with that sense of presence, the road of life becomes straight and easy. The forerunner is my inner preparation: clearing away old judgments so that the paths I walk are worthy of the divine presence within. The prophecy is fulfilled wherever I accept that heaven dwells within me here and now, shaping thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Thus outer events follow the inner state I maintain by dwelling in the I AM and acting as if the kingdom is already mine.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and assume the kingdom is your present fact. Revise any lack by repeating 'I am the I AM, heaven is at hand,' until the feeling of that reality floods you.