Neville Goddard on Revelation 18:9-19 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Revelation 18 in context

Scripture Focus

9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

14And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Revelation 18:9-19

Biblical Context

Rulers and merchants lament Babylon’s fall as the city’s wealth and idols crumble in an instant. The scene points to a shift in consciousness where attachment to external things yields to inner realization.

Neville's Inner Vision

Revelation 18:9–19 opens a picture of a world that worships wealth as if it were life. Yet in the Neville Goddard manner, the kings, merchants, sailors, and ships are not merely people but inner states of consciousness—desires, habits, and habits of trade with the senses. Babylon is the dream-city formed by imagining security in gold, spices, ships, and slaves rather than in the I AM that animates all. When you witness the smoke and the judgment, you are being shown the moment when your attention finally withdraws from the familiar form and returns to the formless awareness that makes form possible. The 'one hour' is not time but a felt shift—the instant you decide that supply is an inner function of consciousness, not a response of mere circumstance. The lamenting is the old self recognizing that it has built its throne on changeable appearances. By choosing to awaken in I AM, you dissolve the dream of Babylon and discover wealth as inner abundance—the truth that you are the energy that creates, and all forms follow your inner state.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Close your eyes, rest in I AM as your wealth, and revise any lack by affirming, 'I am supplied by the I AM within me.' Feel the abundance as a tangible presence until it softens your external desires.