Neville Goddard on Zechariah 8:16-17 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Zechariah 8 in context

Scripture Focus

16These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

Zechariah 8:16-17

Biblical Context

Zechariah 8:16-17 calls you to tell the truth to your neighbor and to establish truth and peace in your gates. It warns against imagining evil or swearing falsely, for these are hateful to the Lord.

Neville's Inner Vision

Zechariah’s words are not merely a rule for civilization but a map to inner transformation. When I say 'truth to your neighbour' in this light, I mean the truth you hold in your own I AM—the quiet acknowledgement that every thought births its world. The gates are your perception: the mental entrance through which life flows. To 'execute the judgment of truth and peace' is to train your feeling to judge every impression as true or peaceful, refusing the enchantment of fear or falsehood. Imagine evil in your heart against another and you are rehearsing a private nightmare, which becomes your tomorrow. The remedy is revision: replace those images with steadfast, compassionate truth; align your spoken word with your inner conviction; and let your oaths to yourself be honest and rooted in love. As you cultivate this inner calm and honesty, the outer scenes reflect a society renewed by your inward order. The command ends with a direct call to integrity—rejecting anything that does not honor the I AM within you.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Assume the truth that your inner gates are governed by peace; whenever a troubling thought about someone arises, revise it to a calm, truthful assertion and imagine speaking with loving honesty. Feel it real by settling into the sense that the world reflects this inner order.