Neville Goddard on Isaiah 45:7

Executive Summary

Neville Goddard interprets Isaiah 45:7 as a definitive statement that the single, universal creative power is one's own human imagination. This verse declares that this power is the source of all conditions and circumstances in the world, responsible for creating not only positive experiences like "light" and "peace" but also negative ones like "darkness" and "evil." It is not an external deity but an internal force that fashions all of reality.

Key Concepts

• The "I" in Isaiah 45:7 who creates all things is identified as "your own wonderful human imagination."
• Imagination is the one and only creative power in the world.
• This singular power is responsible for all outcomes, both positive and negative.
• It is the source of "light" and "darkness," "peace" and "evil," or "weal" and "woe."

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard’s interpretation of Isaiah 45:7 centers on the radical idea that the creator God described in scripture is, in fact, a person's own imagination. When the verse states, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil," Neville teaches that this "I" is not a being separate from yourself. He explicitly identifies this all-powerful creator as "your own wonderful human imagination."

This interpretation means that imagination is the sole cause behind every event and circumstance in life. The verse's pairing of opposites—light and darkness, peace and evil (or weal and woe)—is crucial. It illustrates that imagination is a neutral power, responsible for every possible state of experience. There is not one power for good and another for evil; there is only one creative power, and it is imagination, which brings forth all things according to its activity.

By referencing similar verses like Deuteronomy 32:39 ("I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand"), Neville reinforces the concept of imagination's total and exclusive authority. This power is absolute, and there is no other force that can alter what imagination has created. The purpose of understanding this, he suggests, is to experiment with this power to discover its secrets for yourself.

Important Quotes

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

— Remain Faithful To Your Idea

“I create the light and make the darkness; I create woe and I make weal.”

— Secret Of Imagination

That’s your own wonderful human imagination.

— Secret Of Imagination

Related Concepts

• Imagination: This teaching is a cornerstone of Neville's view on imagination, defining it not as a faculty for fantasy but as the one and only creative power responsible for all reality.
• I AM: The "I" who declares, "I form the light... I the Lord do all these things," is the individual's own consciousness of being, their I AM, which is synonymous with their imagination.
• Consciousness: Since imagination is the creative power, and imagination is an activity within consciousness, this verse supports the teaching that consciousness is the only reality, creating the entire world of experience.

Common Misunderstandings

• A God Outside of You: A common misunderstanding is to interpret the "Lord" in this verse as an external deity. Neville corrects this by identifying this creative power as an internal one: your own imagination.
• Separate Powers for Good and Evil: This teaching refutes the idea that there are opposing forces of good and evil at work in the world. Neville presents a single, neutral power—imagination—that is the source of all conditions, regardless of how they are labeled.

Practical Applications

The practical application of this teaching is to recognize your total responsibility for the circumstances of your life. Since your imagination creates both "weal" and "woe," you are encouraged to experiment with this power. By consciously directing your imagination, you can begin to discover the secret of how it creates your reality and learn to use it deliberately to bring forth desired states.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does Neville Goddard say is the 'I' in Isaiah 45:7?

Neville identifies the 'I' who creates light and darkness as 'your own wonderful human imagination.'

According to this teaching, does imagination only create good things?

No. The scripture is used to show that the one creative power, imagination, creates all things: 'light' and 'darkness,' 'peace' and 'evil,' 'weal' and 'woe.'

Is the creative power described in Isaiah 45:7 external to me?

No. In Neville's interpretation, this power is entirely internal. It is your own imagination.