Neville Goddard on Joshua 1:11

Executive Summary

According to Neville, the scripture Joshua 1:11 contains a promise regarding the realization of desire. The phrase 'within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land' is interpreted as a symbolic, not literal, timeframe. This period represents a mental diet, where if an individual can faithfully saturate their consciousness with the sensation of their wish already being a fact, they are promised they will experience that state.

Key Concepts

• Symbolic Timeframe: The 'three days' is not a literal 72-hour period but a symbolic measure of the subjective process of impression.
• Mental Diet: The core practice is to maintain a specific mental diet—saturating the mind with a single sensation.
• Faithful Assumption: The promise is conditional on remaining faithful to the assumption, walking as though the desire were already a fact.
• Possessing the Land: This phrase symbolizes entering into and experiencing the reality of the fulfilled desire.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard interprets the biblical instruction in Joshua 1:11 as a psychological directive for achieving a desired state. The command to 'prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land' is seen as a promise concerning the power of a sustained assumption.

The 'three days' are not meant to be understood as a literal measure of clock time. Instead, this period symbolizes the necessary duration of a faithful mental diet. It is the interval required to completely saturate the mind with the feeling, or sensation, that one's objective is already an accomplished fact. This interpretation is reinforced by its connection to other biblical passages mentioning a three-day interval, such as the promise to raise the temple in three days.

The fulfillment of the promise—to 'possess the land'—is contingent upon one's honesty and faithfulness to this inner work. If an individual can consistently walk in the assumption that their wish is fulfilled, without changing their mental diet, they are promised to experience their desire as a concrete reality. The 'land' is the objective state that was first only a desire.

Important Quotes

"Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it." Joshua 1:11

— Thinking Fourth-Dimensionally

If I could completely saturate my mind with one sensation and walk as though it were already a fact, I am promised (and I cannot find any denial of it in this great book) that I do not need more than a three day diet if I remain faithful to it.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

Related Concepts

• Law of Assumption: The teaching directly relates to the Law of Assumption, as the core instruction is to 'walk as though it were already a fact.'
• States: The goal is to 'possess the land,' which is to enter and occupy a new state of consciousness that corresponds to the fulfilled desire.
• Consciousness: The entire process is one of consciousness, involving the saturation of the mind with a specific feeling or sensation.

Common Misunderstandings

• Literal Timeframe: A common misunderstanding would be to interpret the 'three days' as a literal, guaranteed 72-hour waiting period. The source material presents it as a symbolic duration for a subjective, psychological process of saturation, which requires faithfulness.

Practical Applications

• Mental Diet: The practical application is to undertake a 'mental diet.' This involves choosing the sensation of the wish fulfilled and saturating your mind with it. You must remain faithful to this feeling, walking and acting internally as though your desire is already a fact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'within three days' mean in Joshua 1:11 according to Neville?

It is not a literal time period but a symbolic promise. It represents the necessary interval of faithfully maintaining the feeling of your wish fulfilled to the point of saturation.

What does it mean to 'possess the land'?

To 'possess the land' means to experience your desire as an objective fact; to enter into the reality of your fulfilled wish.

Is success guaranteed in three days?

The promise is conditional on faithfulness. One must honestly and completely saturate the mind with the feeling of the wish fulfilled and not change this mental diet. The 'three days' is symbolic of this completed process.