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Revealed Truth

1969-11-03LectureFull transcript
The riddle's solution is that Divine Imagination (the Grandfather) reproduces itself in human imagination (the Son, Humanity/David), which gives birth to Christ (the Grandson), who is one with the Grandfather. The individual in whom this occurs awakens as God the Father.
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Executive Summary

This lecture deciphers a profound scriptural riddle: how a being can become its own grandson. The answer is revealed not through logic but through imagination. Neville explains that Divine Imagination (God the Father) reproduces itself within human imagination (Humanity). This mystical process culminates when the individual gives birth to the Christ child, who is one with the Grandfather. This event is followed by the appearance of David (personified humanity), who reveals the individual's true identity as God the Father, thus solving the riddle through direct, personal experience.

Key Concepts

  • The central theme is a riddle: What is it that becomes its own grandson, and the grandson his own grandfather?
  • The solution involves three generations: Jesse (I AM, the Grandfather), David (Humanity, the Son), and Christ (Immanuel, the Grandson).
  • The entire drama unfolds within the human imagination, which is the medium upon which Divine Imagination reproduces itself.
  • The birth of the child, Immanuel (“God is in us”), is the sign that God has been successfully begotten within the individual.
  • Because the child’s name is “Everlasting Father,” the grandson is revealed to be one with the grandfather.
  • David is the personification of all of humanity's experiences, which fuse into a single youth who reveals your true identity as his Father.
  • Dwelling on these revealed truths is presented as the most practical spiritual exercise, causing worldly problems to resolve themselves.

Detailed Explanation

The lecture begins by asserting, through a quote from William Blake, that the profoundest truths are addressed to the imagination, not reason. The central teaching is framed as a riddle based on scripture: how can a grandson become his own grandfather? The key lies in understanding the symbolic identities of three generations: the grandfather is Jesse, whose name means “I AM” or God the Father; the son is David, who personifies the entirety of humanity and all its experiences; and the grandson is the Christ child, Immanuel, whose name means “God is in us.”

The process described is one of divine self-reproduction. The Eternal Being, or Divine Imagination, enters into and molds itself upon the eternal structure of humanity. God experiences the totality of human life, including all its horrors, through individuals. This journey culminates when the individual imagination gives birth to a “wonder child,” the sign that God is born from within. This child, the grandson, is called the “Everlasting Father,” making him identical to his own grandfather, the I AM.

Following this mystical birth, the individual’s entire history of human experience is gathered and fused into a single, eternal youth who appears as David. This personified humanity then calls the individual “Father.” In this moment, the riddle is solved for that person. They awaken to the realization that they are God the Father, who used humanity (his son, David) to beget the Christ child (his grandson), who is one with himself. The divine and human imaginations are ultimately revealed not to be two, but one imagination differing only in intensity.

Important Quotes

The riddle’s solution can be found in the names. “Jesse” means “I AM”, which is the eternal, everlasting name of God.

Revealed Truth

Divine and human imagination are not two, but one imagination, which differs only in the degree of intensity.

Revealed Truth

Whatever is most profoundly spiritual will prove, in time, to be the most directly practical.

Revealed Truth

Common Misunderstandings

  • Misunderstanding: This story is about historical figures.

    • Correction: The lecture explains that Jesse, David, and Christ are to be understood as personifications and states within the individual's own consciousness. David represents the sum total of all human experience, and the Christ is a child born from within the individual's own imagination.
  • Misunderstanding: This teaching is purely theoretical and has no practical value.

    • Correction: Neville explicitly states that dwelling on these revealed truths is the “most practical” action one can take. He teaches that by contemplating these mysteries instead of wrestling with problems, the problems will resolve themselves.

Practical Applications

The primary application offered is to shift one's mental focus from worldly problems to these profound spiritual truths. Instead of worrying about how to meet a commitment, one should go to sleep dwelling on the meaning of this riddle. Neville argues that by seeking first this inner kingdom of revealed truth, all necessary outer things will be added. This practice is designed to lead to the full realization that you are one with the Creator, an awareness in which you can “wish anything into realization” and receive an instantaneous return.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the central riddle of the 'Revealed Truth' lecture?

The riddle is: 'What is it that becomes its own grandson and vice versa?' The solution explains how God the Father (the grandfather) becomes the Christ child (the grandson) through the medium of humanity (the son).

Who is David in this teaching?

David is not the historical king but the personification of the entirety of humanity's experiences. When an individual awakens as God the Father, their entire human journey fuses into the single form of the youth David, who appears and calls them Father.

How is this teaching practical?

According to the lecture, it is the 'most practical' teaching available. By dwelling on these profound truths instead of on your problems, the problems will be taken care of. This mental focus leads to the awareness of your true identity as God, the creative power.

Full Lecture Transcript

Read Neville Goddard's complete lecture below — the actual transcript this study guide is drawn from. Highlight any passage and ask the AI to explain it.

≈ 15 min read · 2,929 words

Neville 11-03-1969

REVEALED TRUTH

When the Rev. Dr. Trusler criticized Blake, saying he needed someone to elucidate his ideas, Blake replied: “You ought to know that what is grand is necessarily obscure to the weak. You also ought to know that what can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care. The wisest of the Ancients considered what is not too explicit as fittest for instruction because it rouses the faculties to act. I name Moses, Solomon, Aesop, Homer, Plato.” Then he asked this question: “Why is the Bible more entertaining and instructive than any book? Is it not because it is addressed to the imagination which is spiritual sensation and only but immediately to the understanding or reason?” Tonight I will ask you a riddle based upon scripture and try to solve it for you. What is it that becomes its own grandson and vice versa? And how can the Divine Creator be my Father, yet my child? Now this riddle is not addressed to the reasonable and logical mind, but to the human imagination, as its answer must be revealed. Let us turn to the Book of Isaiah. In the 7th chapter we are told: “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a maiden will conceive and bring forth a son and call his name Immanuel, which means God is in us.” (This is confirmed in the New Testament as: “The Kingdom of God is within.”) Now, in the 9th chapter of Isaiah, we read: “Unto us a child is born and his name shall be called the Everlasting Father.” So what we, individualized, will bring forth as a sign, is a child whose name is Everlasting Father; therefore are we not bringing forth that which created us? Here we see the Everlasting Father and the child are one, for that is the child’s name. He is the Everlasting Father, the self-existent, ever-created being who created and sustains the universe, and we are told that we will bring him forth as our child. Now let us turn to the 11th chapter of Isaiah, where we read: “There shall come forth a shoot out of Jesse, a branch shall grow out of his roots and the branch will be the ruler of all.” The riddle’s solution can be found in the names. “Jesse” means “I AM”, which is the eternal, everlasting name of God. The shoot which comes out of Jesse is his son, David, and out of David comes a branch who is one with his grandfather. In the 20th chapter of the Book of Luke, the 43rd and 44th verses, this same riddle is asked but not answered: “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David, when David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord?” Let me take these passages and put them together for you. The son is Immanuel, meaning “God is in us.” His Father is David, the beloved, and his grandfather is Jesse, who is I AM, the Everlasting Father. Here we find three separate generations, as it were, yet the son is one with the grandfather.

Now let us unriddle the riddle. David is called the beloved. He is the personification of all the generations of humanity, and their experiences. It is out of David that God begets himself, for the dream is nothing more than the reproduction of the Divine Imagination in the human imagination. There is not a thing in the world but God, who is reproducing himself in humanity. God (Divine Imagination) is wearing the masks of humanity in order to experience its horrors, so in that sense humanity is his son. And when the journey is over for the individualized God, his experiences fuse into a single youth, whom he recognizes as his son, David. Then out of David (humanity) comes which would be the grandson, who is one with the individual, now the grandfather. So the riddle is this: Who becomes his own grandson who becomes the grandfather? Divine imagination! Speaking of David, God the Father said: I have found in David a man after my own heart who will do my will.” So God the Father, having begotten himself on humanity, causes humanity to do his will, for man is completely under the control of this supreme being. And while on Man, God begets his grandson, for Man his son and the child, Immanuel, his grandson. So you see: the grandson and the grandfather are one, and you are that one. You are what you begot, and you are its begetter, for you come out as God the Father. Looking down on humanity personified as David who calls you Father, you realize that David brought forth you, his begetter; therefore you are the grandfather and the grandson. You, humanity, are that upon which the child is begotten. And when humanity gathers itself together into a single youth and personifies itself as David, he calls you Father, making you the grandfather, and Christ the grandson, one. I do not say that this is easy for you to grasp, but I am telling you it is true. A fantastic miracle takes place. It is truly the riddle of riddles. Now, the question is asked: “why do the wise men say that Christ is the son of David, when David in the Spirit called him Lord?” Christ is the child, the sign that God is in us, just as the Lord promised, saying: “This shall be a sign. A maiden will bring forth a son and she shall call his name Immanuel which means ‘God is in us.’” And when the Christ is born, he shall be known as the Everlasting Father. Therefore God, through humanity, begot his own grandchild. As human imagination, I am God’s son, but when he raises me to His level, I beget His grandchild. And when my son stands before me, I see David, the being out of which the Christ came. Therefore, who am I? I am the grandfather, the I AM who is one with the grandson (the human imagination). I know this is difficult for you to grasp, but I feel we have reached the point in time for you to hear it. Out of Jesse (I AM) God the Father’s eternal name, will come a stem (David) humanity, and out of David will come a branch (Christ). Now, the question is: “What do you think of the Christ? How can the scribes say he is the son of David, when David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord?” I tell you: David is humanity - that upon which Imagination molds himself and brings himself out of, then raises the individual out of which he came, back to himself along with the knowledge that the grandfather and the grandson are one glorious imagination. Humanity however will remain, for that is what Imagination molds himself on, throughout eternity. And when Imagination, individualized, has had all of the experiences of man, they will be gathered together and fused into one single whole, and appear as the eternal youth, David. You must go through all of the experiences of humanity before God’s son David will come forth to reveal you as his Father. It is he to whom the sign was given, for the child comes out of David; therefore the child is the grandson of God the Father and one with his grandfather, whom David reveals you to be. I tell you: you are God Himself. The eternal Divine Imagination is reproducing itself in human imagination so

that your I AM is one with the universal I AM. There can’t be any other. All the horrors you have known or may still know will add up to the birth of that wonder child. “To us a child is born.” It is to us, the human personality, that the child is born whose name is Everlasting Father. Then we experience His glorious son, David who made it possible. So Divine Imagination became humanity (human imagination) in order to beget himself. It takes all of the horrors of human history to produce that son who is the grandson of and one with the Eternal Father. The son, however, remains humanity, who condenses itself into a single youth called David. I hope you will dwell upon my words. There are many things to be said and time is short, so I feel it is time to tell it. This is the riddle. The Eternal Being (who is God the Father) entered into the eternal structure of the world (which is humanity). Man as you know him is part of the eternal structure of the world, and on it God the Father is reproducing himself. And when his work is finished, he brings out his likeness as his grandson. Then the grandson claims that David calls him Lord and the Lord is David’s father; therefore the grandson (the Christ) is the identical image of and one with his grandfather, the Eternal, Everlasting Father. Dwell upon my message tonight. Sense it until its meaning is revealed to you by a wonderful mystical experience. Believe me, for you are the Eternal God the Father. The universal I AM and your I AM are one and the same I AM. God is forever bringing himself forth by molding himself upon that part of eternity called the human family. It’s a very painful process to reproduce the Divine Imagination in the human imagination, but there is no better way to do it than in this manner. The three passages in the Book of Isaiah and the 20th chapter of the book of Luke propound the identical riddle which, put in our language, would be: How can that which begot you become your child, and in so doing, raise you to your begetter, who is God the Father? And how can you then look back on humanity and see all of its experiences fuse into a single being who stands before you and calls you Father? Dwell upon my words, for you will find them most stimulating and, far from not being practical, they are the most practical words you have ever heard. The Bible is far more exciting than anything you heard or read today, for not a thing said by any person could compare to the words you have heard tonight. All of the plots and plan of men concerning bringing this world to an end are not part of the divine plan. Divine Imagination’s plan is to reproduce Himself in the human imagination, for God is only begetting Himself. Divine and human imagination are not two, but one imagination, which differs only in the degree of intensity. The purpose of it all is that you will be able to wish anything into realization. I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly. No longer will you be a slave to the world or afraid of anything, for you will know that you are one with its creator. In that awareness, you will ask and receive instantaneous return. All this will be yours when the complete revelation of what I have told you this night is fulfilled. When you read scripture you will not find this spelled out as I have told you, but having heard my story over and over again you can follow my argument. The riddle is: What is it that becomes his own grandson and vice versa; the grandson becomes his own grandfather? If this is so, then where does David the father of the grandson fit in? Ask yourself and it will be revealed to you, for you will bring forth the wonder child whose name is the Everlasting Father. You will awake a few months later to discover that, instead of being God’s son, you are David’s Father. So instead of coming out of humanity as humanity’s son (which you did), you come out as God, the Everlasting Father.

It takes humanity and all its horrors for God the Real Father to experience in order to produce his likeness which is Himself. Humanity remains, but this time not a multitude of faces, but only one face. All of the faces are put together and fused into in the one body of your son (who is God’s son) David, who calls you my Lord. How then can you be David’s son when David, in the Spirit calls you my Lord? Do you follow me? I hope so. It is a profound truth and I think nothing deeper will come to you, for this is the story of scripture. Blake was perfectly right when he said: “Why is the Bible more entertaining and more instructive than any book? Is it not because it is addressed to the imagination which is spiritual sensation and only immediately to the understanding or reason? Therefore, what can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care. The wisest of the Ancients considered what was not too explicit to be fittest for instruction because it rouses the faculties to act.” Here we have a riddle and must respond to its challenge. How can a grandson become his own grandfather? You say that the Christ is the son of David, but tell me: how then can David, in the Spirit, call him my Lord? If he is David’s son and David’s Father is my Lord, and David in the Spirit calls him Lord, is he not his own grandfather? Dwell upon this and maybe, because it has been given to you this night, something may explode within you to lead you to its understanding. But the full understanding will come when scripture unfolds within you like a wonderful unfolding flower. You will find these three generations constantly throughout scripture. The Book of Matthew begins the New Testament with the three generations: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” Here is Abraham, the father of the multitudes. Then David, the beloved human being who brought forth the image of God called Christ the Lord. And God and his image are one, so we go back now to the grandfather being one with the grandson. Tonight may seem to be profoundly spiritual, yet I must repeat what I have said time and time again. Whatever is most profoundly spiritual will prove, in time, to be the most directly practical. Instead of wrestling with your problems, dwell upon these revealed truths, for as you do, your problems will solve themselves. Rather than going to bed worrying about how you are going to meet a pressing commitment, go to bed dwelling upon what I have told you and the commitment will be met. Your Father knows what you have need of. Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added unto you. When you sit down to work out one problem, you simply involve yourself with another and still another. But if you will dwell upon revealed truth, all the things you need will be taken care of. As you dwell upon revealed truth, try to solve these wonderful riddles. You may not unravel them, but think about what I have told you, because I am telling you what I know from experience. I did not arrive at these conclusions by logic. I am not a philosopher. I am simply one in whom the Word unfolded. And when it unfolds in you, you too will tell it from experience. You who heard me this night, dwell upon the thought that you are giving birth to Christ. That he will be your son because he comes out of you. And that this wonderful child is one with your Father who would have to be his grandfather. If he comes out of you and he is one with his grandfather (which is your Father) you will awaken to the realization that you are the Everlasting Father. Then you will look down upon yourself, called Man, and see it personified as David, who calls you the Everlasting Father, my Lord.

You cannot awaken as the Everlasting Father, however, until you bring forth Immanuel (which is the wonderful child) as the child is the everlasting sign that you have brought forth God, born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God - for God is begetting himself. This is literally true. The child that comes forth from you is the Everlasting Father. The minute you bring forth Immanuel, God in you comes forth revealing you as the God who wrought it. Then humanity, out of which the sign came, stands before you as a single being whose name is David, and David calls you - not grandfather, but Father. Think of humanity as the soul of man, the bride of the Lord whose maker is her husband. The Lord so fell in love with humanity (his bride) that he left all and has cleaved to his wife until they became one flesh. So humanity is Mary, destined to bring forth the Christ child. And the child and the Holy Spirit are one, and the child and his grandfather are one. When you bring forth the son, God has finished his work in you and his cleavage on you is complete. Then you aren’t two any more, but one. This is Divine Imagining reproducing itself upon humanity, which in the end comes out as God, the Everlasting Father. Now let us go into the silence.

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Source-checked against Neville Goddard's lectures & books · 2026-06-01.