Neville Goddard on The Promise

Executive Summary

The Promise is God's divine plan of salvation, an unconditional gift that is not earned through merit but is destined to be fulfilled in every individual. It is distinct from the law of assumption, which governs the physical world. The fulfillment of The Promise is a mystical awakening where the individual discovers their true identity as God the Father. This revelation is confirmed when David, the personification of humanity's collective experience, appears and acknowledges you as his father.

Key Concepts

• The Promise is God's unconditional gift of salvation to all humanity.
• It is not earned through merit; every person will receive it.
• The fulfillment of The Promise reveals one's true identity as God the Father.
• This revelation occurs when David, the personification of all human experience, appears and calls you Father.
• David is the Son of God, the Christ, and the "express image" of God's person.
• Your own "I AM" or human imagination is God the Father, who is also called Jesus or Jehovah in scripture.

Detailed Explanation

The Promise is God's plan of salvation, a hope for which Paul stood on trial before King Agrippa. It is not a reward for worldly accomplishment or moral behavior, but an unconditional gift that will be fulfilled for every person. No one is good enough to earn it; it is given by grace. The ultimate gift of The Promise is God giving Himself to you.

The central figure in the fulfillment of The Promise is David. This is not the historical king, but a mystical being who is the Son of God and the Christ. He is the personification of all the generations of humanity and their collective experiences. Scripture reveals that the sufferings of Christ are described using the exact words of David from the Psalms, establishing their profound connection. David is the one who reflects God's glory and is the "express image of his person."

The Promise unfolds within the individual. After the soul has journeyed through this world, playing all the parts of man, it brings forth the result of all that experience. That result confronts you in the form of David. When David appears, he reveals you as his father. This event is the climax of The Promise, as David's sonship proves your own fatherhood—your identity as God.

This divine relationship is presented as a riddle of three generations: the grandfather is Jesse (whose name means "I AM," the name of God), the father is David (symbolizing humanity), and the grandson is one with the grandfather. In this mystical drama, your own consciousness, your "I AM," is God the Father (also called Jesus or Jehovah). It is out of David—the totality of human experience—that God begets Himself, revealing the Son who in turn reveals the Father.

Important Quotes

Here I stand on trial for my hope in the promise God made to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, and eagerly, earnestly worship night and day.

— God’s Promise To Man

The promise is unconditional. So, here I am, a normal man with all the limitations and weaknesses of man.

— God’s Promise To Man

David is the Christ. He is the Lord’s anointed; begotten not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God.

— The Son Revealed

It is David who reflects God’s glory, for it is David who is the express image of his person.

— The Last Days

Related Concepts

• I AM: The source material directly equates "I AM" with God, Jesus, Jehovah, and Jesse. The Promise is the ultimate revelation that your own fundamental consciousness, your sense of "I AM," is God the Father.
• Imagination: Your "own wonderful human imagination" is identified as Jesus, as God. This connects the creative power within you to the divine identity that The Promise reveals.
• The Law of Assumption: The source material does not explain the relationship between The Law and The Promise, but it does present them together in the book title "The Law and The Promise," suggesting they are two primary components of the overall teaching.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding the Son of God: A common teaching is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The source material corrects this by stating that to the New Testament writers, Jesus Christ is Jehovah (God the Father), and it is David who is God's Son.
• Believing The Promise is Earned: The Promise is not a reward for good behavior, piety, or successful application of the Law. The source material emphasizes that it is an unconditional gift that cannot be earned; it will be fulfilled for everyone regardless of their life's actions.

Practical Applications

The source material presents The Promise as a mystical destiny rather than a technique to be applied. The primary application for a student is to hold it in hope, as Paul did. It is a truth to be understood about God's plan of salvation and your ultimate identity. Unlike the Law of Assumption, it is not a method for changing circumstances but a description of the inevitable spiritual evolution that happens to every person.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Promise?

It is God's unconditional plan of salvation, in which He gives Himself to you by revealing that you are God the Father.

How is The Promise fulfilled?

It is fulfilled when David, the personification of all humanity's experiences, appears and reveals himself to be your son, thereby proving your fatherhood as God.

Who is David in this teaching?

David is not the historical king but the Son of God, the Christ, who is the 'express image' of God and the summation of humanity's journey through this world.

Can I earn The Promise?

No. The Promise is an unconditional gift that is not earned through works or merit. It is destined to be fulfilled for every person.