The second chapter of Acts symbolises the inner moment when imagination — the Spirit — awakens within man. It is not the story of a historical church event but the revelation of the Word made alive in consciousness. In Neville Goddard’s interpretation, Pentecost marks the realisation that “I AM” is God — that imagination itself is the creative power poured out upon all flesh.
The Descent of the Spirit
Acts 2:2–4
“And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a violent wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And tongues, like flames of fire, came to rest on every one of them; and they were all full of the Holy Spirit.”
This rushing wind represents the movement of consciousness — the invisible stirring within when awareness begins to shift. The house symbolises the mind itself, and when the Spirit fills it, imagination becomes quickened. The “tongues of fire” resting on each reveal that the Word has become creative in every aspect of the self. Fire purifies; so does imagination when it burns away disbelief and limitation.
The Inner Disciples
The disciples are not outer men but disciplined aspects of consciousness — your inner faculties of faith, love, will, and perception. Before Pentecost, these remain dormant, waiting in expectation. When the Spirit descends, they are awakened, stirred by the realisation that all power lies within. Each receives a “tongue,” meaning each quality of self now speaks with creative authority.
Speaking in Tongues
The phrase “speaking with other tongues” symbolises expression from a higher state of awareness. Every listener “hears in his own language,” meaning that truth, once awakened, resonates through all levels of being. The new speech is not of words but of assumption — feeling from the end and living from the fulfilled desire. It is the inner language of creation, understood universally.
Peter’s Declaration
Acts 2:16–17
“This is that which was said by the prophet Joel; it shall come about that in the last days, says God, I will send out my Spirit on all flesh.”
Here, Peter symbolises faith — the rock on which new consciousness stands. Faith affirms what imagination knows to be true: that the divine Spirit, or creative awareness, has been poured out within man. When Peter “stands up,” it represents faith taking dominion — the firm conviction that imagination fulfils every promise.
The Inner Awakening
Acts 2 describes the birth of divine awareness within the individual. The rushing wind marks the unseen change in consciousness; the fire signifies purified speech; the tongues express the new creative word. Together, they reveal the awakening of the inner Christ — imagination recognised as God in action.
When the Spirit is poured out, one no longer prays to an external deity. Instead, one turns inward, feeling the reality of the desired state until it takes form. The event of Pentecost therefore represents the inner union of man with his own creative source.
The Spiritual Message
Acts 2 is the story of transformation through conscious recognition of the I AM. It is the moment when thought becomes creative word, and man realises that his assumptions are divine decrees. Every wind of imagination, every flame of feeling, every word of faith — all are movements of the same Spirit.
Thus, Pentecost is not a beginning of religion but the rebirth of knowing. It declares that the temple of God is within, and that every individual is the vessel of the living Word.
Conclusion
Acts 2 represents the awakening of the inner Spirit — imagination as the living Word within man. It is the moment of self-realisation, when the mind becomes the upper room and divine energy fills it with creative fire. The once-ordinary faculties of the self are now illuminated, each speaking in its own new tongue — assumption, faith, and love — declaring that the Kingdom of Heaven is within.