Based on Neville Goddard's teachings, the named men of Scripture are personifications of specific states of consciousness or faculties within every person. The entire book is an exploration of that state. Here's a deeper look at the Old Testament figures.
Joshua
MEANING: “Yahweh is salvation.” Same root as Jesus.
SYMBOLISM: Joshua represents the active, conquering power of assumption. Just as Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, this faculty of consciousness is what actively takes possession of your desired state. It doesn't just wish or hope; it boldly assumes the feeling of the wish fulfilled. It's the "man of action" in the inner world, seizing what has been divinely promised.
MESSAGE: To experience your desires, you must go beyond passive belief. Your imagination must be courageously and persistently assumed, and you must act as if your desired state is already a reality. This is the inner marching around the walls of Jericho until they fall—your sustained imaginative act dissolves the old reality.
Samuel (1 & 2 Samuel)
MEANING: “Heard of God.”
SYMBOLISM: Samuel is the state of consciousness that hears the inner word of God—the silent whisper of your own imagination. He is the priest who anoints the new manifestation, David, which symbolizes love and the new order. This transition from the old self, represented by King Saul, to the new self, represented by David, is a key theme.
MESSAGE: The message here is about transition and obedience to the inner voice. The old, limited self (Saul) must be displaced by a new, divinely-inspired consciousness (David). This happens when you learn to listen to and obey the promptings of your own creative imagination, recognizing them as the voice of God within you.
Kings (1 & 2 Kings)
SYMBOLISM: The kings in these books are not individuals but reigning states of consciousness. Each king's reign, whether righteous or wicked, represents a dominant mental attitude or belief system. For example, a "good" king symbolizes a consciousness aligned with the law of imagination, while a "bad" king represents a state of doubt, fear, or external focus.
MESSAGE: The books of Kings are a chronicle of the rise and fall of these states. They show how a state of consciousness, when aligned with the divine law (imagination), leads to a prosperous and fulfilled life (a long reign), while misalignment leads to collapse and suffering (a short, tumultuous reign). The history of the kings is your own psychological history—your victories and defeats are a direct result of the states you have allowed to "rule" you.
Job
MEANING: “Persecuted” or “hated.”
SYMBOLISM: Job represents the soul in trial. This is the state of consciousness that experiences immense suffering and loss when external reality seems to completely contradict one's inner faith. His "friends" are the logical, rational parts of the mind that offer flawed, external explanations for his suffering, telling him he must have done something wrong.
MESSAGE: Suffering is self-imposed ignorance. The book of Job's central message is that external calamities are not a punishment from an external god, but a direct result of a man's own limited understanding and acceptance of his true creative power. Restoration (the return of Job's fortune) comes only when he recognizes that the creative cause is within himself, not an external force to be appeased.
Isaiah
MEANING: “Yahweh saves.”
SYMBOLISM: Isaiah is the prophet of vision and divine revelation. He represents the faculty of consciousness that can lift the veil of physical appearances to see the coming reality of "God in man." He sees the future that the average mind cannot, because he is a personification of pure, unadulterated imagination.
MESSAGE: Isaiah's message is twofold. He declares judgement on those who rely on external, limited forms of belief and self-deception. But he also delivers a profound promise—that the "birth of God within" is the ultimate destiny of all men. This is the full realization of one's creative power.
Jeremiah
MEANING: "Yahweh exalts" or "Appointed by God."
SYMBOLISM: Jeremiah represents the inner truth that tears down false securities. He is the conscience that relentlessly warns against putting faith in anything other than the power of your own imagination. His prophecies of destruction symbolize the inevitable collapse of all external supports, be they wealth, status, or relationships, when they are relied upon as the source of security.
MESSAGE: The book of Jeremiah teaches that every external support will eventually collapse until man acknowledges and relies on his imagination alone. The destruction of Jerusalem is the symbolic destruction of the mind's false foundation, forcing you to turn inward and build your life on the unshakeable foundation of "I AM."
Ezekiel
MEANING: "God strengthens" or "God makes strong."
SYMBOLISM: Ezekiel is the visionary pattern-maker. He is the aspect of consciousness that not only sees the vision but also understands the structure of imagination itself. He sees the "dry bones" of a seemingly dead situation and breathes life back into them. He is also the one who is shown the blueprint for the "new temple," which is the human imagination rebuilt on its true foundation.
MESSAGE: The primary message is that life is recreated by awareness. The vision of the dry bones coming to life and the new temple being revealed shows that no situation is too dead or hopeless for the creative power of imagination to transform. All life, all form, can be recreated by the sustained breath of your awareness and feeling.
Daniel
MEANING: “God is my judge.”
SYMBOLISM: Daniel is the disciplined imagination that remains unshaken in Babylon (the confusion and chaos of the outer world). He represents the unwavering faith that can fix its attention on the inner truth, even when surrounded by contradictory appearances. He is not swayed by the "lions' den" of fear or the "fiery furnace" of emotional stress.
MESSAGE: The message is one of unshakable inner faith. Your inner conviction delivers you from the lions and fire of the external world. Appearances cannot consume or destroy your imagination when it is fixed and unwavering on the truth that "God is my judge"—that your inner reality is the only true judge and creator of your experience.
Hosea
MEANING: “Salvation.”
SYMBOLISM: Hosea represents the painful recognition that man "marries" states of unfaithfulness. His wife, Gomer, symbolizes the consciousness that repeatedly turns to false gods (external beliefs and fears). Yet, the book's core message is that love and forgiveness (the divine imagination) will always redeem even the most wasted states.
MESSAGE: Imagination can redeem even your most wasted, unfaithful states when consciousness returns to its source. No matter how many times you've lost faith or been unfaithful to your inner truth, the redemptive power remains.
Joel
MEANING: “Yahweh is God.”
SYMBOLISM: Joel represents the awakening voice within, calling consciousness to alignment and inner vision during times of crisis.
MESSAGE: Inner recognition and listening to your imagination brings transformation, guiding consciousness from fear or scarcity to abundance and insight.
Amos
MEANING: “Burden-bearer.”
SYMBOLISM: Amos symbolizes the faculty that confronts imbalance or injustice within consciousness, revealing consequences of misaligned thought.
MESSAGE: Awareness of internal imbalance enables correction; acknowledging burdens allows imagination to restore harmony and truth.
Obadiah
MEANING: “Servant of God.”
SYMBOLISM: Obadiah represents humility and faithful service of the inner self, seeing through ego and pride.
MESSAGE: True service arises from inner alignment; by serving your own imagination faithfully, clarity and restoration come to your consciousness.
Jonah
MEANING: “Dove.”
SYMBOLISM: Jonah represents avoidance and the resistance of consciousness to expansion. His flight illustrates inner reluctance to confront growth.
MESSAGE: Embracing inner guidance transforms consciousness, showing that even reluctant faculties can serve higher purpose when aligned.
Micah
MEANING: “Who is like God?”
SYMBOLISM: Micah embodies discernment, justice, and the vision of what consciousness can achieve when aligned with divine law.
MESSAGE: Inner reflection and integrity direct the soul to right action, demonstrating the creative power of conscious alignment.
Nahum
MEANING: “Comfort” or “Consolation.”
SYMBOLISM: Nahum signifies the faculty that brings resolution and reassurance after inner turmoil or destruction.
MESSAGE: Restoration comes after clearing misaligned states; imagination consolidates learning and brings peace after upheaval.
Habakkuk
MEANING: “Embrace” or “Beloved.”
SYMBOLISM: Habakkuk represents questioning consciousness and the search for understanding when appearances challenge faith.
MESSAGE: Honest inquiry into inner truths strengthens awareness; wrestling with doubt ultimately stabilises faith in imagination.
Zephaniah
MEANING: “Yahweh hides” or “Protected by God.”
SYMBOLISM: Zephaniah represents hidden aspects of consciousness that protect and guide until revelation comes.
MESSAGE: Trust the unseen workings of imagination; protection and clarity emerge when alignment is maintained.
Haggai
MEANING: “Festive” or “My celebration.”
SYMBOLISM: Haggai embodies motivation and encouragement to rebuild and realign consciousness with its higher purpose.
MESSAGE: Initiating inner action and prioritising reconstruction ensures progress toward manifestation of desires.
Zechariah
MEANING: “Yahweh remembers.”
SYMBOLISM: Zechariah is the faculty that recalls divine truth, reminding consciousness of its creative origin.
MESSAGE: Remembering your inner power strengthens faith and consolidates your imaginative capacity.
Malachi
MEANING: “Messenger of God.”
SYMBOLISM: Malachi represents the voice of conscience, delivering final reminders and preparing consciousness for transformation.
MESSAGE: Heed the messages of your inner self; preparation and awareness bring readiness for the next creative step.