Isaiah is the inner dialogue of the reader, unfolding within the secret chambers of thought. When you open his words, you are overhearing your own mind wrestling with the recognition of imagination itself.
“He was looked down on, and made of no account by men; a man of sorrows, and used to grief: and so little was he noted that men's faces were turned away from him: he was looked down on, and we made no account of him.” (Isaiah 53:3 BBE).
The word “men” refers to the self conceived in Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image.” Here, “man” is the inner “I” that guides imagination. The Servant is your imagination itself. It suffers because the self you assume often bears the consequences of its own beliefs and limitations. Eve, cursed to give birth in pain, symbolises the mental response to the "I AM" when experiencing suffering.
“To the woman He said: ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’.” — Genesis 3:16
“And the Lord God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.’” — Genesis 3:14
In the context of imagination, the serpent represents the part of consciousness that resists alignment with your "I AM." Just as the serpent is cursed to crawl and eat dust, this adversarial aspect of the mind moves in the lower, reactive state until it is disciplined or transformed. The Servant (imagination) suffers because it must faithfully reflect both the receptive and resistant parts of your inner self, bringing to light the consequences of inner beliefs and misalignments.
The Imagination That Suffers
The Bible presents imagination as the true power of creation — the 'Living God' within you. It does not choose; it only manifests the state your "I AM that I AM" declares. Scripture calls it a Servant because it obeys fully.
Whether you assume fear, lack, or limitation (sin), imagination produces it. Assume joy, security, or abundance, and imagination produces that. It is loyal and unresisting, following the directives of your "I AM".
The Servant suffers because it cannot refuse the assumptions it is given. Every sorrow, limitation, and difficulty comes from imagination faithfully expressing what your inner I AM that I AM has claimed. It is not punishment from an outside God, but the natural outcome of your inner state .
Neville wrote:
“God himself is the suffering servant. He so loves you, he will not alter your imagination. If you imagine some horrible thing he will fulfil it, and because you have to experience all that you imagine he will suffer with you.”
Here, “God” refers to your own imagination — the imaginative presence within you. It reflects faithfully whatever state you accept, enduring it until recognition and transformation occur.
Hidden in Plain Sight
“He has no form or comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” — Isaiah 53:2
Here the mental posture of Isaiah realises that his perceived self is not held in any particular or desirable way. Imagination does not appear impressive when it is not recognised or upheld. It is invisible, unmeasured, and often overlooked. Because it is not externally validated, the outer mind does not desire it—yet all forms and experiences in life are born from it across Scripture. Neville said: “You are His suffering servant, who is Himself.” The paradox is that we reject the very power while relying on it to create our world.
"But he looked directly at them and said, ‘What then is this that is written:The stone is the rock, the skull - the house or awareness.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”?’ — Luke 20:17
The Servant is Exalted
“See, my servant will be acting wisely, he will be lifted up and praised and honoured greatly.” — Isaiah 52:13
The ultimate purpose of the Servant's experience is recognition and exaltation. This passage precedes the Suffering Servant poem and highlights the final state: the elevation of Imagination when it is acknowledged as the sole originating power. To be "lifted up and praised" means to honor the within over the without ("the last shall be first"), acknowledging that your own I AM is the source of all things.
"If you do well, will you not have honour?...." — Genesis 4-7
With His Stripes We Are Healed
“Truly he has taken our griefs on himself, and our sorrows have been the weight with which he was troubled: and we were of the opinion that he was given punishment, wounded by God, and made low.” — Isaiah 53:4
“But he was wounded for our wrong-doing, he was crushed for our evil behaviour: the punishment by which we have peace was put on him, and with his stripes we are made well.” — Isaiah 53:5
Every experience is the result of an assumption fixed in imagination. The crucifixion represents the moment a belief becomes established — when you accept it as true. These “stripes” are the consequences of assumptions, which teach and guide you. Understanding this allows you to deliberately assume the feeling of your fulfilled desire and be healed.
The Word Cannot Fail
“So will my word be which goes out of my mouth: it will not come back to me without effect, but will do my pleasure, and be straight on its way for the purpose for which I sent it.” — Isaiah 55:11
This verse confirms the irrevocable nature of the law. Your "word" is your assumption; the state you accept and feel as real. Once that word/assumption "goes out of your mouth" (is impressed upon the Servant, your Imagination), it must perform its function. It cannot return "without effect." This gives the ultimate assurance that any desired state, if successfully assumed, must manifest its corresponding reality.
The phrase “do my pleasure” emphasises that the law responds faithfully to the desires you embody in your consciousness
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. — Isaiah 42:1
Recognition Transforms
The Servant is exalted and praised, lifted from the dust when you recognise imagination as the chosen, set-apart state (Christ). When you stop scattering power on external temptations, you become responsible and free. Neville said:
“Christ in you is your hope of glory. When you know that your imagination is Christ, you are free.”
Isaiah is your own mind recognising its presence, and honouring the Servant it once ignored.