In Genesis 22:1–19, the story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac gains significant depth when interpreted through Neville Goddard’s revelation of the Bible. Neville repeatedly emphasises that the Bible is a psychological drama within the individual. The sacrifice of Isaac describes the inner fixation of a state—what Neville calls the crucifixion of an assumption.
Abraham: The Embodiment of Unwavering Faith
Abraham represents the inner self that accepts the promise through faith. He is the moment of assumption—the conscious decision to treat the desire as fulfilled, regardless of appearances. This is why Paul calls him the father of all who believe (Romans 4:11), and why Neville presents Abraham as the archetype of entering the state of the wish fulfilled.
Isaac: The Inner Laughter of Fulfilment
Isaac's name means laughter, pointing to the initial joy and emotional union that follows genuine faith. Isaac symbolises the felt sense of fulfilment—the inner delight that arises when one has fully accepted the promise inwardly.
Paul confirms this inner reading: believers are “children of the promise, like Isaac” (Galatians 4:28). Isaac is psychological: the emotional confirmation born from faith. The test of faith is to bring Isaac—the inner joy and laughter—to every request from God, meaning that Abraham must maintain his inner sense of fulfilment no matter how challenging the command appears.
The Meaning of Abraham’s “I AM”
Twice Abraham answers, “Here I AM” (Genesis 22:1, 22:7). This repetition symbolises Abraham’s alignment with the exalted “I AM that I AM”—the awareness from which all inner states arise. It represents readiness to identify with the unseen reality, holding the feeling of fulfilment lightly yet firmly, and offering it fully in response to every inner demand.
The Command and the Psychological Test
“Take your son, your only son, whom you love, and offer him…”
— Genesis 22:2
The command to “offer” Isaac is symbolic, not literal. It represents the act of consecrating and fixing the joy state within consciousness. Abraham raises the knife—he is prepared to fully crucify the inner feeling of fulfilment. At this point:
- God stops him: the inner realisation occurs that joy itself cannot die. The assumption is protected by the subconscious.
- Burnt offering / slaughter: Abraham fully offers the Isaac-state—fixing the joy so completely that it becomes immovable in consciousness. This act is a preliminary crucifixion, a practice in consecrating and stabilising an inner state, preparing the way for the ultimate crucifixion of consciousness later exemplified in Jesus. The state is not destroyed but permanently secured within imagination.
“He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead…”
— Hebrews 11:19
Paul confirms that this episode is figurative: the inner feeling is “received back” by awareness, unshaken by appearances. The real test is that Abraham can always summon Isaac—the joy of fulfilment—no matter what God commands, showing faith and joy as unshakable and consistent.
Genesis 2:24 and the Inner Movement
This inner surrender echoes Genesis 2:24: “A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.” The individual must leave familiar outer attachments and cleave to the unseen emotional reality birthed by faith. To cleave to Isaac is to cleave to the inner joy and confirmation of fulfilment, consistently and unwaveringly.
The Ram: Internal Confirmation of the Fixed State
“Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and there was a ram caught in a thicket.”
— Genesis 22:13
Here, the ram represents the inner confirmation that arises once Isaac has been fully offered and fixed. It is the uplifted, immovable mood or feeling created by the act of consecration. The ram is not an external animal but a symbol of the subconscious response: the inner proof that the assumption has taken root. It is the evidence that Abraham has successfully held Isaac in every “command,” demonstrating unwavering faith.
What This Means
Neville’s interpretation shows that faith is not just clinging to appearances but fully offering the inner joy until it is immovable. Isaac is not destroyed; he is fixed. The “ram” is the inner assurance that the promise is secure within consciousness, providing a steady, uplifted confirmation of what has already been assumed. Abraham’s preliminary crucifixion prepares the consciousness for the ultimate crucifixion, as exemplified in Jesus, where the inner state is fully offered and made unshakable in the imagination.
“True faith is demonstrated not by clinging to appearances, but by fixing your assumption in the unseen reality that gave Isaac birth.”
— Inspired by Neville Goddard