In the Bible, two sacred objects—the Urim and the Thummim—were carried by Israel’s High Priest in the breastplate of judgment (Exodus 28:30). The Bible never explains exactly how they worked, which has led to much speculation. But when read symbolically, especially alongside Neville Goddard’s teaching, their meaning becomes surprisingly clear. They point to an inner process of guidance and manifestation, not an external ritual.
Rather than being fortune-telling tools, the Urim and Thummim represent how consciousness moves from imagination to fulfilment.
The Urim: Light as Imagination
Biblical meaning: The word Urim comes from the Hebrew ’or, meaning light (Exodus 28:30; Deuteronomy 33:8).
In the Bible, light always appears at the beginning of creation:
“Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)
Neville taught that this light is not physical—it is imagination. Imagination is what reveals a new self before it's revealed in the world. In this sense, the Urim symbolises the first inner act: seeing, imagining, and becoming aware of what could be.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
This “lamp” is not external guidance but inner illumination. The Urim represents the moment a desire becomes visible in consciousness.
The Thummim: Truth as Completion
Biblical meaning: Thummim comes from a root meaning completion, wholeness, or perfection (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21).
If the Urim reveals the desire, the Thummim confirms it. Neville repeatedly taught that manifestation happens when you move into the state of knowing it is already done. That settled conviction is what the Thummim symbolises.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
This is not moral truth, but psychological certainty. The Thummim represents resting in the feeling of fulfilment —no effort, no struggle, just completion.
Together, the Urim and Thummim are not “yes or no” answers. They are:
- Urim — light that reveals the desire
- Thummim — truth that confirms it is fulfilled
Deuteronomy 33:8 — Light and Truth Entrusted to Levi
“And of Levi he said, ‘Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your faithful one…’”
This verse is a key interpretive statement. Levi represents the priestly function—the inner authority that interprets and applies divine law.
Symbolically, this means:
- Urim (light) and Thummim (truth) belong to the inner priest.
- Guidance is not outsourced to signs, rituals, or intermediaries.
- Illumination and certainty arise from imaginative field.
In Neville’s terms, this verse is saying that imagination and fulfilled knowing are entrusted to consciousness itself. You are the bearer of the oracle.
Further Biblical Mentions and Their Meaning
Exodus 28:30 & Leviticus 8:8 — Over the Heart
“So they shall be over Aaron’s heart…”
Twice we are told that the Urim and Thummim rest over the heart. This is deliberate. In biblical symbolism, the heart is the centre of belief and assumption, not emotion alone.
Guidance comes from what is inwardly accepted as true.
Numbers 27:21 — Judgment by Urim
“He shall inquire by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD.”
This verse shows Urim being used for judgment, not prediction. Judgment here means inner decision. The light of imagination reveals the direction, and action follows from that inner clarity.
1 Samuel 28:6 — When the Light No Longer Answers
“The LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.”
Saul’s failure to receive guidance is not due to the absence of tools, but the absence of alignment. Symbolically, when consciousness is divided, imagination no longer responds.
The Urim fails not because it is gone, but because the inner state has fractured.
Ezra 2:63 & Nehemiah 7:65 — The Missing Oracle
“…until a priest should arise with Urim and Thummim.”
After the exile, the Urim and Thummim are no longer present. This absence is significant. The Bible is moving away from externalised guidance toward internal authority.
By the time of the Gospels, guidance is no longer sought through objects at all:
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
Sevenfold Completion in Genesis
The idea of Thummim as completion connects directly to the number seven, which always symbolises fulfilment in the Bible.
- Six days of creation — forming the idea
- Seventh day — rest, because it is finished
This describes a mental movement, not a timeline:
- Urim: the idea is seen
- Thummim: the mind rests in certainty
The Menorah: Seven Lights Within
“Make a lampstand of pure gold… with its seven lamps.” (Exodus 25:31)
The Menorah mirrors the same pattern. When imagination reveals and truth confirms, the whole inner system is illuminated. Effort gives way to knowing.
Inner Oracle, Not External Signs
The Bible never describes the physical mechanics of the Urim and Thummim. This silence is telling. They were never meant to be mechanical devices, but symbols of inner function.
- Imagination reveals
- Assumption completes
The oracle is consulted inwardly.
Conclusion: Light First, Then Rest
- Urim — imagination reveals
- Thummim — certainty completes
The scattered biblical references form a single movement: from external oracle to inner authority. Genesis begins it. Deuteronomy defines it. The later books show its loss, and the New Testament completes its inward return.
You do not wait for signs.
You imagine, and then you rest.
Numbers: Seven | Priesthood Series | Architecture Series | Object Symbolism