Isaiah 43:5 — From the East to the West

A Neville Goddard Interpretation

"Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west."
—Isaiah 43:5 (KJV)

At first glance, this verse from the Book of Isaiah may appear to speak of exile and return, or a physical gathering of people. But through the lens of Neville Goddard’s spiritual psychology, it reveals a profound inner message about the process of manifestation—one that shows how desires born in imagination become reality.

The East: The World Within – Imagination

In symbolic language, the east often represents the place of beginnings—the rising sun, the dawn of new awareness. Neville taught that the Bible is psychological, and the east is no exception. He would interpret the east as:

• The invisible realm of imagination, where all creation begins.

• The place where your desires originate, before they are seen in the outer world.

• The inner world, where you plant the “seed” of your assumption through feeling and belief.

When Isaiah says, “I will bring thy seed from the east,” it is an affirmation that your desire—once assumed and impressed upon the subconscious—will be drawn into a creative process. The east is where you first accept your wish as fulfilled, even before any physical evidence appears.

The West: The World Without – Manifested Reality

In contrast, the west symbolises the visible world—the domain of form and experience. It is the place where what was once unseen becomes known. Neville often taught that the outer world is a reflection of inner consciousness, so in this verse, the west represents:

• The physical manifestation of the seed (desire) first sown in imagination.

• The harvest, drawn from the world around you in response to the inner state you’ve assumed.

• The stage upon which your inner reality becomes visible and experiential.

When it says, “and gather thee from the west,” it expresses the gathering together of all the elements required for your desire to become your experience. It is the subconscious mind arranging circumstances, people, and events to match the state you’ve occupied inwardly.

Fear Not – Your I AM is with You

The verse opens with “Fear not: for I am with thee.” In Neville’s teachings, I AM is the name of God—the divine presence within each of us. It is your awareness of being, your imagination. This inner presence is always with you, and it is the source of all creation. You are not alone in your desire—your I AM is the one that fulfils it.

A Divine Promise of Fulfilment

Seen through this perspective, Isaiah 43:5 is a promise from your inner self. If you dare to imagine boldly, to plant your seed in the east (the unseen realm of feeling and assumption), then you can trust it will be gathered in the west (the seen world of experience).

It is a verse of encouragement:

• Fear not, for you are never separate from the creative power of God within.

• Imagination (east) is the soil in which your desires take root.

• The physical world (west) will reflect the seed you’ve planted.

Your only task is to remain faithful to the feeling of the wish fulfilled. As Neville said, “Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled and continue feeling it until that which you feel objectifies itself.”