The story of Lazarus in John 11 is often read as a simple miracle narrative. Yet, through the teachings of Neville Goddard and the poetic symbolism of the Song of Solomon, it reveals a far deeper truth: it is a love story between consciousness and imagination, a guide for reawakening our buried creative power.
Lazarus as the Dormant Creative Power
Lazarus represents our imaginative faculty — the divine creative power within each of us. When he lies dead in the tomb, it symbolises a state of mind so entrenched in limitation, doubt, and fear that we believe our desires to be impossible.
Jesus clarifies this when he says:
“Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”
— John 11:11
Here, Jesus symbolises the awakened imagination — the “I AM” consciousness that knows no death and has the power to call forth life from apparent decay.
The Smell of Decay and the Lord of the Flies
Martha protests:
“Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days.”
— John 11:39
This “stench” is not literal; it is the outward manifestation of deeply entrenched beliefs and self-doubt. In Hebrew tradition, the soul was believed to hover near the body for three days; the fourth day marked irreversible death.
Beelzebub, or the “lord of the flies,” symbolises the swarm of negative thoughts that gather around stagnant desires. These mental “flies” feed on the decay of forgotten or denied dreams, distracting and weakening the dormant creative power.
Self-Wounding and Missing the Mark
Neville Goddard redefines sin as “missing the mark.” The true “death” of Lazarus is self-wounding: when our desires are buried under self-doubt, unworthiness, and habitual inner defeat.
We entomb our possibilities within rigid beliefs, sealing them behind the stone of “It’s too late.” Yet even in the tomb, desire lives. Neville says:
“Desire is the Word of God.”
These desires are seeds that cannot truly die; they await the command of imagination to rise again.
The Command: “Take Away the Stone”
Jesus instructs:
“Take away the stone.”
— John 11:39
The stone represents our hard, fixed belief in limitation. To roll it away is to dare to imagine again — to challenge appearances and declare that nothing is truly final.
Neville reminds us:
“Dare to believe in the reality of your assumption and watch the world play its part relative to its fulfilment.”
Jesus Wept: The Inner Love Story
When Jesus weeps (John 11:35), it is not from grief but from the overwhelming feeling of consciousness reconnecting with imagination. This is the joyful sorrow of reunion — the soul realising its power to bring forth life from death.
The Song of Solomon echoes this intimate union:
“I sleep, but my heart waketh.”
— Song of Solomon 5:2
Lazarus’ resurrection is not merely a return to life but the rekindling of a love affair between the soul and its creative power.
The Meaning of 111: A Call to Awaken
Many see 111 as a divine sign — a wake-up call from within.
In John 11:11, where Jesus speaks of Lazarus “sleeping,” we find a symbolic mirror. The repeated 1s signify unity, alignment, and the beginning of a new cycle.
This is the call to remember your true self, to focus singularly on your desired state, and to dare to step beyond the tomb of limitation.
“Loose Him, and Let Him Go”
After Lazarus emerges, Jesus commands:
“Loose him, and let him go.”
— John 11:44
The grave clothes represent lingering doubts, fears, and old habits. Once your desire is reawakened, it must be freed from these bindings to live fully in your world.
The World: An Echo of Past States
Neville teaches that our outer world is a reflection of past imaginal acts. The “smell” of decay and the flies of Beelzebub are reminders that current experiences are echoes of old states of consciousness.
When we persist in imagining defeat, we see it mirrored externally. When we hear the voice of imagination calling forth new life, the world must eventually reflect this new state.
Conclusion: Out of the Tomb, Into New Life
Your Lazarus is any desire or dream you believe to be beyond revival. Your stone is your belief in impossibility. Your flies are the buzzing doubts that have long plagued your mind.
Yet no desire is truly dead — only sleeping, awaiting your inner voice to say, “Come forth.”
When you dare to imagine, when you roll away the stone, and when you embody the feeling of your wish fulfilled, you resurrect your buried possibilities.
This is the eternal love story within: consciousness and imagination forever calling each other home, ready to transform even the most forgotten desires into living realities.
“Loose him, and let him go.”
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