In the Gospel of John, Jesus says to his mother, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). On the surface, this may appear to be a simple reference to timing or circumstance. But according to Neville Goddard, this statement holds a far deeper, metaphysical meaning—one that reveals something essential about the nature of consciousness and the process of manifestation.
Neville taught that Scripture is psychological rather than historical, and the characters within the Bible represent states of consciousness. For him, Jesus symbolises the human imagination, especially when it becomes aware of its divine, creative power. In this light, Jesus’s words are not those of a man stalling an event, but of consciousness recognising that a certain inner state has not yet matured.
The Symbolism of “Hour”
According to Neville, time in Scripture is symbolic. The term “hour” does not refer to clock time, but to the inner moment of readiness—the psychological point when a person has fully accepted a new state of being. That is, when one has imagined and felt a desire so vividly and persistently that it becomes an unquestioned truth within.
“There is a time interval between the acceptance of the desire (imagined fulfilment) and its expression in the world of form.” – Neville Goddard
So, when Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come,” he is expressing that the inner alignment necessary for manifestation has not yet occurred. The desire may be present, but the state of consciousness required to bring it into form has not been fully occupied or embodied.
The Turning of Water into Wine
Interestingly, Jesus says these words just before performing his first recorded miracle—turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11). This miracle, according to Neville, is symbolic of the transformation of the ordinary (water) into the extraordinary (wine)—a metaphor for how imagination transforms reality.
The miracle happens after the inner realisation—the moment the “hour” does arrive. Once Jesus (or the Imagination) fully inhabits the state of the wish fulfilled, the outer world must conform to that new inner truth. In Neville’s language, once the inner act is complete, the outer must follow.
The Gestation of Desire
One of Neville’s consistent messages is that every desire has a gestation period. Just as a seed needs time in the soil before it can bloom, so too must a desire be nurtured and felt in imagination before it becomes tangible. The “hour” symbolises the moment inner conviction replaces doubt, and the conscious mind and subconscious mind are in agreement.
Until then, the desire remains in the imaginal womb—growing, shifting, becoming. The external delay isn’t punishment or failure; it’s a natural part of the creative process.
Conclusion: Inner Readiness Precedes Outer Fulfilment
To Neville Goddard, “My hour has not yet come” is a profound statement about inner preparation and the timing of manifestation. The outer world only changes when the inner self has accepted the change as real. Your “hour” is whenever you fully embody the state of your desire—not in theory, but in feeling, belief, and certainty.
So if your dream has not yet materialised, it’s not that your “hour” will never come. It simply hasn’t arrived in consciousness. Persist in assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled, and when your inner world aligns with your desire, the outer must reflect it. That is the law.
“Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled and live in that assumption, and that assumption, though false, if persisted in, will harden into fact.” – Neville Goddard
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