“Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”
— Matthew 25:6
In the Biblical narrative, the symbol of the bride and bridegroom appears with poetic intensity, hinting at a mystery far deeper than the union of two individuals. Neville Goddard, the mystic teacher of imagination and manifestation, invites us to read these symbols as inner realities—reflections of spiritual union between our imagination (bride) and the awareness of being (bridegroom).
This divine marriage, according to Neville, is not something that happened in history, nor something we wait for in the future—it is the sacred act of assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled, a spiritual consummation that births a new state of being.
Old Testament Foundations: The Soul as the Bride of God
In the Hebrew scriptures, the people of Israel are often cast in the role of the bride, and God as the husband. This relationship is described in both tender and turbulent terms—intimate when the soul is faithful, estranged when the soul forgets its source.
Isaiah 54:5
“For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name.”
Here, the I AM is declared the true partner of the soul—an eternal bond not of flesh, but of spiritual identity.
Jeremiah 3:14
“Turn, O backsliding children... for I am married unto you.”
This verse reminds us that no matter how far the soul drifts from its divine origin, the bond remains. God (I AM) is always married to the soul.
Hosea 2:19–20
“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever... in lovingkindness and in mercies.”
Neville would view this not as religious rhetoric, but as a promise of inner restoration. The imagination, when redirected from fear to faith, is once again betrothed to the creative power.
Song of Songs
This poetic book expresses a rapturous love between the bride and the bridegroom. Neville saw it as an allegory of the union between man’s imagination and the divine spark within. It is the soul longing to merge with the awareness of being—the romance of creation itself.
New Testament Fulfilment: Christ as the Bridegroom of the Soul
In the New Testament, the bridegroom becomes a symbol for Christ—but as Neville taught, Christ is not a man, but your own awakened imagination. Jesus represents the pattern of salvation, and Christ is the power and wisdom of God—your I AM in action.
John 3:29
“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom...”
John the Baptist speaks of Christ, but Neville reveals John as the intellect, the forerunner. The bridegroom (imagination) has now come to unite with the soul, bringing about a new birth.
“You are the bride of your own fulfilled desire, and Christ is your power to give it life.”
— Neville Goddard
The Parable of the Ten Virgins: The Soul’s Readiness
Matthew 25:1–13
This parable shows ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom—only five bring oil for their lamps. Neville interpreted this as a lesson in preparedness in consciousness.
The oil represents persistence in imagination. To be one of the wise virgins is to remain faithful to the end, dwelling in the state of the wish fulfilled.
“Keep the lamp of imagination burning. That is the readiness.”
— Neville Goddard
Ephesians 5: The Mystery of the Marriage
Ephesians 5:25–32
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church...”
“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
Here, Paul speaks not of earthly relationships, but of divine union. Christ (the power to imagine) and the Church (the soul or state assumed) must become one.
Revelation: The Marriage Supper and the New Jerusalem
Revelation 19:7
“Let us rejoice... for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
This is the mystical marriage—when the soul is fully prepared and has assumed its new identity.
Revelation 21:2
“I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
The New Jerusalem is the new state of consciousness, fully formed in imagination and now descending into reality. The bride is the assumption clothed in feeling. The husband is the I AM who gives it life.
“Heaven is within. You do not ascend to it—you awaken in it. When the bride is ready, she descends into form.”
— Neville Goddard
Neville’s Final Word: The Wedding Is Always Now
Neville’s message was not one of waiting, but of awakening. The bride and the bridegroom are always present, always available, always poised to merge.
Each time you assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled, you marry your desire to your being. This is the spiritual consummation from which miracles are born.
“Assume it. Live it. That is the wedding.”
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment! Comments are reviewed before publishing.