When most people hear "forgive seventy times seven," they imagine a moral command to endlessly pardon others. But according to Neville Goddard, the Bible is not a book of ethics — it is a psychological manual showing you how to shape your reality through assumption.
Who Is the "Brother"?
In Matthew 18, Peter asks:
"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
Psychologically, "your brother" is not an external person. It represents the old, limiting states within yourself — the persistent thoughts, doubts, and feelings that contradict your chosen desire.
Each time a contradictory state arises, you are invited to "forgive" it — meaning you release it and return to your wish fulfilled. This is beautifully illustrated in the story of Joseph, who rises in consciousness despite being rejected by his brothers.
The Numbers: 7 and 70
Jesus replies:
"I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
In Hebrew symbolism:
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7 signifies spiritual perfection and completion (as in the seven days of creation).
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70 represents a full spiritual cycle or complete order (such as the 70 elders of Israel or the 70 nations).
In esoteric correspondences (like the Mathers table), 70 symbolises totality or wholeness. When multiplied — seventy times seven — it speaks to perfect, unending completion, urging you to persist until your inner work is finished and solidified in the outer world.
The Contrast: Lamech’s Vengeance
Long before Jesus, Genesis tells of Lamech:
"If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." (Genesis 4:24)
Lamech represents a vengeful, reactive state — the old man of reaction and conflict. He uses the same numerical structure to declare endless vengeance, a devotion to reinforcing old wounds and perpetuating the past.
Jesus transforms this symbol completely. Where Lamech insists on vengeance without end, Jesus teaches forgiveness without end — the continual return to your chosen state, regardless of how many times the old self reappears.
Forgiveness as Inner Realignment
For Neville, forgiveness isn’t about condoning others’ actions. It is the art of abandoning any thought that denies your assumption and faithfully returning to your ideal.
Each time an old belief or feeling arises, you "forgive" it by letting it go and reaffirming your desired state. This is not moral virtue — it is psychological mastery.
Another Symbolic Tie-In: Jacob Wrestling the Angel
The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel (or man depending on translation, either way, both represent grappling with the new self) (Genesis 32) powerfully echoes this idea. Jacob refuses to let go until he receives a blessing, symbolising the same inner persistence: the unwavering refusal to let go of your chosen assumption until it transforms your identity ("Israel") and becomes reality.
The Deeper Message
"Seventy times seven" is not a demand, but an inner law of creation. It calls you to perfect your inner world through constant, faithful assumption — to forgive every opposing thought, persist beyond all resistance, and remain loyal to your ideal until it hardens into fact.
"Forgiveness is not moral pardon. It is the continual act of returning to your chosen state, seventy times seven, until your imagined world becomes your lived world."
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