Jezebel, Ahab, and Elijah: The Drama of Assumption and Revelation

In Neville Goddard’s teachings, scripture is not a historical account but a psychological drama that plays out within you. Every character represents an aspect of consciousness, and every event reveals the underlying assumptions that shape your reality.

In this drama, the man represents your conscious awareness of being—the “I AM” spoken in Exodus 3:14 from which all creation proceeds. The woman, drawn from man, represents the external world, or any manifested condition in your life. She is not a separate entity, but a reflection of the assumptions you have internalised.

When Adam says, “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,” he is recognising that the world he sees is not separate from him. It is of him. It is his inner state made visible. Every condition you experience is birthed from your own assumptions, and this is where Jezebel, Ahab, and Elijah come into play.

Jezebel: The Outpicturing of Misused Assumptions

Jezebel is not a person; she is a manifestation of an inner state—a symbol of the assumptions that have been forgotten or neglected. In Neville’s teaching, the subconscious mind is always active, producing results based on past assumptions. Jezebel represents those assumptions that have been formed in reaction to external influences, often negative, and have been left unexamined.

When you assume thoughts such as “I am not good enough,” “I can’t change,” or “Life is working against me,” your subconscious will outpicture these assumptions in the world. Jezebel is the outward reflection of these inner beliefs.

In the biblical story, Ahab, the king of Israel, marries Jezebel, the daughter of a foreign king, and in doing so, he embraces a state of being that submits to external power and influence. This marriage symbolises the union between conscious awareness (Ahab) and the outer world (Jezebel), which is shaped by whatever assumptions you have accepted. When you allow yourself to be dominated by fear, manipulation, or dependency on external circumstances, Jezebel rises up.

“And Ahab took to wife Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”
— 1 Kings 16:31

Jezebel represents the world created by a passive, reactive consciousness. She will rule over you when you abdicate your power to external conditions and do not stand firm in your own assumptions.

Ahab: The Abdicated “I AM”

The name Ahab translates to “father’s brother”—someone close to power but not fully embodying it. Ahab represents conscious awareness that has lost touch with its creative potential. He is the I AM when it forgets its source and submits to the world of effects. By yielding to Jezebel, Ahab relinquishes his inner authority and becomes a passive observer of the circumstances he once had the power to change.

Ahab worships Baal, which in Neville’s interpretation represents a belief in external forces shaping your reality. Baal is the power you give to something outside yourself, whether it’s people, circumstances, or other people's opinions. When Ahab submits to this external power, he is ignoring his own creative power, which is his true inheritance.

Elijah: The Awakening of Consciousness

Elijah represents the awakening of conscious awareness. His name means “My God is Yah” or “I AM.” He symbolises the fiery return to self-realisation—the moment when you awaken to the truth that you are the operant power in your life.

Elijah appears in the story when it is time for the false assumptions (symbolised by Jezebel) to be challenged and burned away. He does not negotiate with false beliefs; he calls upon the truth of “I AM,” and the fire that falls is the clarifying power of awareness. It is not a destructive force but a transformative one, purging the mind of limiting beliefs.

“And Elijah called upon the Lord, and fire fell from heaven, and consumed the burnt sacrifice… and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God.”
— 1 Kings 18:36-39

The fire is a symbol of inner clarity. It is the awareness that burns away illusions, revealing that the true power always resides within. This moment marks the return to self-empowerment, the realisation that no external force can dictate your experience unless you allow it.

The Meaning of Their Names

Names in Neville’s teachings are not just labels; they are symbolic of the roles these characters play in your consciousness. Each name holds the essence of the state of being it represents.

Jezebel (Hebrew: Izevel or Iyzevel) can be translated as “Where is the prince?” or “Unhusbanded.” This reflects a state that is cut off from its true source of power. Jezebel represents the world when it has lost touch with its creative foundation, symbolising the manifestation of assumptions disconnected from “I AM.” Her question, “Where is the prince?” is the soul’s cry for the return of true consciousness—the recognition of self-power that has been abandoned.

Ahab means “Father’s brother”—close to power but not yet claiming it. Ahab represents the I AM when it is not fully realised. He is passive, relying on external forces rather than recognising his own creative ability to shape his experience. Ahab’s role is the surrender of conscious awareness to the assumptions of the world, relinquishing control and placing power in the hands of external circumstances.

Elijah means “My God is Yah”—or symbolically, “I AM.” Elijah is the embodiment of awakened consciousness, the spark that reignites your awareness of who you truly are. He is the one who realises that the power to change the world lies within the consciousness that assumes it.

Jezebel’s Last Stand: The Dissolution of False Assumptions

Jezebel does not go quietly. She clings to the external world, trying to maintain control even when her foundation is crumbling.

“When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.”
— 2 Kings 9:30

To “paint the face” is to disguise the truth, to cover up the false beliefs that still cling to the external world. Jezebel looks out of the window, the window of perception, trying to hold onto a false view of reality. But when the fire of awareness rises—when Elijah steps in—the false belief structures cannot stand.

“And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.”
— 2 Kings 9:33

The false beliefs are thrown down, trampled underfoot, and the blood on the wall signifies the collapse of the old belief systems. The horses, representing the forward momentum of consciousness, trample them, symbolising the dissolution of the old order. Jezebel’s reign ends when you recognise your true power and stop submitting to the false ideas that once held sway.

The Inner Drama of Assumption

Jezebel, Ahab, and Elijah are not separate from you. They are states of being, reflections of your inner assumptions. When Ahab abdicates his power and marries Jezebel, he submits to a reality shaped by external forces. But when Elijah awakens, Ahab realises his true nature—he is the creative force.

Jezebel is the reflection of forgotten or unchecked assumptions. She is not separate from you, but a manifestation of what you have believed. She appears only when you fail to realise your creative power. But when you remember I AM, everything changes. Jezebel falls, and you are free to assume a new, empowered state of being.

Every condition you face, every challenge, is an outpicture of your own assumptions. When you realise that nothing external has power over you, you can change everything. Just as Elijah’s fire consumes the false prophets of Baal, the fire of your awareness burns away the illusions you have held onto. You are the one who creates, and the world will reflect what you assume to be true.