When I speak of Jesus or any other character of scripture, I am speaking of a personification of a principle, not of a person as you are or I am. The Bible records vision, and makes no reference to persons or events which occurred on earth. Unfortunately, man has mistakenly taken personifications spoken of there for persons . . the vehicle that conveyed the instruction for the instruction, and the gross first sense for the ultimate sense intended. It is difficult to discuss a principle without personifying it and giving it words to speak. This the evangelists have done; but to see Jesus as an historical character, is to see truth tempered to the weakness of the human soul, unable to bear the strong light of revelation.
In the very first scene of “Hamlet”, Shakespeare personifies the morning as “Morn, in russet mantle clad, walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill.” Here Shakespeare has given the morning feet, and clothed in russet it walks over the dew on eastern hill. I love it! Shakespeare was a master of the English tongue. Like Blake, he had an inflamed imagination and personified everything. Blake tells us: “Cities, mountains, valleys, rivers, all are human. When you enter into their bosoms you enter into heaven and earth, just as you enter your own heaven and earth. And all that you behold, though it appears without, it is within, in your imagination of which this world of mortality is but a shadow.”
The evangelists did not write history, but theology, as they told their own experiences of God in dramatic form. They told of Jesus standing before Pilate, who questioned him, saying: “So you are a king?” to which Jesus replied, “You say that I AM. For this I was born. For this I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. All who are of the truth hear my words.” Then he goes on to explain that those who accept this truth will find it to be in conflict with the traditions of men, whose concepts of God are not based upon experience, but what they believe God to be.
Men without vision teach the theology of the Word. Because of their authority in the church, people accept the statements prominent theologians make regarding the great mystery of Christ, as fact. But, having been cast in the central role of the Christian mystery, and having played the entire drama from beginning to end, I tell you their teaching is far removed from the facts, and has nothing to do with the Christian mystery.
I recall, maybe fifteen years ago, in New York City, a friend invited me to the Bohemian Club at Harvard University to meet one of the world’s great metaphysicians. Questioning my education, and learning from me that I teach scripture from revelation which comes from within, he turned his back on me in the most insolent manner. Unless I had some tag given me by a recognized body of men to support my claim, he would have nothing to do with me. Well, the gentleman is gone from this world, and so is my friend who introduced me to him. Death will, however, cause them to modify or radically change the ideas they championed while here.
Metaphysicians have tried to compose a workable philosophy of life which has nothing to do with scripture . . which is one hundred per cent vision. And when I speak of vision, I am personifying the ultimate in truth; for this I was born. In his gospel, John tells us: “You are from below and I AM from above. You are of this world, I AM not of this world.” John is not saying he is a supernatural being who came from an entirely different world, but that his experiences did not take place here.
While walking the earth as a man, the truth unfolds from within. Personified as the Lord Jesus Christ, truth has unfolded within me . . not as another, but as myself. And when I tell of my experiences, some will believe while others disbelieve. The majority will reject my story because they know the body of flesh I wear, my background, weaknesses, and limitations; and I, a man, am not what they are looking for. Men looking for the spirit of truth think in terms of a Messiah who will come and save them . . not a personification of a principle. But the spirit of truth is a pattern, buried in all, which erupts in the fullness of time as the one in whom it erupts. This pattern is dramatized as events in the life of a man called Jesus, but the events are supernatural. A scriptural episode is not a record of a historical event, but a parabolic revelation of truth which will be experienced in another region of the mind.
We are told: “Thy word is truth” and “I AM the truth”. . therefore, I AM the word! You will literally fulfill the statement in the 148th Psalm: “By a storm wind he fulfills his word.” When the wind possesses you, you are under its control, as it clothes itself with you and intensifies. When it happened to me, my entire being vibrated; and when I stood and looked at my skull from which I had emerged, I felt it must be a hurricane because of its intensity. Those present had the same feeling of a storm wind. You are destined to fulfill God’s word. Recorded 1000 years B.C., His word will be fulfilled by a storm wind, so wait until you are clothed with power which comes as a storm wind.
Now, Luke and Acts are one book, which was divided by the early fathers of the church ( why, I do not know). In the Book of Acts, the story is told that while the disciples were together, a mighty wind filled the room and their foreheads became luminous. Then they began to speak in multiple tongues, so that each one heard in his own tongue wherein he was born. Many have attempted to change these words, yet they are literally true. I know, for I speak from experience.
The Spirit of truth is personified, as you are a person just as I am. I ask you to set your hope fully upon the grace which is coming to you at the revelation of this principle within you, called Jesus Christ. Make no mental image of Jesus, for he is a pattern housed in every man, which erupts in the fullness of time. And when it does, you will know that you are God . . a knowledge you will never forget. And from that day on, what you accomplish in this world will mean nothing. Since the pattern fulfilled itself in me, I have no more interest in the world of men. Every night I fall asleep dwelling upon the four mighty acts of God, never what the day brought forth here in the world of Caesar. When I hear good news from friends, I rejoice, display empathy and happiness for them; but as far as I am concerned my back is turned to all of the accomplishments of this world, and I remain facing the vision.
Remember: the Spirit of truth is not something which comes from without, but from within. You are told: “I will send the Spirit of truth from my Father who will bring all things to your remembrance.” And when you remember, and share your visions, you may incur the envy of men who . . if they are high in office . . might put you out of the synagogue or the churches. There are times when death is allowed. The inquisition proved that. Tens of thousands were burned alive because what they had experienced was in conflict with the church fathers. We are warned: “They will kill you. They will do this because they do not know the Father or me. Had they known the Father they would have known me also, for we are one.” God, the Father, became me when he sent me. He has never left me alone. If you really see me, you will not see this mortal body called Neville, but the Ancient of Days, infinite Love personified as man. That is my Father, yet He and I are one.
Regardless of how this little body reacts, I must remain, telling the story until that moment when God calls me back. Then those who are serious followers will find a freedom they cannot enjoy while I am here, for the pattern will erupt within them and they will experience God. Then they, too, will tell the story with the authority which comes from personal experience, and understand my words when I say: all of the accomplishments of this world mean nothing.
Now, on this level, a true judgment must conform to the external fact to which it refers. If I claim this is a lectern and you know what one is, upon examination you would agree with me. But if I speak of lovely roses and there are none to be seen, you may think I am crazy. But I say: a true judgment need not conform to the external facts to which it refers.
A lady sitting in my audience in New York City, put this principle to the extreme test. In the silence she embraced dozens of beautiful roses, touching their velvety pedals and allowing their scent to fill the air. She touched, smelled, and saw roses, when none were physically present. Being a widow, this lady lived in a single room at the Waldorf Astoria. She went home that night and there were no roses to greet her; but the next night as she was returning to her room, she smelled the pungent odor of roses. She had ordered none and was not expecting any, but when she opened her door there were three dozen beauties on her bureau.
The night she imagined embracing roses, the queen of England was attending a banquet in her honor. That year a special rose had been grown called the Elizabeth Rose. The banquet room had been filled with roses, and the next day one of the attendants was told to give Mrs. Neemier three dozen roses. So I say: when you know this principle, a true judgment need not conform to the external facts to which it refers, otherwise Mrs. Neemier would never have had her roses.
If you confine yourself to the human belief of truth, you will be stuck in that groove; for every moment of time you are confronted with the facts of life. Knowing your social, intellectual, and financial background, you could not get out of the environment in which you were placed. My family did not accept these so-called facts of life. They climbed out of poverty by using their imagination. Knowing what they wanted, they imagined their desire was an external fact. They remained faithful to this imagined state, and in time they became what they imagined themselves to be. That is the law.
I urge you to set your hope fully on the grace that is coming to you at the unfolding of Jesus Christ in you. Use the law towards beautifying your world and getting all of the lovely things you feel you need. Don’t ask anyone’s permission; simply appropriate it in your own wonderful human imagination. Imagine and live by imagining, . . morning, noon, and night. It will not fail you, but remember: you are the operant power.
Knowing what to do is one thing. Doing it is another; and we are called upon to be doers of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving ourselves. You can read one of my books over and over again. You can tell others what the book says, but if you never apply its message, the mere reading of its words will not benefit you. But if you will test your imagination, it will prove itself in performance.
Jesus, the Spirit of truth, is not a person that was physically born from the womb of a woman. Jesus is the Immortal Man, who is buried in mortality. It is He who . . erupting in individual man . . moves him from darkness to light, from death to life eternal. Those who are not awake to this principle do not die. Rather, they are restored to life to continue their journey, for nothing dies in God’s world, not even a little rose. Because of God’s death, man is destined to move out of a world where things appear to die, to enter a heavenly world where its occupants are supernatural. No more will there be men of flesh and blood, but immortal brothers who have life in themselves. No longer will man animate a body of death, but will know himself to be a life-giving spirit.
That is your destiny. Dwell upon it. If you still have ambitions to shine in the world, apply this principle. But I prophecy for you: the day will come when you will turn your back upon it, realizing that all that matters is what God has wrought in you.
Now, throughout the centuries the 22nd Psalm has been identified as the song of the Messiah. It begins: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” But it ends on a note of triumph: “Men will tell of the Lord to unborn generations that God has wrought it.” They will tell that the Lord did accomplish that which he swore he would do. On that day, you will say: “I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. Glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory I had with thee before that the world was,” for you will know from experience, that there is nothing but God. We knew the glory before the world was; and for a divine purpose we . . the One . . became the many. Now, calling us one by one, we are united into a single being, who is God; and these furnaces of affliction will turn into rivers of joy.
The spirit of truth is God’s plan of salvation buried in you. In the fullness of time that plan will erupt and the story of Jesus Christ will become your story. It is my hope that your story will begin this night.
Now let us go into the Silence.