When most people hear "forgive seventy times seven," they assume it’s a moral command to endlessly pardon others. Neville Goddard shows us a different truth: the Bible is a psychological manual, teaching how to shape reality by consciously assuming your chosen identity.
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?"
Here, "your brother" is not an external person. Psychologically, he represents the familiar, limiting states within yourself — the thoughts, fears, and habits inherited or long held, much like a family you are called to leave behind (echoing the principle of Genesis 2:24). Each time such a state arises, you are invited to "forgive" it: release it and return to the state of mind that embodies your chosen reality. The story of Joseph, rising in consciousness despite rejection, illustrates this principle perfectly.
Understanding the Numbers: 7, 10, and 70
Jesus replies:
"I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Symbolically:
- 7 reflects spiritual completion — the first example of the seven days of creation illustrates how a new state unfolds in consciousness, each stage fully formed before moving to the next.
- 10 represents the foundational law — the Ten Commandments symbolise the basic framework for aligning consciousness with your chosen ideal, following the initial four teachers.
- 70 emerges from 10 × 7, representing the full cycle of applying the foundational law with persistence and completeness, fully integrating it into conscious experience.
In practical terms, “seventy times seven” signals faithful, repeated inner work: persistently forgiving and returning to your assumed state until it becomes the dominant, enduring identity in your consciousness. It combines the structure of law (10) with the perfection and completeness of practice (7) to ensure full transformation.
The Contrast: Lamech’s Vengeance
Genesis presents Lamech:
"If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." (Genesis 4:24)
Lamech embodies the reactive, untransformed state — a mind clinging to past grievances. He reinforces old patterns, prolonging conflict. In contrast, Jesus transforms this symbol: where Lamech insists on endless vengeance, the teaching of forgiveness shows the inner law at work. Each "forgiveness" is a conscious return to your chosen identity, no matter how many old states arise.
Forgiveness as Inner Realignment
For Neville, forgiveness is not about condoning actions. It is the deliberate act of abandoning any thought that contradicts your assumed state and returning to your ideal. Each time an old belief, doubt, or feeling appears, you "forgive" it by letting it go, reaffirming the inner reality you intend to occupy. This is psychological mastery — the practical work of establishing your desired identity within your consciousness.
Jacob Wrestling the Angel: A Symbol of Persistence
The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32) reflects this principle. Jacob persists until he receives the blessing, refusing to relinquish his claim to the identity he seeks. Psychologically, it represents the unwavering determination to maintain your assumed state until it is fully integrated and manifested, transforming your consciousness into the reality of "Israel."
The Deeper Message
"Seventy times seven" is not a prescription of morality but a reflection of an inner law. It demonstrates the process of assuming and sustaining your chosen state, repeatedly returning to it whenever resistance arises, until your inner world solidifies into the outer reality. Each act of forgiveness is, in essence, a return to your ideal self, ensuring your imagination shapes your life consistently and completely.
"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."
About The Author | Beast Series | Elohim: God Series | Hebrew Alphabet Series | Numbers Series | Numbers: Seven
