Who Are the People of God? (Revised)

J. J. Joshua Davis (2025)

Introduction

The phrase “people of God” has undergone profound transformation across millennia,

shifting from tribal designation to religious identity, national sovereignty, and ultimately, spiritual archetype. While historically rooted in theological frameworks specific to cultures and traditions, its deeper resonance transcends any singular lineage. This essay explores the evolving question: Who are the people of God?, and how we might begin to interpret expressions such as Spiritual Israel or the Followers of the Vedas (Varnāśrama) through the lived wisdom of prophets, mystics, visionaries and saints. These archetypes are richly narrated in sacred texts like The Zohar, The Vedas, and echoed in Stoic philosophy, First Nations storytelling, and more recent revelatory works such as The Keys of Enoch and The Urantia Book. Figures like Martin Buber and Abraham Heschel, described as modern Jewish prophets, exemplify this universal ethic grounded in spiritual revelation, one that transcends ethnic nationalism and calls for justice, compassion, social harmony and spiritual kinship across boundaries.

The ancient people and sages of the Vedas, as well as the ancient prophets and mystics before, during and after the life of Abraham and Sarah, from where many nations were born and from where different religious beliefs developed, have had an immense influence on the spiritual development of humanity.

Although approximately 55% of the global population adheres to one of the major Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam) and around 20% follow Hinduism or its derivatives such as Buddhism (see Wikipedia), these figures alone fail to reveal whether individuals within these traditions actively seek or have attained union with The Creator. Unlike the prophets, saints, sages, and mystics of old, whose lives were marked by profound spiritual communion, many contemporary adherents may engage more with cultural or ritual aspects than with the transformative pursuit of divine intimacy.

Where are the statistics that account for those in modern times who live with the spiritual depth of saints, sages, or prophets? Such lives, marked by profound communion with the Divine, often go unnoticed in contemporary metrics. It seems modernity may have ushered in a kind of spiritual amnesia, even among the religious. Yet a meaningful starting point for this inquiry is the article “Are We a Nation of Mystics?” by Greeley and McCready, published in 1975 and later included in Death & Beyond (1976), which explores the prevalence of mystical experiences in American society. Also, in “The Brain of Melchizedek”, Davis (2009) explores in depth, the differences between Religious, Spiritual and Mystical experiences, making very relevant distinctions between behavioral (cultural) and spiritual (universal) values, and the attainment of the I AM Identity, an identity grounded in spiritual values and the I AM presence, the presence of God.

Concerning these modern godly mystics, sages, saints, prophets and prophetesses, it would be appropriate to call them, The People of God, The People of The Vedas or The spiritual Israel, understood as any person who follows a direct connection with God in the manner of Enoch, Melchizedek, Abraham, Jacob, the subsequent Israelite prophets and prophetesses, which includes Yeshua (Jesus) , or the sages of the knowledge (Vedas) of God, for example. The choice of words may only depend on our understanding of ancient meanings and languages; however, The People of God exist across cultures and are devoted to the divine, doing the will of The Most High, and being an expression of The Creator’s wisdom and benevolence.

Consider what “His Divine Grace” A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda writes in the book titled Śrī Īśopanisad (2007):

“You may call the Vedas Hindu, but Hindu is a foreign name. We are not Hindus. Our real identification is varnāśrama. Varnāśrama denotes the followers of the Vedas, those who accept the human society in eight divisions of varna and āśrama. There are four divisions of society and four divisions of spiritual life. This is called varnāśrama. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gitā, “These divisions are there everywhere, because they are created by God.”

Also consider what J. J. Hurtak has to say in modern days in The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch (2004) in key 1-0-7, paragraph 18:

“Metatron gives this Light consciousness to those who are working with the Throne. They then become the active recipients who promulgate the Law of the Living Light. Thus, it is written the Law shall go forth out of Zion, from the spiritual Israel upon this earth. However, the spiritual Israel is the coordination of all the races of Man, so that all mankind can be brought to salvation from the kingdoms of flesh into the kingdoms of Light.”

It is important to note that key 1-0-7, paragraph 18, is paraphrasing some of the words of two prophets of ancient Israel, as follows:

“And many nations shall go, and they shall say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mount and to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths.” for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Michah (Micah) 4-2

“And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths,” for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2-3

It is worth noting that both verses speak of people from many nations coming to unite with the God of Jacob, a person whose name was transformed to Israel by The Creator, when he overcame the angel and saw the face of God. Could this suggest that anyone who seeks communion with God in the manner of Jacob, directly, without reliance on intermediaries such as institutions, institutional leaders, texts, or other individuals, might be spiritually identified as Israel, meaning “those who wrestle with God until prevailing”?

In this light, the term could transcend cultural and religious boundaries, applying to seekers from all traditions. Such individuals might rightly be called the Spiritual Israel. Let us also recall, that many of Jacob’s descendants became lost to history for failing to maintain that sacred union with the God of Jacob, as exemplified by the ten lost tribes of Israel. This would mean that the title People of God would cease to apply to them or any other people who like them lost the path of unity, at least until they seek unity with The Creator again.

While ancient Israel bore a prophetic calling, modern Israel functions as a secular Jewish state, and Judaism preserves religious continuity after the destruction of the second temple. Yet beyond these, the notion of Spiritual Israel emerges as a transcendent community defined by the alignment with divine purpose instead of only and exclusively by bloodline, religion or geography, as explained by Schübeler, Gillett, & Davis (2016), in “An Introduction to “The Embassy of Peace” and Its Implications for Global Peace.”

The following sections explore these distinctions, integrating sacred texts including the Bible, The Zohar, The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch by J.J. Hurtak, and The Urantia Book, to illuminate the deeper spiritual identity of Spiritual Israel as a cosmic archetype.

Ancient Israel: Covenant and Prophetic Identity

Biblical Israel, descended from Yaakov (Jacob), was appointed by The Creator to embody divine law and justice. The covenant at Sinai (Exodus 19:6) established Israel as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, tasked with revealing God’s character to the world. Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah emphasized moral integrity and spiritual fidelity over ritual or national pride.

This prophetic identity was more than merely national, it was archetypal. Israel was to be a mirror of divine intention, a prototype of spiritual community and nation, as it is written “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy”, Leviticus 19:2, and “And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein”, Isaiah 35:8.

The reader must note that the name יְהֹוָ֑ה (YHVH), revealed by The Creator to Moses in Scripture as the personal and sacred name by which The Creator wishes to be known, is often inaccurately rendered as “The Lord” in many translations. This substitution obscures the original intent and leads to widespread misunderstanding. Furthermore, the name YHVH and the title “The Lord” is frequently and mistakenly conflated with Yeshua (Jesus), which compounds theological confusion by merging distinct identities and roles within the biblical narrative. Usually this name, יְהֹוָ֑ה (YHVH), is refered to as “Hashem” (literally in Hebrew “The Name”), in Jewish tradition and literature.

Perhaps, considering the transgenerational characteristic of the calling to holiness, the words of Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 31:31-34 still resound as a reminder for such a calling to all known and lost Israelites, descendants of the Twelve Tribes of ancient Israel, as follows:

“Behold, the days come, saith יְהֹוָ֑ה (The Lord), that I will make a new covenantwith the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith יְהֹוָ֑ה (The Lord): But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith יְהֹוָ֑ה (The Lord), I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know יְהֹוָ֑ה (The Lord): for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith יְהֹוָ֑ה (The Lord): for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 31:31-34

In 2007, Prime Minister Michael Somare enacted a profound gesture of spiritual leadership by signing a national covenant with the God of Israel, invoking the prophetic promise of Jeremiah 31:31. This verse, which speaks of a new covenant inscribed upon the hearts of the people, transcends institutional religion and affirms a direct, personal relationship with the Divine. Somare’s invocation of this archetype, rooted in Hebraic prophecy and echoed in the teachings of Yeshua ben Yosef (Jesus), reframed Papua New Guinea’s national identity through a sacred lens, aligning it with a universal spiritual principle: that divine law is lived instead of just being merely codified, and realized in the soul’s innermost purity. The covenant, originally commemorated as Covenant Day, was later renamed Repentance Day, a shift that obscured its original intent and diluted its prophetic resonance. Yet the archetypal significance remains: Somare’s act mirrored the ancient pattern of leaders consecrating their people to a higher spiritual, moral and ethical order, suggesting that national destiny can be shaped by spiritual alignment, instead of by policy only. In this light, Papua New Guinea’s covenant becomes a living symbol of collective transformation, echoing the timeless call to embody divine law as a path to peace and spiritual renewal, Somare (2007), Shalom (2024).

Modern Israel: Nation-State and Cultural Continuity vis a vis prophetic, spiritual and mystical mission

The modern state of Israel, founded in 1948, is a political entity born of historical necessity and Zionist vision.

While it has preserved Jewish heritage, it may have unintentionally failed or delayed in fulfilling, at its very core, the prophetic mission that was intrinsic to ancient Israel. This serves as a reminder to humanity that the prophetic mission of peace is a calling to all People of God and The Spiritual Israel in toto, and it should never be a burden on any small, medium or large group of humans. It is important to note that when it comes to the prophecies of peace, other possibilities for their fulfillment are more likely veiled to all humans.

In the light of The Zohar, Israel’s spiritual archetype is only complete when it receives the Torah and erects the Tabernacle, enabling the worlds to be “planted” and “scented” with divine presence. Israel is described as the “legions” of Zeir Anpin (six sephirot) interpreted as the Torah and the sephira of Malchut interpreted as the Tabernacle, inseparable and united, meaning its prophetic mission is cosmically intrinsic instead of just merely historical, nationalistic or ritualistic. Thus, to “inherently fulfill” this role is to actualize its divine blueprint: linking below to above, manifesting sacred unity, and serving as a conduit for divine order, grounded on the notions of The Four Worlds of the Tree of Life, as follows:

These worlds correspond to stages in the descent of divine energy from the Infinite into the material realm, and they also align aspects of the human soul, the sefirot, and spiritual development. This resembles descriptions in quantum physics discussed by Schipper, H. M. (2025) in “Bohmian Mechanics and the Kabbalah.” This panentheistic view is well covered in Seekers of Unity (2021). “God of the Kabbalists - Pantheism & Kabbalah”

Modern Israel secular governance and geopolitical interests distinguish the nation state from the covenantal mission of biblical Israel. Let us remember that the days of peace are supposed to be marked with the arrival of Messiah, when the nation and the world return to unity with The Creator.

This distinction is crucial: the state of Israel may serve as a vessel for cultural survival, yet it is different from the spiritual Israel described in the Tanach as a nation of priests, a holy nation with the calling to be a manifestation of the spiritual light of The Creator unto the world, to catalyze world peace. Also, it is hard to imagine that this would happen by the nation state of Israel shifting jurisdiction to a future king and the world accepting this figure as king.

Judaism: Religion and Ethical Tradition

Judaism, as a religion, sustains the ethical and ritual framework of the Jewish people. It is rooted in Torah, rabbinic interpretation, and communal life. While it emerged from ancient Israel, Judaism has adapted across centuries of diaspora, persecution, and philosophical evolution.

Importantly, Judaism never claimed exclusive access to divine truth. Thinkers like Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel emphasized the universal moral vision of the prophets, suggesting that being The People of God involves ethical and spiritual responsibility more than ethnic identity.

Spiritual Israel: A Transcendent Community

The New Testament redefines Israel spiritually. Paul writes in Romans 9:6, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel,” and in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This idiosyncratic view of spiritual Israel comprises those who embody divine values like faith, love and justice, regardless of lineage. In that sense Christians have viewed themselves as Spiritual Israel only when united in the belief of the glorified Christ. The Urantia book presents a sound alternative to this Pauline notion, as follows:

“Jesus founded the religion of personal experience in doing the will of God and serving the human brotherhood; Paul founded a religion in which the glorified Jesus became the object of worship and the brotherhood consisted of fellow believers in the divine Christ.” Paper 196:2.6.

Perhaps, we could conceive that Yeshua (Jesus), being an Israelite, broadened the horizon empowering people to join Spiritual Israel in doing the will of God. This idea resonates across mystical traditions. In Kabbalah, the soul’s journey toward divine union reflects the deeper meaning of being “Israel”, one who wrestles with God and prevails. In Sufi and Vedantic thought, The People of God are those who embody divine attributes through inner purification and service.

Hurtak’s Keys of Enoch: Israel as a Spiritual Template

As quoted before, in The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch, J.J. Hurtak presents Israel as a spiritual archetype instead of just merely a historical people. Key 1-1-3, paragraph 1, for instance, describes The People of God, as “the evolutionary vehicle used for transposing Divine Knowledge throughout the universe.“ The Book also refers to the Spiritual Israel as being far from confined to ethnic, religious or national boundaries only, and instead is said to be a community of Light aligned with divine intelligence.

Hurtak describes Israel as a “code name” for those who respond to higher spiritual resonances and participate in the unfolding of the divine plan. This Israel is cosmically connected, part of the “Overself awakening” that transcends planetary limitations. The prophetic calling is reinterpreted as a multidimensional mission to co-create with divine intelligence and elevate planetary consciousness, echoing the workings of the six sephirot (Zeir Anpin) that act to elevate the consciousness of humanity and the sephira of Malchut, achieving the spiritualization of the physical world.

The Urantia Book: The Family of God

The Urantia Book offers a cosmic theology in which all humans are children of the Universal Father. It teaches that “God is a Father in the highest possible sense of that term,” and that spiritual growth is based on free will, inner transformation, and alignment with divine will. The Urantia Book has many descriptions of The Creator that includes God as Mother, as follows:

“The Third Source and Center is known by numerous titles: the Universal Spirit, the Supreme Guide, the Conjoint Creator, the Divine Executive, the Infinite Mind, the Spirit of Spirits, the Paradise Mother Spirit, the Conjoint Actor, the Final Co-ordinator, the Omnipresent Spirit, the Absolute Intelligence, the Divine Action […]” Paper 8:2.2

In this framework, Spiritual Israel is a chosen response instead of a chosen race, it is associated with a soul’s decision to live in harmony with divine truth. The book emphasizes that “the Spirit of God indwells each individual,” and survival of the soul depends on the integration of personality and spirit responsiveness. Thus, Spiritual Israel consists of those who choose to embody divine love, and the doing of the will of God, regardless of creed or culture. As Hurtak nicely puts it, “those who choose to be chosen”, as follows:

“Hence, according to Enoch, Israel is both the parochial seed, "the Sons of Jacob," planted within the nations of the Earth, as well as the ecumenical body, the "synthesis of all Sons of Light," in the ingathering of all sparks of Light as the spiritual Israel. She is the elect of all nations, composed of those who choose to be chosen in serving the Light. 'The Program of the "Peoplehood of God" throughout the many worlds of intelligence and, in particular, the twelve Adamic tribes of Israel in the local universe as the “divine issue”or ”heavenly seed”sharing a common “firstborn origin.”” p. 581

The following sections further highlight that the term People of God rightfully apply to different people from different cultures, times and regions.

Vedic Texts: Dharma and Divine Alignment

In Hindu scriptures, the concept of dharma, righteous living in accordance with cosmic law, mirrors the prophetic calling of Israel. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that those who act without attachment and serve the divine will, are beloved of God (Gita 12:13–20). The Upanishads describe the Atman (inner self) as divine, and those who realize it become one with Brahman, the ultimate reality.

Thus, The People of God in Hindu thought are those who live in harmony with cosmic truth, transcending caste, creed, or ritual. Like Spiritual Israel, they are
defined by inner realization and ethical action.

Stoic Philosophy: Logos and Virtue

Stoicism, though different than a religious tradition, offers a profound spiritual ethic. The Stoics believed in the Logos, a divine rational principle governing the universe. To live in accordance with the Logos was to live virtuously, with wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance.

Epictetus taught that “God has entrusted you with yourself,” and Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Live not as though you were going to live a thousand years.” The Stoic sage, like the prophet, is a vessel of divine reason. In this sense, the Stoic ideal aligns with Spiritual Israel, a community of those who embody divine order through moral integrity.

First Nations Stories: Creation, Kinship, and Sacred Responsibility

First Nations mystical visions, sacred rituals and storytelling traditions express a deep spiritual connection to the land, the cosmos, and the community. Creation stories from tribes such as the Cherokee, Haida, and Warlpiri, amongst others, describe divine beings forming the world through acts of wisdom, love and sacrifice. These stories teach that all beings (plants, animals and humans) are kin, and that spiritual responsibility involves living in harmony with nature and honoring ancestral wisdom. The People of God in these traditions are those who remember, respect, and renew sacred relationships that include the earth. Elders are seen as carriers of divine knowledge and wisdom acquired via mystical visions, and storytelling becomes a sacred act of transmission.

In modern days many people have endeavored to rescue the visionary journey’s foundational value and the sacredness of life in large, as clearly and extensively explained by King ( 2023). His writings serve as a potent reminder that true spirituality flows from the immediacy of mystical and prophetic vision, The experience of I AM as immanent, its lifeblood. It reflects a subtle symbiosis between lived experience and the embodiment of spiritual values in action, a dynamic that stands in contrast to the intellectual constructs people often build around it, including the many idiosyncratic deities revered as false idols.

Conclusion: The Universality of The People of God

Across traditions, The People of God are defined beyond the constraints of ethnicity, geography, or institutional religion. They are those who respond to divine love, embody spiritual truth, and participate in the unfolding of cosmic purpose. Whether through the covenant of Israel, the dharma of India, the Logos of Stoicism, or the sacred kinship of First Nations, the archetype of Spiritual Israel emerges as an ancient universal calling to all, which may be named in different ways in different cultures and times.

In this light, regardless of the name we choose, The Followers of Vedas or Spiritual Israel, for example, The People of God are a transhistorical, transreligious community, souls who live as vessels of divine light in a world yearning for peace, justice, and spiritual awakening. Simply put, The People of God are all humans (past, present and future), who have attained or are in the journey of attaining The I AM Identity.

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