Mary - Queen of Heaven?

Question

Do you know why the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholics refer to Mary as Queen of Heaven? Consider this Old Testament verse:
1 Kings 2:19 "When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand..."

In Hebrew and other Middle Eastern culture of the time, the mother of the king was always considered the queen. The word for this was "Gabira", or "queen mother".
Now, Jesus is from the line of David, and among other things, is a king: In fact, he is the King of kings. It would be normal for any Jew, therefore, to consider his mother the queen.

This is totally biblical (if you understand biblical 'typology"), and is also culturaly correct. It is a failing of protestasnts that they read the Bible through American eyes and not eyes of first century Jews, otherwise they would see many of the things we Catholics see.

Does anyone out there understand this? Any comments?
God bless you all.

...more info at
http://www.catholic.com/library/mary_saints.asp

Answer 1

That the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was born of an Immaculate Conception;

That the Blessed Virgin Mary found favor with God and is blessed amongst all women;

That Our Lady Mary, gave birth as a virgin to the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus;

That the Blessed Virgin Mary will hear our prayers and will beg God and His Son, on our behalf, for our help, for our forgiveness and for our salvation.

Answer 2

I call Mary my spiritual mother. I know her as the Queen of Heaven. She holds a special place as the mother of my Lord.

I am a divorced (and since remarried) Catholic, so I no longer take the Sacrament, but I will aways think of Mary as having accended into Heaven, body and soul. I believe she was a pure vessel, born without sin, since she had a special job to do as the Mother of God. I also believe that she remained a virgin throughout her life - Joseph remained her husband, providing from her and protecting her, but they didn't have "that" kind of relationship. That's just my theory

Answer 3

As a former Catholic and current nondenominational Christian Child of God, who studies the Bible and the translations from Greek and Hebrew, I tell you, you are wrong!

You note the linage of Jesus which is correct. However, you must note that NOWHERE in the Bible does it tells us to call Mary a Queen. You also confuse EARTHLY TRADITION, which incidentally God tells us NOT to partake in, in comparison to what God says, which is not of this EARTH! It matters not if it is culturally correct, and it nothing to do with American eyes either. Many of the ways of the Catholic church is why I left.

Answer 4

What you failed to mention is that you pray to Mary (A saint)as an intercessor and other supposed saints as well, when the Bible is clear that the only intercessor between God and man is Christ Jesus (who was both God and Man in one.) This is the issue at stake and not the above.
It also seems odd that Jesus would say the whole thing about ,"who are my mother and my brethren" had He subscribed to this idea above, how much more if He had believed in that whole "immaculate conception" teaching of yours.
Also, we find that most kings from that era (Jews being the only real exception.) Wanted to be worshiped as gods, like Nebukardneaiser from the Canonical book of Danial or the Persian King in Plutarch's biography of Themistocles. So should we follow doctorines simpley becuase they have a history of being establish? Jesus didn't seem to think so for he professed to the women at the well that the cow worship at Dan was nothing but bull. And so has he said of those of Babalon "come out of her lest thou be also a partaker of her sins." Your Mary is sinnless she is not the Mary (The name means-Stif-necked-ie -rebelious in the Hebrew lang.) of the Bible nor is your jesus our Jesus but many deceivers are come into the world of which thou art. Had you beleived you would have received Him who is able to save by His sinless blood and the everlasting Gosple which you have rejected, and except you repent you can not be saved. For thou art a cloud without rain, and I do pitty and pray for your beguiled soul. Amen
PS- no one earns their salvation it is the gift of God, not of works (Thus not earned.) ...
PS
Bookish-Had you truly been bookish you would have know that the era he speaks of preceded the feudal era and that that era took its jargon from Christians and not vice verse.

Answer 5

This is not Biblical typology, but circular reasoning. Mary was a good servant and was blessed to be chosen to carry Jesus, the Messiah. But, it is in no way scriptural that she is a queen of any sort, much less heaven. There is one King and that is it. Her exaltation stems from the paganism that crept into the Church during Constantines reign (along with other spurious doctrine).

Answer 6

I was once a victim of defending a "baseless" faith, Catholic Crusader.......

Being "mother queen" is totally different from "queen of heaven". And since you used biblical reference in your defense, I will also give you one regarding the "queen of heaven".

"And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?" (Jeremiah 44:19 KJV). This was also the same defense of the people against the prophet Jeremiah.

What I am trying to point out here is - this "queen of heaven" was already rampant during the ancient pagan times. And what relation do we have now between this "queen of heaven" (who was also known as Astoreth in the Bible) and Mary?

“Culminating our Blessed Mother’s life is her being taken up into heaven and crowned as Queen of heaven and earth.” (Chapter 20 of the book “Mary Today”…Nihil Obstat: Very Rev. Fr. Artemio Rillera, SVD…Imprimatur: Most Rev. Amado H. Paulino, D.D. with a subtitle - - “Our Mother is the Queen of the Universe”…) Do you see what I mean now???

And here is one bonus, Catholic Crusader...
“The Catholic Encyclopedia”…Volume 15, page 459…in its article titled – “Virgin Mary”…(read carefully)...

“Devotion to Our Blessed Lady in its ultimate analysis must be regarded as a practical application of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Seeing that this doctrine is not contained, at least explicitly, in the early forms of the Apostles’ Creed, there is perhaps no ground for surprise if we do not meet with any clear traces of the cultus of the Blessed Virgin in the first Christian centuries!… "

Now, let us hear it straight from the mouth of Mary - -
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." (Luke 1:47-48 KJV). Mary has given man certain limitations on how we should treat her - - "from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed". NO MORE, NO LESS! Anything more than "calling her BLESSED" is already IDOLATRY!

That is why I said - it is really hard to defend a "baseless faith".

I really wish I have more time to tackle this thing further...

God bless...
GH

Answer 7

Mary was used as a vessel. She is not to be worshiped nor is she queen of anything. I don't know why people put her on a pedestal because she was chosen to have Jesus. I'm sure that was a wonderful experience but she had to earn her salvation just like everyone else on earth. She was not exempt from that verse that says "we have all sinned". That included her. She was born into sin as well. I don't doubt that she is in heaven though.

Answer 8

That does make a certain amount of sense. I do think Catholics are misguided for worshiping Mary like they do. But that is just my opinion. We will have to wait to find out who is right or wrong on these things.

Answer 9

Catholic Crusader,

You seem to have explained this point with logic and references. Thank you for the knowledge. Peace.

Answer 10

This is totally un-Biblical. Mary is dead and in her grave waiting for her time to be resurrected. Aside from this fact, God condemns the worship of the Queen of heaven:

Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes (hot cross buns?) to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jer 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Jer 44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Jer 44:19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
Jer 44:25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.


For a better understanding of Catholic beliefs go to this link:

http://philologos.org/__eb-ttb/default.htm