Posted on 08/19/2014 7:57:09 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
This coming August 22, the Feast of Mary, Queen of Heaven will be celebrated throughout the world. Deepertruth will focus this Tuesday on this most important topic.
The Marian teaching “Queen of Heaven” is steeped in Old Testament tradition.
There are those who misunderstand this teaching and will even claim it is Pagan. Nothing can be furthest from the truth.
Some will surely want to raise the scripture coming from Jeremiah 7:16-18, “You, now, do not intercede for this people; raise not in their behalf a pleading prayer! Do not urge me, for I will not listen to you. Do you not see what they are doing in the cites of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem? The Children gather wood, their fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, while libations are poured out to strange gods in order to hurt me. Is it I whom they hurt, says the Lord; is it not rather themselves, to their own confusion?”
The queen of heaven that Jeremiah is speaking of is not the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the true Queen of Heaven, but rather a false god. The Israelites worshiped Pagan gods that displeased the Lord. The Babylonians worshiped a woman called “Ishtar“, she was the goddess of love and war. Prostitution was a part of the temple worship. She was known to have had many lovers.
Contrast this with the Blessed Virgin Mary who represents chastity, modesty, faithfulness, and love of God. She is the purest of God’s creation. Unlike Ishtar and other female goddesses who were worshiped and called “God the Mother“, the Blessed Virgin Mary is called Mother of God. Not because she is a goddess, she is not, but because Catholics recognize Jesus as Divine. He is truly God and man.
Is Mary the true Queen of Heaven, is there such a position within the kingdom of God? The answer is yes, and this Queen is the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The foundation for this is found in 1 Kings 2:12-20. “When Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David, with his sovereignty firmly established, Adonjah, son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. ‘Do you come as a friend?’ She asked. ‘Yes’, he answered, and added, ‘I have something to say to you,’ She replied, ‘Say it.’ So he said: ‘You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel expected me to be king. But the kingdom escaped me and became my brother’s, for the Lord gave it to him. But now there is one favor I would ask of you. Do not refuse me.’ And she said, ‘Speak on.’ He said, ‘Please ask King Solomon, who will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunamite for my wife.’ ‘Very well,’ replied Bathsheba, I will speak to the king for you.’ Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right.”
Bathsheba thus became the first Queen of Israel, the Queen was not a wife of the king, but the King’s mother.
Jesus is truly the Son of David, The angel Gabriel spoke of Jesus saying, “Behold, you (Mary) will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:3-33).
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:20).
We see a glimpse of this heavenly glory with the Messiah in heaven in Psalms 45. In verse 9-10 we see a very important scripture relating to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It reads, “daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stand the Queen in gold of Ophir”. Psalms 45:1-9 refers to Jesus and verses 9-17 concerns this queen. The same Queen St. John writes, “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1).
Psalms 45 continues to say, “Hear, O daughter, consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house; and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your Lord, bow to him; the people of Tyre will sue your favor with gifts, the richest of the people with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes; in many colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions, her escort, in her train. With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. Instead of your fathers shall by your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever”(Psalms 45:9-17).
Notice that the “rich” seeks her favor, just like Adonjah had first sought Bathsheba’s intercession.
The Queen of Psalms 45 will be remembered and celebrated in all generations, and the people will praise her forever.
Is there any other woman in history that can fit this description? Hillary Clinton?
This praise will not be worship that is given to God alone, but it will be honor and petition.
Notice what Mother Mary says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever” (Luke 1:46-55).
Psalms 45:9-17 and Luke 1:47-55 speak of the same person. The Virgin Mary, as the Queen of Heaven represents Jesus Christ in all that she does. There is no likeness to the pagan goddesses that were worshiped by the Babylonians and the cultures surrounding the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
As such, praying seems more like having a conversation and there is nothing wrong with calling Home and having a conversation with the Holy Family, including Mom.
Sorry.
I grew up reading articles like that.
Human reasoning cross-bred with speculation on top of iconic icings.
None the less, for me the metaphor works for my understanding, such as it is.
It also helps me to understand how it's love and using my heart that make's the connection go through.
Plus, the metaphor helps me to conceptualize what having a constant conversation with, or being in continuous communication with, God that I hear others speak of might be like.
That's obviously because you don't know much scripture...And obviously again, you have no interest in knowing scripture since you claim Mary is the mother of God, which is unscriptural...
I don't understand all of the math and how things fully balance thanks to Jesus and His Mother Mary (Mother of God!), but my sense is they are the reason the cosmic math equation can/will balance.
God/Jesus/Holy Spirit always was...God became manifest in the flesh with the birth of Jesus...
As such, praying seems more like having a conversation and there is nothing wrong with calling Home and having a conversation with the Holy Family, including Mom.
Praying is worship...Just acknowledging there is a supernatural being that you are speaking to makes that person a deity...And that's worship...
I think the differing opinions and definitions and how we each view the same things somewhat differently are very interesting, especially about this subject.
And thanks for the laugh. "obviously you don't know much" "obviously again, you have no interest in knowing..."
Lol. I have to admit, as long as I'm not married to it, I can appreciate that kind of humor.
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Unless, of course, someone gives them a radio microphone in Yuma, Arizona, and gives me a radio at Hollywood and Vine (or gives the choir a cell phone, and gives me a cell phone), in which case I can hear them all just fine at that distance.
If modern human technology can do that for us humans, God certainly can do that as well (and much more, of course). The ridiculous limtations you are placing on God and what He can do for us humans are certainly not founded in Scripture, and without any doubt, those limitations you are trying to impose on God are completely false and wrong.
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So, you're saying you don't believe a person can be saved before they fall into the quicksand, as well as be saved from sinking in the quicksand after they have already fell into it?
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So, you think giving honor to Mary "diminishes or draws attention away from the accomplishments of Jesus Christ"?
If someone honors your mother, does that "diminish or draw attention away from the accomplishments of CommerceComet"?
In regards to my comment "Prayer to God is worship, prayer to fellow created beings like saints or guardian angels is not, and it does not take a great deal of discernment to be able to distinguish those two types of prayer.", you said "Actually, to accept your argument requires a total lack of discernment. How is this not a case of the logical fallacy of special pleading?" How in the world do you jump to that erroneous conclusion?
Do you not accept that prayer can be directed to God (and be a form of worship), and prayer can also be directed to saints (and NOT be a form of worship), the belief which is actually held by most Christians in the world (Catholics, Orthodox, many Anglicans, many Lutherans, and many other Christians)? (Do a quick Google search on "prayer to saints" if you don't believe me.)
It is the same with the verb "to talk". If you talk to God, that entails worship, while if you talk to another human being, that does NOT entail worship. They both involve talking, but they are two completely different forms of talking. That's just a plain, simple fact.
(By the sound of your post and your various logic references tossed around loosely in it, I'm guessing you are taking a Logic 101 course. Are you?)
They safeguarded it so well that for the first 1800 years they would burn you alive at the stake for owning a bible.
That's why people came to this hemisphere. To worship God. Not his baby mamma. Not his corporate machine, Anglican nor Roman.
Seek ye first????
Peace, Grace, and Mercy be with us always.
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Are you saying the only prayer we should be saying is "The Lord's Prayer" -- the "Our Father" that Jesus taught His disciples?
Lutherans? Don't think so.
Say any prayer you like, just direct it the way Christ did, to the One who can answer it, God.
No, I don't hold that belief. Iscool was correct when he/she stated that prayer offered to a supernatural being makes that entity a deity. (It doesn't matter how many people hold to a position - truth isn't determined by majority vote.)
David in Psalm 141:2 makes it clear that he saw his prayer as equivalent to sacrifice. I would assume that even RCs would agree that offering sacrifice to anyone other than God is false worship.
Not needed...I just remembered that one or more of their publications gave the year of the coming tribulation. That’s a big no-no. The year(s) has already passed.
I've heard since childhood and believe that God created each of us for a purpose within His Plan and that, heart and soul, we are created to be a place for Him and His spirit to dwell, to be, to live, to rest...not sure of the right words...and that is what our bodies being a temple means.
Unfortunately, not all keep their temple pure and clean such that God's Spirit is welcome. Some worse than others, but some better and some are even better still. Then there was Mary...
Your words are correct and emphasize the correct interpretation. She was created, we all are, but you're right, Mary was chosen. And I should have just kept my mouth shut until my understanding could catch up with it.
Thanks to you both for helping such a learner in the slow lane like me, with my apologies for my having swerved into the fast lane right in front of you.
With so many different interpretations, and each one is absolutely correct and all the others wrong, it's hard not to be confused.
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And there's another problem....
Oh ya, Jesus says we won’t know the day or time, maybe the season, but who knows how big that is. Just live each and every day for him, and he’ll take care of the rest.
(good advice, just need to follow my own heh).
Perfect description of virtually every prot church.
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