Is There a Biblical Basis for Affirming That Mary Is Queen of the Universe?

Our Protestant brethren are scandalized when they hear that we Catholics refer to Mary as “Queen of the Universe.” And, in order to try to justify their opposition to this, they cite biblical references concerning the worship forbidden by God of the “queen of heaven”:

“The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18).

According to them, this would argue in their favor that God is against our considering Mary as “Queen of the Universe.” But if they took a little more time and analyzed the word of God carefully and without anti-Catholic prejudices, they would notice that the condemnation of that worship is because it was directed to pagan goddesses: Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, among other names. On the other hand, these “goddesses” were adored—as we know and teach in the Catholic Church, adoration is due to God alone—and therefore it was obvious that the Lord would prohibit it. Furthermore, the honor that we render to Mary, Mother of the Lord and Queen of the Universe, is veneration, which is only a special respect and love, but never adoration, as some misinformed Protestant brethren mistakenly maintain. It is worth stressing that veneration is different from adoration, as I already demonstrated in a previous article (1).

Let us now see that, if Catholics consider Mary as “Queen of the Universe,” it is not in order to take honor, glory, and praise away from Our Lord Jesus, “King of the Universe”; rather, the very fact that Jesus is King is precisely what confers on Mary the title of Queen, since she is his Mother. We know that every queen is subject to the king, and the fact that she is queen takes no power or dominion away from the king. Mary’s title is a title that honors her because she is the Mother of the King, the Lord Jesus.

My Protestant friends may think that this statement is an invention or whim, that it is merely an argument without value, without biblical support. Precisely for them and for my Catholic brethren, I now proceed to cite biblical references to substantiate the title of Queen possessed by the Mother of Jesus.

When the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive Jesus, he also lets her know that He will receive the throne of David, his father, and that he will reign over Jacob forever without end. “The angel said to her: «Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God; you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father; he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

If God the Father has given Jesus the Throne of David—to whom even the angel refers as his father—it is obvious that this reign will preserve its customary arrangements and maintain its structure. That is why the angel calls it the “Throne of David,” for he does not simply say that he will make him King, but clarifies that this reign will be on the “Throne of David.” Let us also remember that the Lord himself had promised David that his kingdom would remain forever, that his throne would be firmly established eternally.

“Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

Now then, if we agree that the kingdom of David will be eternal—by the promise of God himself—and that Jesus is now the King of that kingdom of David, since he is the one who received that Throne, let us see that in the kingdom of David the king’s mother came to be the queen. That is why, when the Bible speaks of the beginning of the reign of each of the kings of Judah—of the dynasty of David—it automatically mentions the name of his mother, since they were the queens, and not the wives. In other words, the kingdom of David had the king’s mother as queen:

“Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign… His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonite” (1 Kings 14:21).

“In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom” (1 Kings 15:1-2).

“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel” (2 Kings 8:26; 2 Chronicles 22:2).

“In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 24:1).

“In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Azariah, son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign… His mother’s name was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem” (2 Kings 15:1-2).

“In the second year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign… and his mother’s name was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok” (2 Kings 15:32-33; 2 Chronicles 27:1).

“In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah… and his mother’s name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel, of Gibeah (2 Chronicles 13:1-2).

“And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign… And his mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi” (2 Chronicles 20:31).

“Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 25:1).

“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 26:3).

“Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah” (2 Chronicles 29:1).

Perhaps my Protestant brethren will tell me that the cited passages do not speak specifically of the kings’ mothers being queens. Nevertheless, it is worth recalling that when Bathsheba, mother of Solomon—who, incidentally, was king on the throne of David—came in to speak with him, Solomon immediately bowed before his mother as a sign of veneration and, after sitting on his throne, had another throne placed at his right hand, so that his mother might sit on that throne. Do they not ask themselves: who sits on a throne? The answer is obvious: only a king or a queen; that is why it is a throne. Otherwise it would simply be a seat, nothing more. And if the king has his mother sit on a throne, it is because his mother is a queen:

“Bathsheba went in to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king rose, went to meet her, and bowed down before her; then he sat on his throne; a throne was set for the king’s mother, and she sat at his right hand. Then she said: I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her: Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you (1 Kings 2:19-20).

Despite what has been set forth, it is possible that someone still will not want to accept that in the kingdom of David the king’s mother is the queen, because some people want the explicit quotation, without realizing the inconsistency of asking for a biblical quotation for everything they believe. Well, dear brethren, that quotation does exist. In the First Book of Kings and the Second Book of Chronicles, we can find that King Asa removed from his mother Maacah the title of queen, because she practiced idolatry. We clearly note that it does not say that he did not give her the title of queen, but that he deposed her from that office, that is, from the title that corresponded to her by being the king’s mother.

“He also removed Maacah, his mother, from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image of Asherah; and Asa cut down the horrid image, crushed it, and burned it by the brook Kidron” (2 Chronicles 15:16; 1 Kings 15:13).

As we can see, it is clearly demonstrated that in the kingdom of David—which has the Lord Jesus as King—the king’s mother in turn had the title of queen. Therefore, since there is nothing that says the contrary regarding any change in that prerogative possessed by the king’s mother, it is natural for us Catholics to consider Mary, Mother of the Lord, as Queen of the Universe, since Jesus is the King of the Universe.

From now on, Protestant brother, I would ask you, before you ask me for a biblical quotation that says Mary is Queen, rather to give me the biblical quotation that affirms that Jesus took the title of Queen away from his Mother. Where does Scripture say that Jesus stripped Mary of that prerogative? If Jesus reigns on the throne of David, then as a consequence his mother is Queen.

Finally, I would ask you to reflect, Protestant friend. Sacred Scripture teaches us that those who belong to Christ will reign with Him. You believe this, of course you do; I am sure of it. In other words: you are not scandalized by thinking and believing that you will be a king with the Lord, because his word says so; and yet you are scandalized because we Catholics believe that Mary, the Mother of the Lord, is Queen. Does that not seem inconsistent to you?

“Indeed, if by the transgression of one person death reigned through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17).

“If we persevere, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12).

Did Mary not remain firm beside Jesus, accepting being his mother (Luke 1:38), in his flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14), searching for him when he was lost in Jerusalem (Luke 3:43-48), accompanying him during his public life (Mark 3:32), at the foot of the cross (John 19:25), together with the first Church (Acts 1:14)? Did Mary not receive the grace of God in abundance, so much so that the angel called her “full of grace” (Luke 1:28)? And if, to those who persevere firmly with the Lord, He promises that they will be kings to reign at his side, why are you so scandalized, Protestant brother, if Catholics recognize Mary—who best fulfills all these characteristics—as Queen?

NOTES

1. Rodríguez Reyna, Jorge. Do evangelicals “worship” their pastors? 2010.