Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Queen of Heaven


The derogatory definition of a "queen" depicts a flamboyant male who draws attention to himself for gratification. Adorned with exaggerations of feminine beauty, he is often campy and possesses a false sense of pride. Considering that pride also comes before a fall, it can be said that “queen” identifies a particular well known religious figure who is recognized for his grand exit from Heaven.

Satan, the once beautiful angel known for his virtues and flawless appearance had the most desirable position of all: The position of consort to God Almighty. Who wouldn't have wanted to be the creature whose company God enjoyed the most? Who wouldn't want to be preferred in such a way over all of their peers? But a bigger question is who would dare to throw it all away?

The union between God and His beloved was set apart for the deepest kind of intimacy. The first angel on record, found in Proverbs 8 had the privilege of being God’s eldest daughter. Perhaps next in line to her was Gabriel, who served as God’s personal ambassador. But Lucifer was God’s covering, which is a title associated with the relationship between husbands and wives according to 1 Corinthians 11. Out of all the hosts of Heaven, Lucifer was most enviable.

I often reference sacred texts from Greek poets that line up with Scripture, and I have found that Satan parallels with Hera, wife of Zeus, king of the gods. As for pride matching that of the Devil’s, Hera’s sacred bird was the peacock, which is a worldwide symbol for egotism. She was also known as the most beautiful maiden on Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods. Likewise, Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in Heaven. But what many do not know is that Hera led a rebellion to overthrow her husband in the same fashion as Satan, and as both of them failed, they were violently cast down from above.

For foolishly trying to usurp the king of the gods, Hera was removed from Mount Olympus and suspended in the sky, hung by royal golden chains. After Satan was cast from the Mount of God (Ezekiel 28:14 NIV), he was situated in the sky as well. By then he became known as the Prince of the Powers of the Air (Ephesians 2:2). Likewise, Hera was synonymous with the sky and held the title of Sky Goddess in some translations of Greek prose. Hera eventually returned to Olympus and Satan was once again spotted in Heaven with God and the angels in the Book of Job and Revelation.

Besides being contenders against the Supreme Being, both Satan and Hera were known as adversaries to the general public. In Greek legend, every time someone became a target of Zeus' affections, Hera pursued them relentlessly. For example, once when Zeus impregnated his mistress with a son, Hera made sure no place would let her give birth to him. This account is identical to the story of how the pregnant Virgin Mary was refused lodging on the night she was to give birth to the son of God, Jesus Christ. And Hera tried to kill Zeus' other son Hercules when he was just an infant, which relates to the story of baby Jesus and King Herod.

In today's perspective of myth, Hera is often perceived as a good-natured wife and mother figure. But in reality, Greeks saw her as a jealous lover and a conniving witch. By the way, her daughters were the goddesses of hate and destruction which are also in league with satanic themes.

In closing, we've observed that the initial crimes of Satan and his Greek counterpart were pride and envy. Knowing these abominations are not far from human reach, we should watch the impulses we act upon. The lesson here... don't be a queen.

References: Isaiah 14:12-19 & Ezekiel 28:12-19

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