This counterfeit queen stole many hearts…
Smoke rose from clay ovens, the smell of bread was heavy in the air, and families gathered around an altar…
The altar wasn’t for Yahweh, the creator of heaven and earth… They worshipped a false goddess.
They were worshipping the “Queen of Heaven.”
It is a shocking scene. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, stands against his own people as they stubbornly bow to idols.
They pour out drink offerings, bake cakes, and lift their hearts not to the Creator but to a counterfeit.
They even claim their prosperity came from this goddess. It is idolatry in its most outrageous form.
And yet, it’s not just ancient history… This worship is pervasive even today.
The title “Queen of Heaven” only appears in the book of Jeremiah, in two blistering passages:
In Jeremiah 7:18, entire households are swept up in idolatry: “The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven.”
In Jeremiah 44:17-25, the people refuse to repent after multiple warnings. They vow to keep worshiping her, attributing their peace and prosperity to her instead of Yahweh.
This “queen of heaven” was none other than Ishtar (also called Ashtoreth or Astarte), a pagan fertility goddess linked to Baal and Molech.
Worship of her was often sexual in nature: fertility rites, temple prostitution, and child sacrifice mingled in horrific devotion.
Israel, chosen to worship the one true God, had instead traded His glory for a counterfeit queen.
Why is this so outrageous? Because God’s throne is not shared. He is not a king in search of a queen. He is not one god among many.
He is the Lord of Hosts, sovereign and eternal, the King of Kings who says: “I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8).
The very idea of a “Queen of Heaven” undermines God's holiness. It reduces Him to the level of pagan myths, pairing Him with a consort in some Greek pantheon.
The God of Scripture is not like the false gods of the nations. He alone reigns.
Some have tried to apply the title “Queen of Heaven” to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
While Mary was a faithful, humble servant of God, Scripture never once calls her queen, nor does it grant her divine status.
In fact, both Mary’s own words and Jesus’ teaching guard against elevating her:
Mary confessed her need for a Savior: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47).
When a woman praised Mary’s motherhood, Jesus redirected the blessing: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:27–28).
Every true servant of God, whether they be apostles, angels, or Mary, refuses worship.
“Worship God!” is the consistent command (Revelation 19:10).
THE BIBLE IS FULL OF VILLAINS:
Who are some of the Bible’s most evil villains? We ranked them all in this video here 👇🏽💀
You may not be tempted to bake cakes for Ishtar. But the spirit of the “queen of heaven” is still alive wherever we:
Trade the true God for cultural idols of prosperity, pleasure, and fertility.
Blend pagan ideas with biblical faith, trying to domesticate God into something more palatable.
Elevate human figures, movements, or even religious traditions to a place only God deserves.
The question for us is this: Who truly sits on the throne of our hearts?
There is no queen of heaven. There never has been. There is only the King of Heaven, the Lord of Hosts, Yahweh, revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
The world may dress up its idols in royal robes, but they are powerless pretenders.
