I didn’t stray at all. You wanted to know why there are no quotes concerning Mary’s alleged Queenship for several centuries after the Apostolic age. I told you why, because it’s neither Biblical or Apostolic teaching.
I asked for quotes, not for reasons. Not that I don’t appreciate your answers, but that was not what I was looking for.
In reality, the silence of Scripture is the strongest argument against her alleged Queenship. Yes, Scripture does teach us that believers will reign with Christ on earth during His Millennial Kingdom (Mary will be one of them), but Scripture speaks of no unique Queenship of Mary then, or, now in heaven. And for this reason you’ll find no early quotes about it. IT SIMPLY WASN’T TAUGHT OR BELIEVED. It’s a teaching come lately void of any Biblical or Apostolic backing.
First off, as I pointed out, I believe the Scriptures do speak about it…just about as much as it speaks of the “Trinity” at least. No, it doesn’t say “Trinity” explicitly or lay out the definition of Trinity, but when you gather all the data in the Scriptures, it is obvious to see the truth of the Trinity. Same with Mary’s queenship. If you think the Trinity is much more blatantly obvious than Mary’s queenship, then tell that to the millions of Mormons.
Secondly, as I quoted above from the book
Finding God’s Ideal, explicitly stating things about Mary in the Scriptures while she was still physically alive would have been threatening to her. Why would the apostles do that? They wouldn’t.
Thirdly, I can’t find many quotes of anybody before 313 AD in general. The writings are few and far between due to the persecution. Of my ECF collection of 38 volumes, only the first volume contains writings before 313 AD.
The crown is worn by a symbolic woman seen in a sign that is seen in heaven. It doesn’t say the woman is in heaven. In fact, in the “sign” the woman is seen on earth and the son she gives birth to is caught up to the throne of God, not the woman. The woman, and the rest of her “offspring” (Catholicism teaches Mary had no other offspring) remain on earth and are pursued by the dragon. It is quite obvious that the “woman” with a crown of “twelve stars” (corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel) is national Israel, the nation through which the Messiah came into this world.
I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. I think Revelation 12 is obviously speaking of Mary AND Israel AND the Church. “Either or” scenarios are not aligned with the Scriptures, as the Scriptures have multiple levels of meaning and commonly use one person to represent many, like Adam representing all of humanity for instance in Romans 5:19. I try to always interpret the Scriptures literally first and then apply it to other possibilities, like Israel. There is no other “woman” that gave birth to Jesus than Mary!
Secondly, about Mary being in Heaven…right before Chapter 12, in the last verse of Chapter 11, the temple of God in Heaven was opened and we see the Ark of the Covenant. Then the very next verse begins to describe Mary. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Mary as the Ark of the Covenant was an ancient belief before 313 AD and quotes from Gregory the Wonder Worker and Athanasius speak of her as such.
I know. It doesn’t need to be “spelled out” at all for you to believe it. But men are called to believe God’s Word, not the words of mere men.
The Church is simply doing what the Scriptures say, to press on to maturity and leaving the elementary teachings (those that are spelled out in black & white) - Hebrews 6:1-3. If you stick to things that are explicitly spelled out in Scriptures, you are not going to get very far.
Nonetheless, the words of mere men and God’s Word are intertwined in unity. God’s Word was written by mere men inspired by the Spirit, and the true Church of mere men are guided by the Spirit in discerning doctrine. In less you say that God speaks directly to you in an audible fashion, you too follow mere men in some way or the other. It all comes down to, who’s your authority?
I know no scriptures that refer to Mary as queen of heaven.