Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

The verse above is one of the most debated verses in the Bible. The reason is because God speaks in a plural form, instead of a singular form. Biblicists and scholars have come up with different theories and explanations to the “us” in Genesis, yet in this article, we are going to focus on one explanation – The Royal We.

What is the Royal We?

The royal “we,” also known as majestic plural, is the use of a plural pronoun to refer to a single person holding a high office, such as a king or a religious leader. The speakers who use the royal we refer to themselves using a grammatical number other than the singular. One example of this can be seen in the Constitution of the country Oman. The constitution of Oman opens with the following statement:

“On the Issue of the Basic Law of the State We, Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman, In confirmation of the principles which have guided State policy in various fields during the past period, and in asserting our determination to continue efforts to create a better future characterised by further achievements which will bring benefits to the Country and its Citizens.” – Oman Constitution 1996 ¹

The Origin of the Royal We

The origin of the royal we has been traced to around 1169, when King Henry II of England used it to mean “God and I,” and also to King Richard I, whose use of the royal we supported his claim to be acting on behalf of God and to be the ruler of divine selection. A more recent example of the royal we would be Queen Victoria’s often quoted “We are not amused.”²

It’s Not The “Royal We” but It’s God the Mother

Now, although the royal we could be a very elaborate and intellectual explanation to the “us” in Genesis, it is wrong. The reason why the royal we cannot explain the “us” in Genesis 1:26 is due to the fact that Genesis 1:27 exists.

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27 clearly says that mankind was made in the image of God, but the images that came out were two – male and female. The fact that two images came out of God’s image, and not one, lets us understand that the Royal We doesn’t explain Genesis 1:26. The reason why God said Let us is because the ones speaking were God the Father and God the Mother – the male and female image of God.

The “Us” in Genesis Appear as the Spirit and the Bride in Revelation

The book of Genesis contains many important teachings. However, many of them cannot be understood without cross referencing the book of Revelation. For example, everyone knows that the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is Satan or the Devil. Yet, not once does Genesis say that the serpent is Satan. It’s not until we read the book of Revelation that the serpent’s identity is revealed as the devil. 

Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 

This example can be also used to let us understand who is speaking when God says let “us” make man in “our” image. The one who appeared and said “Let us” in Genesis is revealed to be the Spirit and the Bride in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 22:17  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

The Holy Spirit who according to the trinity is God the Father (for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one and the same), and the bride our Mother (Revelation 21:9-10, Galatians 4:26) appear to give us the water of life. Just like physical life comes from a Father and Mother. In the same way, spiritual life comes from God the Father and God the Mother.

If you would like to know more about God the Mother and want to see more testimony about Her in the Bible I encourage you to visit the following links:

[Reference]

1. Oman Constitution

2.Grammar.About.Com – The Royal We