Is the Female Image of God Missing From Our Faith?

God as More Than Just the Father: The Female Image of God

Can we see God as more than just the Father? The Bible reveals the existence of the female image of God from the opening pages of Genesis to Revelation. The opening of any book matters. The Holy Scriptures open with Genesis, which includes the creation of the heavens, the earth, and humanity. It is here where we are first introduced to God the Creator, clearly and intentionally.

The Plurality of God the Creator in Genesis

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light on the first day (Genesis 1:3). On the second day, God created a vault to separate the waters (Genesis 1:6). By the fifth day, God commanded, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky” (Genesis 1:20). Each act of creation up to this point appears as a singular act, God saying, “Let there be…” etc. However, on the sixth day, the description of the Creator is given in a way that reveals a plurality (more than one).

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”

Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”.

Rather than commanding “let there be man” or “let there be male and female” as with the previous acts of creation from the first to the fifth day, God said “Let us” and “in our image, in our likeness,” using plural language, meaning God has more than one image. Had the pattern continued, the nature of God’s image and likeness would have remained ambiguous and mysterious.

As God’s eternal power and divine nature are invisible to the human eye, God has made it plain to us from what has been made.

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”.

Mankind’s creation itself serves as a visible reflection of the invisible God. Even on the opening page of the Scriptures, God’s nature is not singular, but plural. According to the Cambridge Dictionary (2025), the term “Us” states as “used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people as the object of a verb or preposition”. Declaring “Us” and “Our” to then create mankind was a clear indication that God has more than one image.

The Hidden Half of God’s Image

So, if God is not singular, how many images does God possess? Why does God say, “Let us”? Let’s revisit Genesis without altering anything. Is it a secret?

Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”.

Males and females were created in God’s likeness. Today these two images of God are evident in society. The existence of mankind visibly showcases God’s image exists in two distinct forms. Males are formed in the male image of God, women are likewise created in the female image of God. While the male image of God is often acknowledged, the female image is equally just as evident.

Again, rather than saying ‘let there be male’ and ‘let there be female’ which would have concealed the nature of God’s image, God clearly revealed it. By using plural language, it’s clear that both the male and female image of God were present and active in creation, working together.

The female image of God is no secret nor should she be secondary in our life of faith. She has been there since the beginning of creation and equally significant as the male image of God and is the Creator God too. So, how should we address her?

Exploring the Significance Behind “God the Father”

Firstly, how do we address the male image of God?

Jesus Christ taught us about the male image of God and how to address Him in the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”.

Apostle Paul also testifies that just as we have and respect our physical fathers, we should respect the Father of our spirits all the more (Hebrews 12:9). Thus, it is evident that the male image of God should be addressed as our Heavenly Father.

How does one earn the title of a father? A man cannot rightly earn this title without having children. He may otherwise hold the title of a ‘husband’ or simply just a man. The title ‘father’ is reserved exclusively for a male person with children and is used only by those children within the family. The term ‘father’ is a family term. For instance, you wouldn’t address your boss or teacher as ‘father’.

Consequently, Heavenly Father calls us his spiritual children.

2 Corinthians 6:18 “And, I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”.

We are God’s children and thus, we have the privilege to call Him our Father. Then, how do children in any family system exist? They are given life through their mothers. Mothers are the core of life-giving. Without them, children cannot be born. And without children, the title ‘father’ cannot exist. Thus, the role and existence of mother is not only foundational to life but also inseparable from the identity of any father.

So, why did Christ instruct us to pray or acknowledge Him using a family term “Our Father”? Why didn’t Jesus ask us to pray saying ‘God the Male’ or ‘Almighty’ or ‘God the Man’? Just through the title ‘God the Father’, God the Mother must exist indirectly.

Then, where is our spiritual Mother in the bible?

Galatians 4:26 “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother”

Galatians 4:28 “Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Just as all physical children have their own mothers. The children of promise have Heavenly Mother, who is from above (heaven). Just as Christ Himself testified “Our Father in heaven”, we also just as clearly have ‘our Mother in heaven’ too.

The Plurality of God in Revelation

The last page of any book is significant. Thus, the Holy Bible also testifies about our Heavenly Mother in the closing Scriptures. The female image of God is apparent from the first through to the last page and is essential for our spiritual life of faith.

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

The water of life is essential for our faith. According to Jesus Christ, it is the promise of eternal life (John 4:13-14). Two thousand years ago, it was Jesus Christ who had the authority to give water of life, as He was the Savior. In the Old Testament, Jehovah was the source of living water (Jeremiah 2: 13) because He was the Savior.

Who can give us the Water of Life? Mortals have no ability to give the water of life to one another. Only the Savior, the Immortal God can give the Water of Life freely. So, who are the ‘Spirit and the Bride’ mentioned in Revelation 22:17, who invited all to receive it? They must be none other than God Almighty.

Who Is the Bride?

John was introduced to the Bride and was shown exactly who She is in the Revelation he received on Mount Patmos.

Revelation 21:9 “…Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb”

Revelation 21:10 “and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

The Jerusalem coming down from heaven is the Bride. So, as Apostle Paul testified:

Galatians 4:26 “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother”

Anyone who claims that the Bride represent anything less than God should closely examine Revelation 21:9-10. There, the Bride is revealed as not a human institution such as a church or God’s saints, but the “Holy City Jerusalem from heaven”. Who, as Apostle Paul testifies is our Heavenly and Spiritual Mother.

In conclusion, the Bible reveals that in this final age, our Savior has appeared as two distinct beings: the male image (the Spirit) and the female image (the Bride). Together, they call out, “Come!”. Inviting all to receive the priceless gift of eternal life. Just as we naturally acknowledge anyone who gives us a meaningful gift, we must also recognize and honor the two who give us the goal of our faith: our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.