The Judge
Before you can have a court, there must be a judge:
…Shall not the Judge of all the Earth execute judgment and do righteously? (Genesis 18:25 AMPC)
This clearly states that there is a Judge in Heaven. There are at least 76 Bible verses that refer to God as our Judge. Here are three:
God is a righteous Judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. (Psalm 7:11 AMPC)
…And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in Heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in Heaven) who have been made perfect... (Hebrews 12:23 AMPC)
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. (James 4:12 ESV)
Jesus told a parable about a widow who appeared before an unjust judge asking for justice and protection. After a time, this judge, who neither respected nor reverenced God, did as she asked because of her continued pestering. After presenting this parable, Jesus says, “Will not our just God defend, protect, and avenge His people who cry to Him night and day?”
God is a just Judge for those who seek Him. He has not abandoned us, He sent the two best aids we could ever ask for and each helps us in the CoH, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Our Lawyer
Jesus is referred to as both Mediator and Advocate:
For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus… (1 Timothy 2:5 NASB)
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6 NASB)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous… (1 John 2:1 NASB)
In the first Book of John (or John 1), the word “advocate” is paraklētos, which means one who pleads a case before a judge; a council for a legal defense. The word “mediator” in Greek is mesitēs meaning to act as a mediator between litigating or covenanting parties, according to “Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.” This makes it clear that Jesus is our legal aid in the CoH.
But thus said the LORD… for I will contend with him that contends with you, and I will save your children. (Isaiah 49:25 AKJV)
The word translated as “contend” is from the Greek word riyb, which can mean “to conduct a case or suit (legal), sue.” The Lord is our Heavenly Advocate. If we will put Him in charge, He will not only take care of us but also our children in the Courts.
The word translated as “contend” is from the Greek word, riyb, which can mean “to conduct a case or suit (legal), sue.” The Lord is our Heavenly Advocate. If we will put Him in charge, He will not only take care of us but also our children in the Courts.
*Other verses for Jesus as Mediator: Hebrews 9:15, 12:24, 12:24, and Romans 8:34
Our Counselor
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever… (John 14:16 AMPC)
The Holy Spirit is our Counselor. The Greek word paraklētos is defined as a guide, mentor, or expert and is used five times, once for Jesus and all other times for the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our Advocate and Head Lawyer in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and our Advocate who is with us here on Earth and in Heaven.
So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads on our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. (Romans 8:26 AMPC)
This verse sums up the role the Holy Spirit plays in the CoH. The Greek word hyperentygchanō is only used once in the entire Bible. This word is as complicated as it is long. Let us break down the word into its basic parts:
hyper – for benefit
en – is an amplifier to add intensity to the next phrase
tygchanō – literal translation is “to obtain by hitting the mark.” The bullseye is more accurate.
To fully understand how this word should be used in English, keep in mind that sin means “missing the mark.” As an Advocate, the Holy Spirit works on our behalf so that we don't miss the mark. This is why the word is defined in Strong's Concordance as “intercede for, to petition.”
Jesus is our Lead Advocate. He is in the Courts interceding for us. He knows when we should come in and when it would harm us to enter into the Courts because we don’t yet have enough understanding to remove the charges we receive. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, He is also in the Courts, and He knows our heart: He will let us know what the will of the Lord is for us if we ask Him.
When explaining the basic functions of the court, I have heard many people say, “I’ll just let the Lord take care of all that.” This shocks me.
If a defense attorney asked us to take the stand to defend ourselves in a trial we wouldn’t presume to say, “Oh, you just take care of all that for me.” We would do as they advised us. Yet many Christians presume to tell God and Jesus what they will and will not do. We should not presumptuously barge into the CoH until we are able to receive instructions from our Lead Advocate, Jesus, but we should be willing to go if we are asked.
The Prosecuting Attorney
The first chapter in the Book of Job shows us that Satan and his minions can come before God in Heaven:
Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. (Job 1:6 AMPC)
The word translated “Satan” in the Old Testament is not a person's name. The name Lucifer was given to the angel who rebelled against God because he refused to submit to what he considered lesser beings, mankind. Since the Bible is written in various languages, understanding what a word means can be very enlightening:
Hebrew: “Satan” is a legal term that literally means, “one who places charges against you.” It has legal roots, implying it is in a court of law.
Greek: it can refer to Lucifer, or as we have previously mentioned, it can be any adversary. We know that he is constantly bringing cases against us.
The word Satan, in many cases, could literally be interpreted as “prosecuting attorney.” The truth of that is seen in the final verse of Revelation 12:10:
…for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out! (Revelations 12:10 AMPC)
This chapter in the Book of Revelation is a chronological list of events. Satan hasn't yet been cast down to Earth, so he still has access to Heaven where he is accusing us night and day. Placing this verse in the proper context will help us understand that:
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to God, and to His Throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days. And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:5-9 AMPC)
Before Satan is kicked out of Heaven, Israel (the woman who gave birth to Jesus) must flee to the wilderness for three and a half years (1260 days). This is believed to be the mid-point of the Tribulation and is when Satan will no longer have access to the CoH.
This signifies that right now, Satan is still placing charges against us in the Courts of Heaven. We must learn how to fight back! Understanding what is happening in the Courts of Heaven will help us know what we should be doing. I don't believe Satan fully understands what Jesus' blood accomplished and is constantly thwarted when the blood of Jesus is properly applied.
The Law Continues
Until God’s wrath comes, Satan is given access to us through our sin.
Think not that I Am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I Am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, Till Heaven and Earth pass, one stroke or one pronunciation mark shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17-18 AKJV)
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the necessary sacrifice for our redemption. The Law will remain as long as Heaven and Earth exist. God is still Judge; the Ten Commandments are His laws. When we break those rules in this life, there are still consequences. We see this because Jesus continues talking about the importance of teaching about the Ten Commandments.
Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:19 AMPC)
When we learn about God's commandments and do them, our stature in Heaven increases. There are consequences for not keeping the Ten Commandments. If we do violate God's law, Jesus is our Advocate who helps us.
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]... (John 3:17-18 AMP)
Many think this is about judgments in the Courts and use this verse to claim that sin cannot affect our life on Earth. However, in the Amplified Version of the Bible, descriptors were added in brackets to more fully explain the meaning of the text. We should also consider the context of this scripture as well as the verse preceding it:
In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! (John 3:16)
The topic is our eternal salvation; Believing and confessing Jesus as Lord allows us to be judged on His merits rather than our own, so that we can receive eternal life. It does not state that the CoH are no longer in operation and that verdicts from the Courts have ceased to be rendered in this life. Only the judgments pertaining to the next life are removed when we accept Jesus as Lord.
We need to claim our freedom from attacks of the enemy just as we claimed our freedom from the curse of the Law. We don’t get to go to Heaven just because we know about Jesus, we must confess that He is the Son of God and Lord in order to receive that promise. When we declare that we are His property, we get to go where He is when we die, in Heaven. The natural world echoes this. If you pledge your loyalty to an earthly king, you have the right to live in his kingdom.
This principle is clearly demonstrated in the Book of Luke. One of the two thieves who hung on the cross next to Jesus made this simple statement, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). That simple confession, because he believed that Jesus would rule in Heaven and called Him Lord, which means owner, master, was enough for the thief to be forgiven and see Jesus in Heaven. It is a matter of the heart – deep down, what you believe beyond a doubt – that you state out loud, saying what you believe with words and sincerity.
If you have not yet taken Jesus as Lord, I would recommend that you begin the Life of Jesus course until you are ready to accept Jesus as your Lord. You can also speak to someone about this.
Click on the "Appointments" step to talk to someone if:
you don't understand the basics of the Courts of Heaven.
you are under an attack and cannot continue learning God's ways.
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