Hi all,
I ended last week talking about how in an oriental court, the King’s family has direct access. They are the nobles, and the only ones who hold such favor. I also mentioned family is exempt from accusation and prosecution.
Consider this in the ancient practice of killing all members of a royal family when a violent overthrow has occurred. All the family, from king to youngest child, are considered the equal, so all were killed. In II Samuel 4:4 this is described as Saul’s family fled from the new King David for fear of being killed. Mephibosheth’s nanny fell as she ran with him, crippling him. David instead, showed him great favor. The king and children are considered one. (II Samuel 9: 6-11)
Therefore….The Father’s court in The Revelation 4
When John is in heaven he sees the Father on His throne, surrounded by 24 elders and attending cherubs. He sees in chapter 5 the Lord, once slain but now alive forevermore. This is an oriental, royal court. People are around the throne rejoicing that Jesus has made us….
“(Jesus)…has made us kings and priests to God His Father…” Revelation 1:6
“And has made us unto our God kings and priests…” Revelation 5: 10
“The Spirit bearing witness with our spirit we are the children of God (Father).” Romans 8: 16
“And if children, then heirs, heirs of God (Father) and joint-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8: 17
“(Father) having predetermined to adopt us as children to Himself by Jesus Christ.” Eph 1: 5
This is why we are around the throne of the Father; We are His children, and have been given the ‘jobs’ of being priests and kings to rule with Him. As a result…
“In Him is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principalities and powers.” Colossians 2: 9-10
“But God (Father), who is rich and mercy and great love for us, even when we were dead in our sins made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), and has raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. So that in the ages to come, He (Father) may continue to show forth the riches of His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2: 4-7
By virtue of the work of Jesus Christ, we are now part of the royal court. We are His royal children. We are priests. We are kings. We are His family. We are complete. We have direct and unfettered access to the court of the Father. We are part of the court. We come boldly to the throne merely by saying ‘Father’, and just like that we have His attention.
That we are His children, royal children, ministers of His life, means no one may bring accusation against us. It has already been decided. It’s done. When Jesus became the risen Man, Lord of all created things, that work also cleared heaven of any possibility of Satan being able to accuse us.
God the Father has settled it. It’s too late to bring accusation against us for we have been born again, sealed by His Holy Spirit, and our citizenship and family are heaven. We are now washed*, now sanctified (set apart for God) now justified in the name of Jesus and by the Spirit of God the Father. *I Corinthians 6: 11 .
Justified does not mean the record has been wiped clean.
No, that is acquitted. Many Christians have the idea we have been acquitted, but that is not what the Bible says. It says we have been justified.
Justified* does not mean the record has been wiped clean, it means there was never any record against you in the first place. The King now stands for you and has declared it so. It means no accusation may be brought because God has no record of any wrong-doing. This is why Jesus states in The Revelation 3: 5 He will confess us before the Father and His angels. Not acquitted, justified, with the Lord affirming it so before the Father. *Justified: Romans 3: 24, 28; 5:1, 9; 8:30. Galatians 3: 24
All things are new and all those new things are of God*. There is no old. There is only the new in Christ. Jesus took the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, nailing it to His cross**, and all those things died right there on the cross with Him. Only resurrection life exists. Jesus’ death put His will into effect, and He rose from the dead to become the Executor of His own Will. *II Corinthians 5: 17; **Colossians 2: 13-15, (Hebrews 9: 16-24 – Executor/Will)
Because we are justified by the Father, no being may bring accusation against us.
Romans 8: 31-34: “What do we say to these things? If God (Father) is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not along with the Son, freely give us all things? Who shall lay a charge (accuse) against God’s elect? It is God (Father) who justified us. Who is it that condemns us? It is Christ who died (for us), and rose again, who is even now at the right hand of God and lives to make intercession for us.”
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
“Who shall lay a charge (accuse) against God (Father’s) elect?”
“It is God (Father) who justifies us.”
“Who is it that condemns us? It is Christ who died and rose again..”
To transpose an ancient oriental king’s court into a modern judicial system of criminal courts, is grave error. It not only ignores, but negates all that Jesus has done for us.
Renew your thinking to New Testament realities. The courts of heaven, where the King lives and His royal children are seated, is a place for His children to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4: 14
The ‘courts of heaven’ teaching has turned our Father’s throne from a place of security as our home, into a place of uncertainty, confusion and fear.
Does any aspect of the courts of heaven teaching sound like Jesus in the gospels?
Do we see this teaching throughout the last 2000 years of Christianity? No to both.
The authors of the New Testament wrote about our citizenship in heaven, what Jesus has done for us, about our authority and right-standing before God. There is no teaching about how to argue your case in the court of heaven. We have already been justified by our Father.
Satan has been disarmed, and that’s where we pick it up next week. Until then, Blessings,
John Fenn
