A Doctrine Far Better Than the Courts of Heaven
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
It is a comforting thing to know that Jesus Christ is ever interceding for those who have trusted in Him for salvation and eternal life. It is also comforting and encouraging to know that when Satan brings accusations against those of us who are in Christ, his accusations are not entertained or given credence because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and we rest in the finished work on the cross by our beloved Lord and Savior. What peace and comfort this brings us as believers in Christ Jesus!
There is a popular teaching within areas of the Charismatic movement and those holding to modern-day governing apostles and prophets, and this belief centers upon the Courts of Heaven. This teaching has been popularized by an apostolic leader named Robert Henderson, who claims to have received revelation on this secret from the Lord in how to have victory in your life in every area by pleading your case in the Courts of Heaven and nullifying the curses launched against you in the court by Satan.
Henderson has shared publicly that this started in his own life when he went through a three-year period when everything in his life was falling apart. He was unable to fulfill the destiny that God had for his life, and his family was also enduring much difficulty in various areas. The breakthrough came in a few instances, such as when he ministered in South Africa, and a minister instructed him to have his bloodline cleansed before ministering. It was revealed during this session by an alleged seer that a relative of Henderson’s had made a covenant with a demon named Parax. According to Henderson, it was after breaking this demonic covenant with the demon that breakthrough came in his life. He also tells of coming to God in prayer for his son, and he was instructed by God to bring his son before the Courts of Heaven. He has also shared in writing and in public ministry numerous dreams that seem to be authoritative in his life for understanding the secrets to the Courts of Heaven.
There are numerous books written on this subject, covering it in various ways, from teaching on how to issue divine restraining orders from the Courts of Heaven and understanding the cloud of witnesses in conjunction with the courts to receiving mantles and breaking demonic cycles and generational curses from the courts of Heaven. The legal rights of demons are a major part of understanding this teaching, and there are several things for those who hold to this to do in order to be successful and to live in all that Jesus paid on the cross for us to have, according to this teaching.
People are taught that demons can gain legal rights from the sins of ancestors, which can delay God’s timing in life and prohibit someone from fulfilling the destiny God has planned for him/her. There is also a focus on the power of personal words and other people’s words, including spiritual leaders. These words, whether spoken by oneself or by an authority figure, allegedly have power to allow demons to gain legal access in one’s life. Henderson says the way to come against these word curses and such is to go before the Courts of Heaven and to plead one’s case. Sometimes, the cloud of witnesses is said to assist in this, as they are believed to be part of Jesus’ intercessory ministry.
When practicing this belief, one needs to discern what is being brought before the Lord as an accusation. If confession and repentance is necessary, this is encouraged. This includes repentance on behalf of an ancestor who brought in the legal rights. From there, a case can be brought to plead before the Lord against what Satan has said. After this is done, then another case can be brought before the Lord so as to plead a case in favor of God’s destiny in one’s life. This is said to be “prophetically understood” by discerning what is written in one’s books found in Heaven. Daniel 7:9-10 is a commonly quoted passage from Henderson concerning the courts of Heaven, and he believes that it is up to us to open our books in Heaven so that we can come before the Lord and call into remembrance what He has spoken and written over us. If these things are not done, then the Lord cannot render a verdict in our favor, and we cannot fulfill all that God has for us to do.
There are obvious concerns surrounding this teaching. The greatest concern is that the sovereignty of God is denied by this teaching, as God is presumably unable to do anything in the earth without our help and without us exercising our authority in Christ. This teaching has an undertone of granting God legal access to render a verdict in our favor, and this can only take place with our actions. This leads to the next concern for those holding to this belief and practice. The actions instructed in this teaching seem to be promoting works-based faith and legalistic tendencies in the face of Gnosticism. There is a great appeal to dreams and extrabiblical revelation in order to create a doctrine that has apparently been missing from the church for two thousand years. There is also an appeal to being an Apostle and establishing doctrine for the church, appealing to Acts 2:42 in making such a claim. There is also the concern that those who believe in this teaching would remain Biblically illiterate of what Scripture has to say about suffering in light of our relationship with Christ and how He intercedes for us.
It is important that we understand the Bible in the proper context and the power of God’s gospel in our lives. It is important that we rest in the sufficiency of what the Lord has done on our behalf, and that we rest in His intercession for us, which requires no additional mediators. God is not in need of us in order to fulfill what He wants to do in this earth and in our lives, meaning that He is self-sufficient. These types of teachings essentially elevate self while diminishing God, even if that is unintentional.
Dear Christian, you have a great High Priest sitting at the right hand of the Father, ever interceding for you. Be thankful for that. You have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, and the Father sees you in His righteousness. There is no need for you to bring a case to the Courts of Heaven in order for you to revoke the accusations and curses of the enemy. There is no need to prophetically discern what is said to be written about your life so that you can plead that cause. Your trust is in Christ. He silences the enemy, and He brings true freedom, mercy, and grace, even in suffering. Above all things, He is your greatest treasure.
Listen to this two-part podcast discussing the teaching of the Courts of Heaven: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: A Crash Course into the Courts of Heaven on Apple Podcasts
