Courts of Heaven

I have spent the better part of this week reading a book recommended highly by a trusted friend.  She raved about Operating in the Courts of Heaven by Robert Henderson.  She gave it five stars and said it was filled with God’s love.  She wanted us to share the same wonderful journey.  But that was not my experience.  I had to force myself to read the second chapter, and every chapter thereafter.

I have read badly written books.  Some were even enjoyable.  This was different.  I was angry.  While, Henderson’s style was tolerable, his apologetics were appalling.  Apologetics is a presentation of reasons to defend one’s faith or belief against objections.  Everything Henderson could do wrong, he did wrong, which included circular logic and jumps to conclusions.  From the very beginning, this put me in “critique mode.”  I wrote nineteen pages of objections and felt spiritually sick the entire time.

I am finally finished and am inflicting that irritation onto you.  Sorry about that.  But as the body of Christ, we need to be aware of these kinds of twists taken to build a theology.

Henderson’s basic premise sounds good.  I actually agree with the principle idea.  Intercessory prayer should not start on the battlefield screaming at Satan or demons.  Those guys don’t want to listen to God, why should they listen to a human.  Such prayers should start in the heavenly courts, where quiet humility and deep repentance are required.  The intercessor pleads the case to the Judge of judges and answers any objections Satan might propose.

That is where my agreement ends.  Henderson insists this is the only way to pray to get results.  Legalism is the key.  We must speak the language of heavenly lawyers.  We must be versed in how to answer questions meant to impede our progress.  Henderson sets up multiple courts and insists only those who have proper authority can enter, give testimony, or witness in them.  Otherwise, we fail.  Our loss means God does not have legal permission to act in our favor.  He cannot grant what He wants, even though He wants to act.

Legalism is irritating.  It is like intertwining rabbit trails that lead to ritualistic dead ends.  But what made me so mad?  He abused scripture.  Henderson quoted verses containing words he wanted to emphasize.  Out of context, he changed the verses’ meanings to fit his beliefs.  The worst, and there were many, were in paraphrase as he reversed the relationship between man and God.  Each time, Henderson bound God to the legal system he proposed and elevated the intercessor to a primary position.  The supremacy of the Creator was degraded to comply with the whims and frailties of creation, both human and demonic.  Henderson said God could not break His own laws, but the laws stated were those Henderson decreed.  Within this legalistic system, God needed our permission to act.  All the details were left to a hoard of busy angels.  God was not even permitted to give mercy without an intercessor pleading a case.  God just sat in judgment, aloof.  Yep, I got angry, repeatedly.

Henderson used some common but regularly misinterpreted verses.  All of these were to “prove” the existence of a war between heaven’s angels and an army of demons led by Satan, ruler of hell and earth (Daniel 10; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:13-15).  However, none of these passages actually states these rulers and authorities, etc. were spiritual.  If the idea was not even implied, why must we believe it as truth?  The only biblical passage that relays that content is Ephesians 3:10, but in verse 6:12 Paul reverses that interpretation where the spiritual is separate.  He is not fighting a human in an arena (flesh and blood).  He fights faceless government, merciless religious dogma, and some spiritual stuff.  Colossians 2:8 even tells the reader to reject such stories.  Actually, not one biblical writer claims this massive war exists.  It is Judeo-Christian mythology, based on non-biblical spiritualism.

Spiritualism insists that forces and spirits (not just God’s Spirit) control our existence.  Some of these are good; some of these are evil.  A religion based on spiritualism, grows quickly into something very complex.  Every turn requires more rules and more fear of the unknown.

The Bible repeatedly and bluntly says to reject such teachings.  Yet, humans like to make up demigods.  These beliefs give God’s authority to things within creation and divide our devotion.  That is idolatry.  The Bible proclaims God is in complete control, even when everything seems to be out of control.  The Bible declares our Creator is intimate with every part of the universe, especially our lives, even when we do not feel His presence.  The sin within us finds that concept repellent instead of comforting.  We prefer a legalistic demigod that we control.

Another aspect of spiritualism is that it is esoteric by nature.  That means only a few people can discover, discern, and understand the secrets within religion.  Everyone else must follow blindly or go to hell.  Henderson believes that to understand what God wants we must find and read spiritual “books.”  At the dawn of time, God dictated to an angel the contents written for each person, church, city, and nation.  They contain God’s vision for our lives.  Without that knowledge, we cannot manifest our true destiny.  Most of these books are hidden in heaven.  Some are captured by demons.  Only a spiritual seer/prophet can find and read them for us.  Sorry, that is divination, fortunetelling, a practice bluntly rejected by God.

Instead, the biblical passages describe a person willing to take a message to the people.  God shows an image.  A question is asked and answered, no reading involved.  These books are not to store information in heaven that we must “battle to retrieve.”  They are metaphors of God’s knowledge.  Others are not even spiritual books.  In Psalm 40:6-8, David sees his devotion as aligning with Mosaic scrolls.  As in, “Wow, I see myself in scripture!  I delight in your will.  I have your law in my heart.”

Legalism kills our relationship with the Father.  Spiritualism dilutes our devotion.  Esoteric theology segregates people into casts.  God wants everyone to feel free to worship Him and know how to follow His ways.  Our Creator made His rules simple so that children can remember and adults can live them without fear.  Love is the key.  Everything else is burdensome religion.

My friend desperately wants what Henderson is selling, an effective way to guarantee God’s quick and favorable response.  This I find honorable.  However, Henderson’s way goes down a rabbit hole.