The Four Court Appearances of Christ –

The following post is taken in part from an article posted on The Genesis Epic site. CLICK HERE  and you will be safely redirected to that article. 

   What occurred at the last and fourth court of the trial of Jesus, the Christ, unveiled how closely religion and government are aligned together in their mutual desire to destroy truth, especially when it comes to spiritual truth. This fourth court under the jurisdiction of Pilate brought in the chief priests and the rulers and the people. (Luke 23:13) Two central questions asked by Pilate to the Lord Jesus were first, Art thou a king then? And the second question, the most profound question that has plagued mankind was, What is truth? Christ answered the first question as documented in John 18:37, Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. And the second question, What is truth? was not ignored because Pilate’s judgment was that I find in him no fault [at all]. Pilate honestly found NOTHING that Christ was guilty of. Christ was innocent of all claims made against Him by the religious establishment. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault [at all]. (John 18:38) Although Pilate washed his hands as a symbolic statement declaring that he was innocent from the consequences of his refusal to uphold his own statement that I find in him no fault [at all]. Pilate’s inability to enforce his own decree reveals that man’s truth means nothing. Justice without justice is truth brazenly and openly rejected. When Pilate stated that he had the power to crucify and the power to release, he was dead wrong. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? (John 19:10) Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:10) Consider two points: the first, it is God who rules over the affairs of men, and it is by HIS decree alone that we live and move; the second point is that even man in his own made-up realm of pretend justice is controlled by others. The strings of the puppeteers are clearly visible today in the agency that we wrongly call the Department of Justice.

    The word of God has never been as relevant to the corruption of mankind as it is at this moment in time. This is one of the many reasons that we KNOW that we are at the time of the initiation of the Great Tribulation, the Age of the Last Kingdom of Mankind, the Age of the Beast. Most everyone (those who have any senses left) can see the completion of evil overtaking every facet of life: civil, socially, academically, financially, industrially, militarily, governmentally, religiously, and media wise. (Did I miss any group or category?)

   And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. The first mention of scarlet is recorded in the gospel of Matthew, the gospel of the King and the gospel of the kingdom. If you have been following this series then you are aware that the word scarlet refers to the sin of mankind, and to the One who through His blood took on Himself the sin of the world; thus, scarlet is tied to SIN and to the SAVIOR. The prophet Isaiah, through the Spirit of God, set the definition of scarlet in Chapter 1, verse 18, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

   When Pilate’s Roman guards stripped Christ of His own garments and placed a scarlet robe on Him, they were unknowingly symbolically draping Him with the SIN of man, and at the same time, they were prophetically fulfilling His role as King, Savior and Priest. The phrase scarlet robe only occurs once in the Bible, again connecting ONE Savior, ONE king, ONE divine royal Priest.

Side Note: The Four Courts: The Lord appeared before four courts, and all four authorities condemned themselves by rejecting their Creator God, the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ.

• 1^st Court Appearance of Christ: First, Christ was taken before the Jewish court of the falsely called high priest where He was spit on, buffeted and attacked.

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Matthew 26:57)

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; (Matthew 26:59)

But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, (Matthew 26:60)

And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. (Matthew 26:61)

And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? (Matthew 26:62)

But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. (Matthew 26:63)

Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64)

Then Caiaphas the high priest, Caiaphas the high priest, , saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. (Matthew 26:65)

What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. (Matthew 26:66)

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, (Matthew 26:67)

Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Matthew 26:68)

   The Lord’s garments were not removed here at His first court appearance. This court was the condemnation of religion. First, religion condemned him. Notice that the only garments that are mentioned are the clothes of the high priest, who was not really the true high priest, nor did he represent the authority of the Jewish priesthood because the priesthood had become political and not according to the Law of Moses. Caiaphas the high priest, tore or rent his own clothes, and by doing so he was unknowingly showing that God neither recognized Caiaphas as high priest, nor accepted Caiaphas as the high priest of Israel because standing before Caiaphas was the True High Priest of God, Melchisedec, IN the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   This reprobate man rent his clothes without understanding the seriousness of his action: first, the clothes of the high priest (especially when he was acting in the role of the priest) were considered to be holy garments, and they were called holy garments by the Holy Spirit of God in Exodus 28:2, And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. The words holy garments are only documented in the Old Testament and only for a total of eleven verses. Secondly, when Caiaphas the high priest, tore his priestly garments he was actually committing blasphemy against God. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. (Matthew 26:65) This has always been one of Satan’s many methods to add confusion to any issue that directly points to him. (Politically, the same method is used by the Government Party (Democrat/Republican/BLM/Antifa/MSM) of the United States. They accuse their opponents of doing what they themselves are doing.) From this first religious court, the Lord Jesus was then sent to Pilate.

Side Note Inside a Side Note: Holy Garments. This phrase holy garments are only mentioned eleven times in the Bible. Exodus 28:2, 4; 29:29; 31:10; 35:19, 21; 39:1, 41; 40:13; Leviticus 16:4, 32) And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. (Exodus 28:2) The first time that it is recorded reveals the purpose: the clothes that Aaron put on was to reveal the glory and beauty of the True High Priest of God in heaven, Melchisedec.

And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. (Exodus 28:40)

Deck thyself now [with] majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. (Job 40:10)

 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, (Isaiah 28:5)

   Glory and beauty describe the LORD GOD, the Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ as the High Priest of God, Melchisedec, in His robes of glory and beauty. Why is this phrase holy garments mentioned ONLY eleven times in scripture? Simply because it is one digit short of twelve. It is completed in the New Testament in Christ, for He is the substance of the shadow. Christ completes the twelfth because He is the True Priest of God. In the number twelve, we see that Christ fulfills all His promises to His nation, Israel, and also in the number twelve Christ fulfills and completes His Church. (Hebrews 3:1) 

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;  (Hebrews 3:1)

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. (Hebrews 4:14)

Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 5:10)

Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; (Hebrews 8:1)

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:1)♦End of Side Note Inside a Side Note: Holy Garments.

• 2nd Court Appearance of Christ: And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.  (Luke 23:1) And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. (Luke 23:2) And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. (Luke 23:3) Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. (Luke 23:4) And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.  (Luke 23:5) When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. (Luke 23:6) And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. (Luke 23:7)

   This second court became a political farce, ‘dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s. We all know this game that so-called justice plays: jurisdiction concerns, technical law jargon to soothe and to self-justify the actions of a predetermined conclusion.

• 3rd Court Appearance of Christ: Herod’s court, the third court appearance of Christ, was where the highest governmental authority refused to go beyond the accusations against Christ, and instead passed over its responsibility to serve justice to another authority: Pilate. The issue before Herod involved whether Jesus was a threat to the position of Caesar and therefore, could Jesus be a security threat to the Roman Empire?

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. (Luke 23:2)

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. (Luke 23:8) Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. (Luke 23:9) And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. (Luke 23:10) And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. (Luke 23:11) And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. (Luke 23:12)

   It was at this third court appearance that Christ was first arrayed him in a gorgeous robe. Note: not a scarlet robe, but a gorgeous robe. This gorgeous robe represented how government views itself: flawless in its splendor. By mocking Christ while he was wrapped in their gorgeous robe spiritually signified government’s refusal to accept Christ on an equal or a greater footing than government itself. Denial of God’s right to rule over His own creation is the core within the makeup of every governing body.

• 4^th Court Appearance of Christ: When Herod returned Christ back to Pilate, then this became His fourth court appearance. It is THIS fourth (4) appearance where Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel were joined together in their united act of killing their own Creator God. Deicide was man’s desire from the beginning. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, (Acts 4:27). It is NOT a coincidence that it was the FOURTH court appearance of Christ because the number four is the Earth and/or World number. Here the Roman Empire, the world of power and tyranny, through Herod and Pontius Pilate, WITH the Gentiles (those outside of governmental affairs and not of the Roman Empire) AND the people of Israel, were gathered together. It was HERE at the fourth court that our verse is played out. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (Matthew 27:28)

And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, (Luke 23:13) Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: (Luke 23:14) No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. (Luke 23:15) I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (Luke 23:16)

  The four court scenes fulfilled the prophecy of verses 1, 2 and 3 of Psalm 2, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. ♦ End of Side Note: The Four Courts. (CLICK HERE to read more about the four courts.