Clouds of Witness

D L Henderson
5 min readOct 3, 2024

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October 3, 2024

When world exploration was new, explorers came across many different peoples, unfamiliar to the Europeans. Regardless of the European thoughtless destruction of the peoples and cultures which they came across, this essay isn’t about how arrogance overwhelmed mutually beneficial social associations — although it could be, in part, about arrogance…

Regardless, it is about experiences and real life outcomes of individuals’ exploration of the unseen metaphysical regions of truth and righteousness, and justice and personal peace.

Specifically, it is about what individuals have discovered — people who have come to the saving knowledge of the Good News of Jesus. If you haven’t heard it yet, it tells of His ability to save us from ourselves and our world that is sliding sideways towards self destruction.

Now, please allow me to set the stage here:

The scene is a Court of Law. Witnesses are called to support or to refute any or all charges brought against the defendant. The particular defendant in this case is Jesus of Nazareth along with His co-conspirators who are co-defendants — God, Christians, and the Bible.

As I have come to see it, as a Court Reporter, Jesus, in particular, has been continually on trial since Herod washed his hands of Him and ordered His humiliation, torture, and execution. It is a continuing prejudiced persecution, I say a Kangaroo Court, an endless proceeding without any basis in fact. I would submit that the Charging Party has no standing in the case, but, unfortunately, that motion has already been overruled.

Preceding that continuing trial, I suppose, are the continuous charges leveled against the Bible: inaccuracy, irrelevancy, fancifulness, and people’s general ostentatiousness toward its characters and stories.

This case has added the serious charges of Conspiracy to Defraud the People of the World.

However, let me immediately make this defense: The same frivolous charges can be made against anyone and anything in any written work or philosophical position: History Book, Science Book, Socio-political Treatise, etc. etc. The case is obviously political in nature, not actually breaking any Laws of Humanity — only setting off some people’s sensitivities of conscience.

Can anyone see that, or no?

Anyways, good luck with taking that skeptical, closed-minded attitude like that of the Prosecution. It is not an attitude for learning Truth, and I’m pretty sure life is for such learning.

Regardless, the Bible Book of Hebrews — from chapters 10 through 12 — talks about a”great cloud of witnesses.”

Please allow me to make it perfectly clear that the Jury in this never ending Trial of Jesus includes all of Humanity, and just like in any Jury Trial, the individual members of the jury have to make their vote known to the Judge.

Regardless, the Bible Book of Hebrews — from chapters 10 through 12 — talks about a”great cloud of witnesses,” all of which are needed to be brought forward to submit their testimonies.

Christians’ very qualified Advocate has brought a great number of these witnesses to the stand for establishing the preliminary background for the case for the defense of God, Jesus, and the Bible.

All the same, that is not the entire case.

You see, both Hebrews 13:8 & Malachi 3:6 point out that both God and Jesus are consistent, the same yesterday, and today, and forever,”

Okay, we have the testimonies from the past, as recorded in the Old Testament’s historical books.

Still and all, that doesn’t seem to totally convince the Judge or the Jury. So, the Advocate for the defense brings out today’s witnesses to the stand to testify to what they know.

One of the best places for such witnessing is found in the songs and hymns, arising from composers who put into words and melodies their personal testimonies. We’ve got the very favorite, Amazing Grace among them. Also, as I was listening to my music app, I listened to this popular song from the late Andre Crouch: “Through it All.”

It has been recorded and re-recorded many times by various choirs and artists who have had the same experiences and are testifying in agreement with the song.

The sung testimony of Mr. Crouch also addresses the common complaint questioning the purpose of personal hardships and tribulations: Why does God allow people to experience very difficult situations?. So, this song is germane to this Trial by Jury,

Your Honor, and if it please the court, may I present this witness’ testimony into evidence: Through It All — Andrae Crouch (lyric video)

“So I thank God for the mountains

And I thank Him for the valleys

And I thank Him for the storms He’s brought me through

For if I’d never had a problem

I’d never know God could solve them

I’d never know what faith in His word could do

That’s the reason I say that

Through it all

Oh, through it all

Oh, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus

I’ve learned to trust in God.”

I know that this case will end up in the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of God, and all the Prosecution and all the false witnesses and detractors will themselves face a Court of Law…

This remains forever true, not only history’s witnesses but those who are experiencing God’s wonderful gift of Jesus Christ to this very day.

One more aspect that just crossed my mind: another problem, very similar to any other type of testimony: convincing the public who often get their information secondhand, usually skewed by prejudiced reporting and outright rumors and falsehoods. Then just like the mob at Jesus’ trial before Pilate, a crowd gathers outside the Courtroom, stomping their feet and yelling and cursing and making great noisy protestations in an irrelevant cacophony of blathering — a scene of “much ado about nothing,” but again demanding. “Crucify! Crucify!”

And I repeat PIlate’s question, “Why?!? What has this man done?” (see Luke 23:22)

Still and all, I want the reader to know that I am a Born Again Bible Believing Christian and I am not ashamed of my choice. Men like the apostle Paul also testified likewise: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” — Romans 1:16, NIV.

What is the Prosecution’s actual case? What is the actual evidence against God, Jesus, and the Bible? Who are the witnesses? Are they people with whom you, the Jury, have absolute trust? Or are they strangers who have their own “axes to grind?”

On our part, outside of the Courtroom, here’s another question I would like Prosecution to answer: What has the Prosecution’s case done for the People? Or, does the Prosecution, refusing to accept the verdict, make endless demands to find evidence and continually attempt to retry the case against God, Jesus, the Bible, and Christians? Also, will this case, upon Conviction, provide you with love and joy and peace and resolutions to all our real life problems? Or, are you left to go your way empty-handed, still with endless unanswered questions?

The mob at Jesus’ crucifixion eventually wandered off..

Where are you in my poor attempt at an amateurish playwright’s scenario?

I mean, are you just going to wander off, too?

Katy Nichole — “Living Proof” (Official Lyric Video)

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D L Henderson

Born 1950; HS 1968; Born again 1972; Cornell ILR; Steward, Local President/Business Agent; Husband, father, grandfather; winner/loser/everything in between