Well, the metaphor is very weak, because Biblicaly, God has self-granted authority because he is the creator. Legally in the USA, a judge has authority because the people he judges have collectively granted him that authority. Theologically, God's authority is unalterable and undeniable because it is self-derived, and he is the most powerful and original creator. A judge's authority, on the other hand, is subject to interpretation, defiance, rejection, and even reversal or removal should the external source of his authority rescind it.
Hardy a sound theological metaphor.