In the Bible a false prophet is a person who spreads false
teachings or false prophecies while claiming to speak on behalf of God.
From deceased false prophets such as Charles T Russell,
William M Branham, Ellen G White to Joseph Smith, there are many other false prophets around
the world who have made many false predictions whilst claiming to speak for
God.
Deuteronomy
18:21-22 says: And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we
know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the
name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a
word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.
You need not be afraid of him.
According to Deuteronomy 18:21-22 and
similar scriptures, a true prophet of God must utter prophecies that are 100%
accurate every time. Therefore a true prophet of God should never utter a false
prophecy if he/she claims to speak for God because God’s character is that He
cannot lie and He does not speak in error.
In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus
said the following: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them
by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad
fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear
good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Jesus further warned about the dangers of following false
prophets and He warned us that as the end times approach, there will be an
increase of many false prophets in the world and that these false prophets will
lead multitudes of people into deception.
In Matthew 24:11 Jesus
says: “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.”
So what is the mark of a false prophet? How do we
recognize a modern-day false prophet? What criteria does God give us through
His word to determine the characteristics of a false prophet?
Below are 6 characteristics of a false prophet
1. They Prophesy Lies in the Name of God
According to Jeremiah
14:14-15 false prophets speak lies or falsehoods in the name of
God.
Jeremiah 14:14-15 says “And
the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent
them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision,
divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart”
So according to Jeremiah 14:14-15 false
prophets will prophesy 4 things:
(a) a false vision; (b) divination; (c) a
worthless thing and (d) the deceit of their heart
(a) Prophesying a false vision means
that a false prophet will prophesy things which God has not shown him. The
false prophet will prophesy ideas and visions which God Himself has not
revealed.
(b) Prophesying through divination means that a false prophet
will use demonic occult techniques and methods to foresee the future or to
receive hidden knowledge.
(c) Prophesying a worthless thing means that a
false prophet will “prophesy” irrelevant issues which have nothing to do with
the Kingdom of God or the Gospel. For example, many false prophets have been
known to “prophesy” or predict the score results of football matches; or
“prophesy” a person’s I.D number and date of birth; or “prophesy” the type of
food a person ate that particular morning etc.
(d) Prophesying the deceit of their heart means
that a false prophet will speak from his own deceitful imagination and
individual passions (for deceitful gain) and not the true mind of God or word
of God.
2. They Perform False Signs & Wonders
In Matthew
24:24-25 Jesus said: “For false christs and false prophets
will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if
possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.”
Jesus Christ warns us that the performance of miracles by an
individual is not an indication that the individual is a true prophet.
Therefore a false prophet is capable of performing false miracles either
through a well-planned and well-staged illusion / trick – or through the
use of occult methods and techniques.
We live in a world that seeks a quick-fix for its problems. We live in a world
that seeks instant miracles (Matthew 16:4). We live
in a world that is increasingly succumbing to all kinds of deception that
tickle the ears because the world refuses to listen to sound doctrine in these
last days (2
Timothy 4:3).
Many false prophets are known for performing false miracles in order to deceive
people. Performing false miracles helps in their deception to falsely
legitimize or reinforce their authority and spiritual status amongst their
deceived followers.
False prophets ultimately desire popularity. Therefore performing false
miracles helps them to gain new followers or increase the size of their cult
following.
Therefore God encourages people to discern and test anyone who claims to be a
prophet, even if they perform signs and wonders.
3. They Preach & Prophesy For Financial Gain
Many false prophets have simply become modern-day fortune tellers. Therefore
there is usually a monetary gain whenever they preach or prophesy.
Micah 3:11 says: Its
heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets
practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the
Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
Therefore they will request that you pay or “seed” money in
order to supposedly activate God’s blessings. They will teach that your
“breakthrough” is attached to the amount of money that you give or “seed”
towards them and their ministries.
Many false prophets especially in Africa have been known to request a monetary
fee if a follower requests a personal prophecy, one-on-one counselling or
prayer for healing and deliverance.
The Bible does not show any scripture where God’s true prophets, nor Jesus, nor
His disciples ever asking for a monetary fee in order to pray, heal or counsel
someone who needed God’s help.
However many self-proclaimed prophets subscribe to false teachings such as
the prosperity gospel heresy. Therefore they will always find creative ways in order to
gain money from the people they supposedly assist.
4. They Make Merchandise of their Followers
2 Peter 2:3, KJV says: “And
through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.”
Many false prophets have turned their followers into
customers by selling their followers supposedly “anointed” objects and
merchandise.
Therefore many false prophets will sell “anointed” oil, so-called holy water,
wrist bands and even picture portraits of themselves. Many of these false
prophets will sell the so-called “anointed” products with the promise that such
products will provide protection, blessing and good fortune to the followers
who purchase or consume them.
However the selling of so-called “anointed” merchandise and objects in exchange
for blessings or protection is a form of witchcraft and occultism.
5. They Do Not Preach The True Gospel
False prophets rarely preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not point
people to Jesus Christ. Instead false prophets will draw people to themselves
so that they have a cult-like following.
John the Baptist was an example of a true prophet. John the Baptist did not
desire to be followed by men and nor did he desire popularity. Instead he
desired to speak the truth of God’s word and repentance and he pointed people
to Jesus Christ.
In John
3:30, John the Baptist says the following about Jesus Christ: “He
must increase, but I must decrease.”
As a true prophet John the Baptist pointed people to the Gospel and the purpose of Jesus Christ who
came to die for the sins of the world. He said in John 1:29 about
Jesus Christ: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world!”
Therefore throughout the Scriptures including the Old Testament,
the true prophets of God ultimately pointed people to God alone and to the
coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
However many modern-day false prophets have consistently
preached false gospels and heresies such as prosperity gospel heresy, Word of faith movement theology and New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) teachings.
Galatians
1:8-9 says: But even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching
to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
6. They Are Narcissists & Have A Cult Following
False prophets tend to exhibit narcissist characteristics and spiritual abusive behaviour. They tend to be
authoritarian in their leadership style. Their prophecies or teachings cannot
be questioned or challenged. So they portray themselves as being beyond
criticism.
Criticizing or questioning them is equated to questioning God.
Many false prophets will misinterpret and misapply such scripture quotes
as “Touch not my anointed” as an attempt to threaten or
prevent criticism or scrutiny concerning their false prophecies and teachings.
It is through believing these false
heavy shepherding teachings or spiritual covering doctrines that
many false prophets are perceived by their followers as a “little christ” or a
type of saviour, or a spiritual father, or a spiritual deliverer.
Many false prophets still command a cult following from their followers even
when shown undeniable evidence of their deceptive teachings, false miracles and
false prophecies.
1
Timothy 2:5 says: For there is one God, and there is one
mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus
Conclusion
Hebrews
1:1-2 says: Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God
spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to
us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He
created the world.
According to Hebrews 1:1-2, since
the first coming of Jesus Christ, we should no longer seek for a “prophet” to
foretell the future as was done long ago. Instead “in these last days
He (God) has spoken to us by His Son” Jesus Christ.
Because of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, we do not need any
self-proclaimed prophet to serve as a mediator between God and man. Jesus Christ alone serves as the only Mediator between God
and man.
Through Jesus Christ we have direct access to God; direct communication with
God; and a direct relationship with God because of the finished work of Christ
on the cross.
The issue of false prophets should always be taken
seriously. Why? Because Jesus Christ Himself took this issue
very seriously.
Jesus Christ constantly addressed the issue of false prophets and false
christs. Furthermore He was constantly opposing false teachers in the form of
the Pharisees during His earthly ministry (Matthew 23:1-39).
Most importantly Jesus took the issue of false prophets seriously because He
knew that the souls of many people were at stake.
If people followed a false prophet, it had the impact of sending both the
followers and the false prophet straight to hell.
In Matthew 15:14 Jesus
warned that “… if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit”
Everything we need to know about God and what He intends to
do in the future is found in the Scriptures. God’s word for mankind is found in
the Scriptures; in the 66 books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate Prophet whom we should seek and listen to.
It is Jesus Christ alone whom we should follow and seek deliverance, healing
and salvation.
We no longer seek to follow men – but we seek to follow the ultimate Prophet –
Jesus Christ.
1
Timothy 6:3-5 says: If anyone teaches a different doctrine
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the
teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and
understands nothing… imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
1
John 4:1 says: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have
gone out into the world.
We are encouraged by God Himself to practice discernment. We
should test the spirits and distinguish between good
and evil. We have God’s authority to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) who
used the Scriptures to distinguish false teachings from true teachings.
Why? Because our spiritual life is at stake. The souls of many who
follow deception and false teachers are headed for destruction where there is a
failure to distinguish between good and evil.
Jeremiah 23:16 says: Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.”
Bible Quotations to read
1. Matthew 24: 4, 24
2. Matthew 7: 15
3. Mark 13: 5-6
4. Luke 21: 8
5. Jeremiah 14: 14-15
6. Jeremiah 23: 21-22, 25-26.
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