PART 3: INDENTIFYING FALSE PROPHETS



 



Jesus said to beware of false prophets who will come in sheep’s clothing but inside are ravenous wolves. Matt 7:15


They will be among us and often rise from within us. Jesus said you will know them by their fruits. This is the key identifier. What is in their hearts is what they will do--that is why we must allow God to write His word upon our hearts.


Prophets must be tested in accordance with scripture. This can be a difficult task if we forget that their fruits--the fruits of their lives is the key identifier. Deut 18:20-22 gives us a basic indicator. If the word of the prophet doesn’t come true than it is possible that it came from his own heart--he spoke presumptuously. The word in Exodus 6:6-8 could be construed as a false prophecy because most of that generation did not go into the land. Did this make Moses a false prophet? That generation did not go in because of disbelief--which is disobedience--but the next generation did go in because they obeyed. All personal prophecy is conditional--we have to obey and move forward. There can be unfulfilled prophesy because individuals refuse to walk it out.


Jonah prophesied against Nineveh and it did not come to pass because the people heard and repented. Was Jonah a false prophet? No. God was merciful because the people repented. In this case Jonah was not a false prophet even though the word did not come to pass. We must judge the situation.


In 1 Kings 13 we see an interesting example of a true prophet giving a false prophecy. After giving his prophecy the young prophet started on his way to going home without going back the same way or stopping to eat as God had commanded him. The old prophet he meets tells him an angel told him to tell the young prophet to come home and eat with him. The old prophet was lying. This is a messy situation. First the old prophet gave a false prophecy and then gives a true one concerning the young prophet.


This old prophet was prophesying in his flesh for whatever reason. Maybe he was lonely and looking for some other man of God to fellowship with. We don’t know. This is why we should not base our lives on a prophetic word. Prophesy should confirm what is already on your heart--not give you direction--unless it confirms a direction the Lord has already put on your heart. Be careful--some people will try to get you to do what they want. Don’t allow them to impose their will on you.


Who paid the price for this lie? The young prophet paid the price because he was disobedient to the word he had gotten. If you know what you are doing in God you don’t need personal prophecy all the time. Running from meeting to meeting for a personal word will only cause more confusion in your life.


False prophets can prophesy true words. Numbers 23-24 Balaam was a false prophet but his prophecies came to pass. There is no set theology in this area as you can see. Let your preconceived ideas go in this area.


Back to Deut 18:22 the word presumptuously means to seethe--hence to boil over in violence in a passionate, wicked way. To act wickedly and fiercely. The false prophet is walking in rebellion to God’s word. If challenged directly they will often prophesy destruction on you because they cannot defend what they are doing with the written word of God. They will try to intimidate and manipulate for their own agenda. These prophecies will not come to pass. We don’t prophesy destruction and judgment on people. This is the Jezebel tactic--it comes out of seething. A false heart.


Beware of false prophets who speak true prophecies. Deut 13:1-4 This prophet will arise among us! His word or signs and wonders do come to pass but they will lead you into false doctrines that do not match up with the scriptures. They will mix in new age and pagan rites and customs. They will control and manipulate in a subtle way for their own means. God is testing you to see if you truly love Him and His way. Prove all things according to scripture.


Very few people understand this concept. These individuals can perform signs and wonders. You need to pay much attention to their message. If they are leading people to sin or condone sin in a subtle way or seem to be controlling or manipulating others beware!


Back to Numbers 23-24 we see the gifts and calling of God are without repentance--but if the gift does not establish God’s covenant it can lead us astray. Where are our hearts? Are they for God or self? Balaam saw the spirit of God moving and did not use divination in this case. He yielded to the leading but had his own reward or fee in the back of his mind. He was trying to figure how he could use this to get what he wanted out of Balak who had commissioned him. In Num 25:1-5 we see Balaam counseled against Israel and gave Balak a key to lead Israel into sexual sin (disobedience) to what God had commanded them. Balaam took his diviners fee for figuring out how to give him what he wanted (destruction of Israel). That spirit of Balaam can lead us into sin if we are not diligent and pure of heart. In Numbers 31 the Israelites did not kill the women that they had mixed with, and Moses was angry with them.


In Matt 7:15 we see Jesus warning of false prophets who are seething. You will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom. Depart from me you lawless ones who practice lawlessness”.


1 John 3:4-6 Teaching that says we do not have to live according to God’s laws is false. This is why the fruits of their lives is important. The true says we follow God’s law--the false says we are free from the law and can act however we desire. 2 Peter 2:1-3 establishes a pattern we see throughout the word of God. People are seduced by false prophecy and signs and wonders because they want the easy way out. They refuse to repent and turn back to what God wants of them and they become seduced. 2 Peter 2:18-22 shows how false prophets entice this type of believer. The true message of a prophet is the message of the covenant: purify the sons of Levi and give offerings of righteousness!


We do not have liberty to live above the word of God and sin recklessly.

Once you’ve escaped the pollution of your former life if you go back you end up in worse shape than when you began. This happens to drug addicts all the time. Prov 26:11 If you refuse to walk in Torah you will wallow in the mire! The anointing of God breaks the yoke--be free and abide in the word--this is what sets us free from sin. 1 John 3:4


In Revelations 2:12-14 we see the teaching of Balaam affecting the church. They were taught that they did not have to live by the commandments of God. They could do whatever they wanted. They were free from the law. They had no personal responsibility. You’re saved, you can live anyway you want. All you have to do is love your brother. This is what gnosticism is/was all about. Oh, your flesh is your flesh, just keep your spirit pure. You’re saved, its ok. This is not God’s way. We are to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world.


In Rev 2:18-23 we see the eating of meats offered to idols. This was the early believers mixing pagan feasts and rituals into those of the church. It is important we understand the feasts of the Lord. These are the feasts He wants us to celebrate and understand. The early church fell away from this and mixed pagan holidays in and threw out the Lord’s Feasts. For example, Easter is a pagan spring feast. It has nothing to do with Passover or the resurrection of Jesus. Easter is set from the first full moon, after the day of the week, after the first full moon of the spring equinox. On Easter we are teaching our children to hunt for eggs laid by a rabbit! At Passover we review the covenant God established with His people when He delivered them from Egypt. Is it the Easter ham or the Passover lamb we eat? When the pagan cultures defeated Israel they would slaughter a pig in the temple as a means of defiling it. Ironic we eat ham at Easter?


In Rev 2 and 3 we see what false prophets encourage and condone in the church. There is mixture in the church today that the Lord is not pleased with. Aligning with our Hebraic roots not only pleases the Lord but it shines light and understanding on the word. It opens the word to us in a fresh way and enables us to have a fuller understanding of God’s will and way for us. This mixture in the church is the mystery of lawlessness. Lawlessness will continue and eventually become so prevalent that the antichrist will be revealed and accepted as God. Men will reject the concept of sin and salvation and any type of lifestyle will be OK. Those who live purely according to the word will be demonized and persecuted for their “intolerance”.

The Feast of Trumpets and days of awe describe this time of lawlessness and judgment of God upon the world. If we have lawlessness on our hearts that is how we will act--it will be manifest in our lives. Elijah said, “choose you this day which way you will follow.” 1 Kings 18


ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES FOR STUDY
Jeremiah 7:1-4, 8-10 for false grace message. The same thing is manifesting today. They said, “We have the temple, we have the temple.” Meaning we have the blood sacrifice, we can just offer that and keep on sinning.

2 Peter 2:12-15 Wages of unrighteousness--paid to prophesy. Micah 3:11 telling people what they want to hear for money. Ezekiel 13:1-10 prophesying out of their own inspiration and hoping it comes to pass. They’ve lost the vision of God. There is a famine of the true word of God. Amos 8:4-12 Everything is shaking. Churches are not speaking the true word and people won’t accept when it is preached! Jeremiah 23:11-36

Next: Part 4 Law of the Spirit