There is a Biblical order in terms of who prophets are and what their messages (prophecies) consist of. In our day, there are tons of false prophets within churches who not only make false predictions but taint the purity of God’s truth with their own made-up doctrines. This entry in the Taboo Series will address this important issue in the body of Christ and equip us to deal with false prophets in the future.

Now let’s first deal with what a prophet is. A prophet is somebody whom God has chosen to speak messages and truth that come from His heart. Prophets can also tell of events that will happen in the future. Biblical men and women such as Jeremiah, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Huldah and many others fit this description. When they spoke the word of the Lord, it actually came to pass. Is this true of you who believe that you are a prophet or is this true of people you believe are prophets?

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 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.
(Deuteronomy 18:18-22 - ESV)

The Bible is very clear in what we look for when determining when somebody is a true prophet. Once again, the Bible tells us that we can decipher whether a prophet is true or false based on a few considerations. First, the prophet can not speak in the name of other gods. And God gives a very clear judgment that came on false prophets in the Old Testament--death. Secondly, if the prophecy does not come to pass, then that person is a false prophet and we should not regard what he/she says. Do you use this Biblical test when you hear from people who claim to be prophets or who speak on God’s behalf?

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
(Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - ESV)

False prophecies have always been a serious deal in the eyes of God and though we do not put false prophets to death today, God will judge them if they don’t repent. Now in Deuteronomy 13, we find some other ways that we can identify false prophets. What is their doctrine like? Does it promote staying true in our faith to Jesus Christ or does it promote forsaking Christ’s way? Also, when we encounter false prophets, it is actually a test of our faith to see if we really are looking to follow God with all of our heart. If you deny this false prophet, then you are showing your allegiance to the Lord. But if you accept the false prophet, then you are proving that you are in rebellion against Him. What are your thoughts on false prophets such as Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, John Hagee, Joel Osteen, Fred Price and many others? Are they true or false prophets to you? Do they pass the test?

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God.
(Ezekiel 13:1-8 - ESV)

God’s wrath is stored up for false prophets who dare to speak on His behalf but have not heard a word from Him. Yet repentance is available for them if they choose to do so. If not, the consequences will be devastating for false prophets. But let us not think that false prophets are the only ones destined for judgment for those who follow them and their lies also set themselves up for judgment as well.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
(2 Peter 1:21 - 2:3 - ESV)

What is a key way that false prophets will deceive the masses? Through sensuality, through the way of the flesh. They will tell us that we can both serve God and the flesh. They will tell us that we can both serve God and money. They will tell us that we can embrace both Jesus Christ and the world. That’s why we see churches today that are so worldly--full of greed, adultery, fornication, homosexuality and all sorts of fruits of the flesh. And as a result, the way of truth has been blasphemed. The world is paying attention to the damage that false prophets and their followers are doing.

Todd Bentley’s “Lakeland Revival,” Joel Osteen’s denial of the gospel on Larry King Live, Creflo Dollar’s lies about tithing, T.D. Jakes’ lies about giving money so you can get something from God, Rick Warren’s twisting of scripture using paraphrase translations, Oral Robert’s lie about God taking him home if he didn’t raise $8 million, Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin’s “laughing revival” and name-it-claim-it nonsense and how many more can we come up with? And they have thousands of people following their lies. Are you one of them? If so, I pray that you will repent and embrace Jesus Christ, not the false prophets. For these false prophets are exploiting you, robbing you and will just as much take you to everlasting damnation with them.

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.
(Revelation 13:11 - ESV)

There will be many who look the part of being a true prophet but the key is to listen to what they say and do. According to Revelation, many will be fooled by the beast and will give allegiance to the beast because they believe the beast is representing Jesus Christ when he is not. People who give into the beast will have already had prior practice with giving in to false prophets and false doctrines. Be careful saints and take heed so that you do not fall into the trap.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
(1 Timothy 6:11-12 - ESV)

Let us hold fast to our faith and endure to the end. Our reward for staying loyal to Christ and His truth is eternal life. The unrepentant false prophets and their unrepentant followers can not look forward to such a reward. Stay true to the faith.