False Prophets

A lady at my Bible study said that we have to be careful of false prophets. She said that if what a so-called prophet says does not come true then they are not a true prophet of God. I agree if they are giving dates that go by without their prophecy happening. However, not many prophets today do that. In our “gotta it have now” culture, I don’t think this test works very well.

Since I’m reading the book of Isaiah who gave many prophecies about Jesus, but lived approximately 700 years before He was born, it made me think there is much more to discerning false prophets. Actually, many of the old prophets were killed for the words of God they shared because much of what they had said did not happen right away. Malachi spoke of what wouldn’t happen for over 400 years. I guess fast expectations aren’t unique to us after all.

Jeremiah 28 is about the false prophet Hananiah. Jeremiah suspected that Hananiah was full of hot air because he prophesied that the evil king, Jeconiah, would be restored to Israel from Babylon. Jeremiah knew what Moses said would happen if God’s people disobeyed Him,

Since you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things, you will serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down; a nation whose language you will not understand (Dt 28:47-49).

Jeremiah sought the Lord about the matter and remembered that the Lord might be testing them.

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let’s follow other gods and let’s serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Dt 13:1-3).

Jeremiah knew that a true prophet will not contradict what the Lord has already said, nor serve or condone other gods, and will agree with other true prophecies.

Just like Jeremiah, we must discern what we hear. It’s good to ask ourselves, “Will it affect me?” If so, then take it to the Lord. If not, there’s no need to latch onto it.