False Prophets: Discerning Prophetic Lies from Reality
In addition to genuine prophets in the Old Testament, there were also false prophets, and the Old Testament gave strong warnings about prophets in that time period who prophesied events and dates for those events that didn’t come to pass.
Those clearly spoken warnings against that which was false were intended to be heeded by the people as a way of knowing when a false prophet was in their midst — or when a prophet was prophesying wrongly, or mistakenly.
Let’s look at some of these warnings, and, afterward, I wish to add an important comment about judging prophetic utterances that may provide a helpful perspective that will be important to remember.
In the Old Testament, God uttered many warnings about false prophets, but in Deuteronomy 18:22, He said, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid [reverence or respect the words] of him.”
In this verse, God states that if a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord — claiming that God has sent him with a prophetic word — but the thing he prophesies does not come to pass, then it is to be taken as a sign that he spoke presumptuously. Perhaps that person intended to do well; perhaps that person spoke out of his own heart, motivated by what he wanted to hear or to see. But because it did not come to pass as he foretold, God says he did not speak by the Spirit of God. Thus, in the Old Testament, if the thing a person spoke did not occur as foretold, God urged His people to be untrusting of that prophet and to keep a distance from him.
It is important to understand that saying, “Thus saith the Lord” had great consequences — and it still does today. For one to speak so authoritatively, but wrongly, negatively affected people’s ability to hear God speak through genuine prophets. Bad experiences with prophetic prognosticators caused many people to turn a deaf ear to all prophetic utterances because of disgust with and distrust of failed prophesies.
‘Despise Not Prophesyings’
Let me divert to the New Testament for a moment, where we find in Scripture that believers in early New Testament times were also being negatively affected by failed prophesies they had heard. For example, believers in Thessalonica were so disheartened by people who said, “Thus saith the Lord” — but their words never came to pass — that they were tempted to throw all prophetic ministry out. But Paul knew they needed the true prophetic ministry and that throwing all prophetic utterances out was the wrong response. So in First Thessalonians 5:20, Paul told them, “Despise not prophesyings.”
The word “despise” is a translation of the word exoutheneo, which means to minimize, to reduce to nothing, or to utterly despise. It depicts utter contempt for something and a desire to rid it from one’s life. The use of this word tells us the church in Thessalonica was so weary of prophecies that didn’t come to pass that they were beginning to feel utter contempt for anything that smacked of prophetic ministry. That is why Paul exhorted them in First Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Let me tell you a story to demonstrate the point I wish to communicate about this verse. I once bought a violin that I thought almost of a certainty was an authentic Stradivarius violin. Before I purchased it, I even studied how to recognize a real Stradivarius compared to a well-made copy. After convincing myself that I had found a real Stradivarius in an antique shop, I purchased that violin. But after an examination by a violin expert, that violin proved to be nothing more than a very old, fabulous fake. Only an experienced eye would have been able to discern that it wasn’t authentic. Today that fake Stradivarius hangs on the wall in one of my offices as a reminder that everything that looks real isn’t necessarily real.
I share this example because it is pertinent to what the congregation in Thessalonica was dealing with as they became so disheartened by false prophecies. One or more persons in that church claimed to be prophetically speaking, but time and again, the words proved to be incorrect.
As we have seen, perhaps those prognosticators were speaking out of their own hearts or from the soul realm. Theirs was an imitation that resembled the real gift so closely that people in the church had embraced it. The person or persons demonstrating this so-called gift must have also been fairly influential, because the congregation as a whole had, at first, taken the false demonstrations very seriously. But when those believers realized the prophecies were false, they were so distressed by the inaccuracy of those prophetic words that they were tempted to turn a deaf ear to all prophetic utterances. But closing their hearts to prophetic utterances would have been a wrong response.
Even though the congregation had indeed been exploited by bogus prophecy, the value of genuine prophetic utterances hadn’t changed. Prophecy was, and is, a true gift from God that the people needed. If the Thessalonian believers had chosen to keep their hearts closed to that divine gift because of their negative experiences, they would have been robbed of fresh words from the Holy Spirit that were a part of their necessary supply from Heaven. Many believers in our own time have been negatively affected by unfulfilled prophetic utterances, but that doesn’t mean all prophets and prophetic utterances cannot be trusted.
We must consider and never forget that there are many things that are used inaccurately or inappropriately in life. For example, a car can be driven in such a reckless manner that it results in a collision — but that doesn’t stop the rest of us from traveling in our cars. The recklessness of others simply makes us more aware of our need to drive carefully and responsibly. But if we decided to never drive a car again because someone caused damage or was wounded in a car accident, that would be an irrational response.
When Paul addressed the issue of this gift of prophecy with the Thessalonians, he didn’t put a “ban” on all prophecies because of a series of false prophetic experiences. He simply told them to test spiritual manifestations before embracing them. Paul told them, “Prove all things...” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In other words, “Keep your head on straight when it comes to what you’re about to spiritually consume!”
The word “prove” that Paul used is translated from the Greek word dokimadzo, which means to approve after testing. This word was used in various ways, but it was significantly used to describe the process of testing coins to see if they were real or counterfeit.
Counterfeit coins look very authentic — and there were so many counterfeit coins in circulation in ancient times that it became an accepted practice to test coins to determine if they were real or counterfeit. If tested and proven as fake or counterfeit, they were rejected. Only if the coins were tested and proven authentic were they approved for public circulation and accepted for payment.
That is where the word “prove” comes from that Paul used in First Thessalonians 5:21. He didn’t tell the Thessalonian believers to reject prophetic utterances; instead, he instructed them to test or to prove them. God’s people are instructed to test both written and spoken spiritual utterances before fully embracing their substance. But Paul continued in verse 21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
The words “hold fast” are a translation of the Greek word katecho, a compound of the words kata and echo. The word kata means down, and the word echo means to hold or to embrace. When these two words are compounded to form katecho, the new word means to hold firmly or to hold down lest the desired object slip away from you. It is the picture of figuratively wrapping one’s arms around an object and refusing to let it go.
Therefore, Paul was urging the Thessalonian believers not to reject all prophecy simply because of a few bad experiences. They needed to embrace and to hold on to that which was “good.” The word “good” denotes something that is sound and in order — something that has been tested, proven, and shown to be authentic.
Like a coin that has been tested and proven as worthy to be put into public circulation, Paul is commanding us to hold fast to what has been attested to be dependable, genuine, reliable, and true. Therefore, the Spirit of God is exhorting us to “wrap our arms around” and hold fast to those in prophetic ministry who are tested and proven to be authentic and legitimate, esteeming them as gifts coming directly from Him for our good.
Warnings from Jeremiah
Some of the strongest Old Testament warnings about false prophets were written by the prophet Jeremiah. It is certain that those who prophetically “missed it” must have despised Jeremiah’s words, which were an indictment against anyone who wrongly prophesied. In Jeremiah 14:14, he wrote, “Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.”
In this verse, God states that these prophetic pretenders speak lies, false visions, and things that come to nothing. What they prophesied may have sounded powerful, but because those things never came to pass, God tells Jeremiah that they were prophesying out of the deceit of their own hearts. We can surmise that they perhaps prophesied what they wanted to happen or hoped would come to pass — or they prophesied their own agendas or desires. Perhaps they simply wanted to give a word that would fall on the ears of thrilled listeners.
God also uses the word divination to describe the activities of these false prophets. Divination is a spiritual force, albeit an evil one. It may be that some false prophets indeed operated in a spiritual dimension, but a wrong dimension. If the prophetic utterance missed the target and didn’t come to pass, God emphatically stated that the prophet’s words should be dismissed. The bogus speaker may have given the impression that he was moving in a powerful spiritual dimension, but God warned that if what he said never came to pass, it is likely that so-called prophet was functioning in an operation of divination.
In all fairness, not all cases of inaccurate prophecy are a result of divination. It may be that a prophet is deeply disturbed about something he sees happening morally in society or about a political, cultural, or social issue that deeply distresses his prophetic character — his deep sense of right and wrong. He may feel a divine obligation to address it, and, indeed, addressing moral or national issues falls within the scope of his calling. But to say, “Thus saith the Lord” without the wind of the Spirit blowing upon his prophetic sail may cause him to speak presumptuously in the name of the Lord on his own initiative. No prophet is allowed to use those words, “Thus saith the Lord” unless he is quoting Scripture or is certain that the Lord has instructed him to prophetically address a matter.
In regard to prophetic insight, Paul wrote in First Corinthians 13:9, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” This means that even the most astute prophets did not entirely see the whole picture. Hence, if they saw “in part,” it was important that they spoke “in part” — only speaking the part they saw without yielding to the temptation to fill in the blanks concerning what they did not see. Although the temptation to speculate is enormous, the prophetic mandate requires that a prophet speak only what he hears or sees and not move into the realm of presumption.
This brings to mind the words of James 3:1, which says, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” As we’ve seen, the word “masters” is a translation of the Greek word didaskalos, and it is a word that depicts a master revelator. According to James 3:1, anyone who claims to speak on behalf of God in this way will come under “condemnation.” I covered this word earlier in this chapter, but keep reading as I explain again briefly what that word means.
The word “condemnation” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word krima, and it depicts a verdict or judgment that results from a formal investigation. As we saw before, the Holy Spirit in this verse forewarns that those who claim to speak divine revelation will ultimately be scrutinized by God Himself, who listens to every word, every phrase, and every nuance that is spoken by His master revelators.
Continuing in James 3:15, we are warned that not everyone who claims to have divine revelation is moving in a right spirit. That is why James soundly warned us about the “wisdom that descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”
Because this verse is so pivotal about right and wrong revelation, let’s look at it more closely. In this verse, James was communicating that there can be moments when someone who claims to be moving divine revelation may in fact be moving in a low-level, earthly realm. The word “earthly” that James used in James 3:15 is a translation of the Greek word epigeios and it describes wisdom that is from a mere earthly realm.
Furthermore, this verse adds that sometimes what appears to be supernatural “wisdom” is in fact “sensual.” The word “sensual” is a key to understanding the activity of those who operate from a wrong spiritual dimension. It is translated from the Greek word psyuchikos, and it is a word that actually means something that is soulish or that belongs to the soulish realm. The soul has latent powers that are impressionable and that can be mistaken for spirituality. James herein warned believers that there may be moments when a person seems to be moving in a spiritual realm, but in fact, he is functioning out of soul power so persuasive that those who are listening perceive it to be from a spiritual source. In Jeremiah 14:14, this is referred to as those who speak from the deceit of their own hearts.
But James 3:15 adds there are times when this kind of activity may even be “devilish.” The word “devilish” is a translation of the Greek word daimoniodes, a word that clearly means influenced by demons. This word is used by James to let us know that it is not only wrong to prophesy out of one’s own heart or soul, but that doing so is dangerous, for the “soul realm” is where demons operate and mislead people. Thus, James was clearly saying that operating out of the soul realm can possibly open the door to demonic activity, and the one speaking may be wrongly convinced that he is speaking correctly when, in fact, he is operating under the influence of a wrong spirit.
James 3:15 could be interpreted, “This is emphatically not the wisdom that comes down from Heaven, but on the contrary, it is emphatically from a low-level earthly realm; it is pure soulish activity, and anyone speaking like this is clearly under the influence of demonic activity.”
Unauthorized Utterances
In Jeremiah 23:16, God tells Jeremiah that if a so-called prophet speaks prophetic utterances that do not come to pass, it meant the prophets who gave the utterances were not sent by God.
This applies both to false prophets who aren’t sent by God and to prophets of God who aren’t “sent” in certain situations, but who prophesy anyway, sending themselves. In Jeremiah 23:16, the prophet says, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.”
Commenting further on the egregious behavior of such prophets, verse 21 records that God told Jeremiah, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.” In verse 26, God then adds, “How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.”
In these verses, God reveals that some run to and fro among God’s people claiming to have prophetic words and visions from God, but God, in fact, never sent them or authorized them. These words may sound harsh, but they are God’s words, and He minced no words as He called them prophets of deceit.
Certainly, those who were guilty of these charges must have despised these words, for such warnings would cause others to listen to them with discerning scrutiny. But to speak in the name of God is of such paramount importance that those who do it must be absolutely certain they are truly speaking a word God gave them and that they are not speaking from their own hearts, desires, or imaginations.
Just as Jeremiah explained that some prophets and so-called prophets — unintentionally or intentionally — speak from the deceit of their own hearts, or out of their soulish realm, the prophet Ezekiel wrote similarly in this vein. God also told Ezekiel that there was a category of so-called prophetic individuals who followed their own spirits and whose prophetic utterances were either an outright lie, the work of an imagination, or simply a manifestation from the soulish realm to influence those who were listening.
In Ezekiel 13:3, the prophet wrote, “Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing.” In verse 6, he added, “They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.” The Amplified Bible says, “…Yet they hope and make men to hope for the confirmation of their word.”
An Important Observation About Unfulfilled Prophetic Utterances
There is another important aspect of judging prophetic utterances that adds another perspective, and we should consider it carefully. I’m talking about the factor of time.
If all the rules about prophetic utterances were strictly applied — especially whether or not something that was uttered came visibly to pass — Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, who penned them, would have failed the prophetic test. All of these God-called prophets prophesied about many long-range and long-term events that only occurred many years later — even thousands of years later — and many of them are still awaiting fulfillment. The vast majority of their written prophesies and utterances were not about immediate or near events, but about the long-range, long-term plan of God.
Thus, the concern of God and the indictments He spoke in these verses were not aimed at prophets who prophesied the long-range plan of God, but it was for those who predicted immediate events, perhaps even setting dates to accompany them, that did not happen as forecasted. Everyone waited, and nothing happened as predicted. This is so disheartening to the people of God and it is “discrediting” of true prophets. Remember, God said if anything doesn’t occur that a so-called prophet foretold would occur within a short time frame, then it is right to be untrusting of that prophet and to keep a distance from him.
As we continue looking at the ministry of prophets in the Old Testament, we’ll find that there were hundreds of God-sent prophets in the Bible. And if one considers the many “up and coming” prophets who attended various schools of the prophets but who were never named, the list becomes quite enormous. In the following chapter, I provide a list as an overview that shows God speaking prophetically through all kinds of various people throughout the years spanning the time of the Old Testament.
