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1 KINGS 19:16 (God to Elijah)
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha
the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your
place.
JEREMIAH 1:5
5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you
came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a
prophet to the nations.
AMOS 7:14-15
14 Then answered Amos, and said
to Amaziah, I was no prophet, nor was I a prophet’s son; but I was an
herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:
15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said
to me, Go,
prophesy to my people Israel.
Note: The comparison here is that false prophets were not chosen by God:
(Nehemiah 6:14) "And, lo, I
perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this
prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him."
(Jeremiah 23:21) "I have not sent these prophets,
yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied."
(Jeremiah 27:15) "For I have not sent them, says the Lord, yet they prophesy a
lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that you might
perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you."
(Jeremiah 28:15) "Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear
now, Hananiah; The Lord has not sent you; but you make this people
to trust in a lie.
1 SAMUEL 10:6 (Samuel to Saul)
6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you shall prophesy
with them, and shall be turned into another man.
2 SAMUEL 23:2
2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was in my tongue.
2 CHRONICLES 24:20
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest,
who stood above the people, and said to them, Thus says God, Why
do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, that
you cannot prosper? because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you.
EZEKIEL 11:5
5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, Speak; Thus
says the
Lord; Thus have you said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that
come into your mind, every one of them.
ACTS 1:16
16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the
Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who
was guide to those who took Jesus.
ACTS 3:21
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God
has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
ACTS 11:28
11 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great
famine throughout all
the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
1 PETER 1:20-21
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of its own interpretation.
21 For the prophecy did not come in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Note: All the above verses show that true prophets prophesy by the Spirit of God. In comparison to this, we can look at two ways that false prophets prophesy:
(1) They prophesy by deceiving spirits.
(1 Samuel 18:10) "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst
of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times:
and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand."
(1 Kings 22:18-23) "And the king
of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would prophesy
no good concerning me, but evil?
19 And he said, Hear
therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and
all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
20 And the Lord said, Who shall
persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on
this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a
spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the Lord said to him,
How? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets. And he said, You shall persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the
mouth of all these your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you."
(Revelation 16:13-14) "And I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs come out of
the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet.
For they are the spirits of demons, working miracles, which go
forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty."
(2) They prophesy from their own heart.
(Jeremiah 14:14) "Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I
did not send them, neither have
I commanded them, nor spoke to them: they prophesy to you a false
vision and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of
their heart."
(Jeremiah 23:16-17) "Thus says the
LORD of hosts, Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to
you: they make you vain: they speak a
vision of their own heart, and
not out of the mouth of the LORD.
They say still to those who despise me, The LORD has said, You
shall have peace; and they say to everyone who walks after the
imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you."
(Jeremiah 23:26) "How long shall this
be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? yes, they
are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;"
(Ezekiel 13:2-3) "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel
who prophesy, and say you to those who
prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear you the word of the Lord;
Thus says the Lord GOD; Woe to the foolish prophets, that follow their own
spirit, and have seen nothing!"
(Ezekiel 13:17) "Likewise, you son of man, set
your face against the
daughters of your people, which prophesy out of their own heart;
and prophesy you against them,"
True prophets do not prophesy from their own heart. This can be seen from the example of Nathan:
(2 Samuel 7:2-4) "That the king
said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the
ark of God dwells within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in your heart;
for the Lord is with you."
When the word of the Lord came to him, God sent Nathan back to tell him not to build the temple. This is best recorded from Solomon’s words:
(1 Kings 8:18-19) "And the Lord
said to David my father, Because it was in your heart to build a house
to my name, you did well that it was in your heart.
Nevertheless you shall not build the
house; but your son who shall come forth out of your loins, he
shall build the house to my name."
True prophets may speak from their own heart, but not when they prophesy.
NUMBERS:12:6
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among
you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream.
ACTS 2:17
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Note 1: Many instructions are given to people by dreams and visions.
In the Old Testament: Abram (Genesis 15:1), Joseph (Genesis 37:5-10), Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-7), Samuel ( 1 Samuel 3:11-15), Job 33:14-16.
In the New Testament: Joseph (Matthew 1:20; 2:13; 2:19), Cornelius (Acts
10:3-6), Peter (Acts 10:9-17; 11:5-10), Paul (Acts 9:12; 16:9; 18:9;
26:19-20; 2 Corinthians 12:1).
Note 2: In comparison to this false prophets have false dreams and visions:
(Jeremiah 14:14) "Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy
lies in my name: I did not send them, neither have I commanded them, nor
spoke to them: they prophesy to
you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the
deceit of their heart."
(Jeremiah 23:25) "I have heard what the prophets said, who
prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed."
(Jeremiah 29:8) "For thus says the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Do not let your prophets and your diviners,
who are in the midst of you, deceive you, nor listen to your dreams
which you cause to be dreamed."
(Ezekiel 13:16) "That is, the prophets of
Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace
for her, and there is no peace, says the Lord GOD."
(Jude 1:8) "Likewise also these
filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil
of dignities."
1 KINGS 13:15-18
15 Then he said to him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And he said, I may not return with you, nor go in with you: nor will I eat bread nor drink
water with you in this place:
17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, You shall eat no bread
nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that you came .
18 He said to him, I am a prophet also as you are; and an angel
spoke
to me by the word
of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with you into your house, that he
may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him.
DANIEL 10:10-14
10 And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said to me, O
Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you,
and stand upright: for to you am I now sent. And when he had spoken this
word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he to me, Do not fear, Daniel: for from the first day that you set
your heart to
understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and
I am come for your words.
13: But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of
the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the
latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
ZECHARIAH 1:14
14 So the angel who communed with me said to me, Cry out, saying, Thus
says the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
ACTS 27:22-26
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no
loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Do not fear, Paul; you
must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God has given you all those who sail with
you.
25 Therefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it
shall be even as it was told me.
26 However we must be cast upon a certain island.
Note:
In the Old Testament prophetic words were given to prophets by angels: (Daniel 10:14;
Zechariah 1:9; 1:14; 1:19 etc).
Instructions are also given by angels (Genesis 16:9-11; 19:15; 22:11-12;
31:11-13; Exodus 3:2-5; Judges 13:3-5 etc.)
In the New Testament instructions are also given by angels: Joseph (Matthew 1:20; 2:13; 2:19). Zacharias (Luke 1:11-17), shepherds (Luke 2:9-14), the
Apostles (5:19-20), Moses (Acts 7:30; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2), Philip (Acts
8:26), Cornelius (Acts 10:3-6), Peter (Acts 12:7-10).
ROMANS 12:6 (Paul)
6 Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to
the proportion of faith;
Note: An example of this was Elijah (2 Kings 4:12-17). Here Elijah predicted the birth of a child to the woman who had shown kindness to him and looked after him, but there was no indication that God told him to do it. On the contrary he spoke according to the answer of his own servant Gehazi (v14), so we may conclude that this was according to Elijah’s faith.
PSALMS 12:6
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as
silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
PSALMS 89:34 (God)
34 My covenant I will not break, nor alter the thing that is
gone out of my lips.
Note:
We have already established that God speaks through a prophet (See
#1.1; #1.2), so we could expect the prophets words to be the same as God’s
words. He will not make mistakes when he speaks, and he will not alter what
he has said after he has said it.
In comparison to this, false prophets do make mistakes sometimes. They do
sometimes change what they have said, and this is clear evidence that it is
not God speaking through them. Look at some examples:
Example 1: " ... and tomorrow is the day that I will give you again should I - should you tarry."
Example 2: "... you’re trying to serve me, and even to witness for me (in?) gos - gos - and give the gospel of the good news. ... and enumerate the things that have proved your lo - my love to you." .
Example 3: " ... I want to tell you this morning that the longing of your - my heart this morning, is that you would praise me."
In these three examples, from two different prophets, each prophet was speaking as, "Thus says the LORD". Each one began to say something that would not have made sense, then changed his words. When we read, that "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver, tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6), that "Every word of God is pure:" (Proverbs 30:5), and that God has said he will not "alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." (Psalm 89:34), should we consider that these fumbling statements were the actual words from the mouth of God? Does God make mistakes like these and the have to go back and correct himself, when "his work is perfect." (Deuteronomy 32:4)? Take heed that no man deceive you (Matthew 24:4).
JEREMIAH 20:9 (Jeremiah)
9 Then I said, I will not make
mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in
my heart as
a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I
could not stay.
JONAH 1:1
1 Now the word of the LORD came
to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD,
and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid
its fare , and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from
the presence of the LORD.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:29-32 (Paul)
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.
30 If any thing is revealed to another who sits by, let
the first hold his peace.
31 For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be
comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Note:
God does not take away our free will. He may tell a prophet what to say, but
the prophet still has to speak it voluntarily. This can be seen in the case
of Jonah. When God told him to prophesy against Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2), Jonah
took off in the opposite direction to get away from doing what God had told
him to do. He had a choice, and he refused to do it. However, God has ways
of dealing with rebellious people, and after he had dealt with him, he did
eventually go and do as he was told (Jonah 3:1-4). If Jonah had not
submitted to God, he may well have died.
Jeremiah also refused to prophesy at one time (Jeremiah 20:9), but he became so
uncomfortable in his spirit that he also eventually spoke out.
Prophets can refuse to prophesy, but God’s judgement will come on them if
they do.
ISAIAH 58:1
1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my
people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
EZEKIEL 22:2
2 Now, you son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city?
yes, you shall show her all her abominations.
EZEKIEL 43:10
10 You son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities:
and let them measure the pattern.
MICAH 3:8
8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of
might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Note 1: This seems to be a very prominent duty of a prophet, and the examples are numerous. Here are some:
| Persons involved | Rebuke of Sin | Pronounce Judgement |
| Nathan against David | 2 Samuel 12:1-9 | 2 Samuel 12:10-14 |
| Samuel against Saul | 1 Samuel 15:13-23 | 1 Samuel 15:26-28 |
| Ahijah against Jeroboam | 1 Kings 14:7-9 | 1 Kings 14:10-13 |
| Jehu against Baasha | 1 Kings 16:1-2 | 1 Kings 16:3-4 |
| Elijah against Ahab | 1 Kings 18:17-18 | 1 Kings 17:1 |
| Elijah against Ahab | 1 Kings 21:17-19 | 1 Kings 21:21-24 |
| Micaiah against Ahab | 2 Chronicles 18:16-23 | |
| Jehu against Jehosaphat | 2 Chronicles 19:2 | 2 Chronicles 19:2 |
| Eliezar against Jehosaphat | 2 Chronicles 20:37 | 2 Chronicles 20:37 |
| Zechariah against Joash | 2 Chronicles 24:20 | |
| Isaiah against Hezekiah | Isaiah 38:1 | |
| Isaiah against Hezekiah | Isaiah 39:3-4 | Isaiah 39:5-7 |
| Peter against Ananias | Acts 5:2-3 | Acts 5:4 |
| Paul against a fornicator | 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 | 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 |
(Ezekiel 22:22) "As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; and you shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you."
Note 2: In contrast to this, false prophets prophesy good things to people.
(2 Chronicles 18:5) "Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand."
(2 Chronicles 18:10-11) "And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah
had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus says the Lord, With these you
shall push Syria until they be consumed.
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it
into the hand of the king."
(Jeremiah 6:13-14) "For from the
least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to
covetousness; and from the prophet
even to the priest every one deals falsely.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,
saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."
(Jeremiah 14:13-14) "Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold the prophets say
to them, You
shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine; but I will give you
assured peace in this place.
Then the LORD said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I did not
send them, neither have I commanded them, nor spoke to them: they prophesy to
you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of
their heart."
(Jeremiah 23:16-17) "Thus says the
LORD of hosts, Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to
you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and
not out of the mouth of the LORD.
They say still to those who despise me, The LORD has said, You
shall have peace; and they say to everyone who walks after the
imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you."
(Jeremiah 28:8-9) "The prophets that
have been before me and before you of old, prophesied both against many
countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence.
The prophet who prophesies of
peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known,
that the LORD has truly sent him."
(Ezekiel 13:1-3,10,16) "And the word of the LORD came to me saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say
to those who prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear you the word of the LORD;
Thus says the Lord GOD; Woe to the foolish prophets that follow their own
spirit, and have seen nothing!
10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace;
and there was no peace; and
one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with lime:
16 That is, the prophets of Israel who
prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there
is no peace, says the Lord GOD."
(Ezekiel 13:17,22) "Likewise, you son of man, set your face against
the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and you
prophesy against them.
Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have
not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he
should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life;"
JEREMIAH 25:4-5
4 And the Lord has sent to you all his servants the prophets,
rising early and sending them; but you have not listened, nor inclined your
ear to hear.
5 They said, Turn again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of
your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and
to your fathers for ever and ever:
JEREMIAH 35:15
15 I have sent also to you
all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying,
Turn
yourselves now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and do not go after
other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have
given to you and to your fathers: but you have not inclined your ear, nor
listened to me.
EZEKIEL14:6
6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Repent,
and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your
abominations.
EZEKIEL 18:30
30 Therefore I will judge you,
O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent,
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
MATTHEW 3:1-2
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
MATTHEW 4:17
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.
Note: In contrast to this, false prophets don’t call people to repent (at least not in the scripture).
(Jeremiah 23:14) "I have seen also
in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and
walk in lies: they strengthen also
the hands of evildoers, that none turns from his wickedness; they
are all of them to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah."
(Jeremiah 23:22) "But if they had
stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then
they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their
doings."
(Ezekiel 13:22) "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous
sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened
the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way,
by promising him life;"
Because the rebuke of sin often brings persecution, false prophets don’t do it. In contrast, they speak smooth messages that people like to hear, and that is why they are popular.
2 CHRONICLES 7:14
14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
ISAIAH 38:5
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard
your prayer, I have
seen your tears: behold, I will add to your days fifteen years.
ISAIAH 55:7
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return
to the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
JEREMIAH 32:42
42 For thus says the Lord;
Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all
the good that I have promised them.
Note: These scriptures show that true prophets do promise good (Jeremiah 32:42), mercy, forgiveness, and healing (2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 55:7), even long life (Isaiah 3:5), but always after repentance or punishment. In contrast to this, false prophets do not call people to repentance, but make the good promises to unrepentant people (See #4.32 Note).
PSALMS 119:151
151 You are near, O LORD; and all your commandments are truth.
PSALMS 119:160
160 Your word is true from
the beginning: and every one of your righteous judgements
endures for ever.
JOHN 16:13 (Jesus)
13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
he will show you things to come.
JOHN 17:17 (Jesus)
17 Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth.
Note: Because true prophets prophesy by the Holy spirit (See #4.21), who is "the Spirit of truth," (John 16:13), and because they speak God’s word, which is the truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17), they must therefore speak the truth when they prophesy. In comparison, false prophets speak lies:
(1 Kings 22:23) "Now therefore, behold, the Lord
has put a lying
spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and the Lord has
spoken evil concerning you."
(Jeremiah 14:14) "Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies
in my name: I did not send them, neither have I commanded them, nor
spoke to them: they prophesy to you a false vision and divination, and a thing
of nothing, and the deceit of their heart."
(Jeremiah 23:32) "Behold, I am
against those who prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and tell them,
and cause my people to err by their
lies, and by their lightness; yet I did not send them, nor
commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, says the
Lord."
(Jeremiah 28:15) "Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord
has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie."
(Ezekiel 13:17-19) "Likewise, you son of man, set your face against the
daughters of your people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy
you against them,
And say, Thus says the Lord GOD; "will you pollute me among my people for
handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should
not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your
lying to my people that hear your lies?"
(Ezekiel 22:28) "And her prophets
have daubed them with lime, seeing vanity, and divining lies
to them, saying, Thus says the Lord GOD, when the Lord has not
spoken."
Example 1: " ... Oh, procrastination is not in the vocabulary of God. I do not put off, but I am a God of the immediate. ... You feel so often that you have to wait, wait, wait, but there’s no waiting with God, if you fulfil that simple instruction, worshipping me in spirit and in truth. ... "
God’s word tells us that he is a God of great patience, and he delays performing his word sometimes for long periods of time. He waited over four thousand years to present Jesus to this world to redeem it the first time, and he has delayed almost two thousand years now to send him back a second time. He often encourages us in his word to be patient and wait for him:
(Psalm 27:14) "Wait on the LORD: ... wait, I
say, on the LORD."
(Psalm 37:7) "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:"
(Psalm 37:34) "Wait on the LORD, and keep his way,"
(Psalm 40:1) "I waited patiently for the LORD, and he inclined to
me,"
To help us with this he puts us through trials:
(Romans 5:3) "tribulation works patience;"
(James 1:2-3) "the trying of your faith works patience. But let
patience have her perfect work,"
(James 5:11) "You have heard of the patience of Job,"
Sometimes trials of faith last for long periods of time, such as Noah
waiting 120 years for the flood (Genesis 6:3), Abraham waiting 25 years for the
promised son, and sometimes people die in faith without receiving God’s
promise (Hebrews 11:39). God is called, "the God of patience" (Romans 15:5),
and when we pray he often "bears long" with us (Luke 18:7). Concerning
the harvest at the end of the age, he "has long patience for it," (James 5:7).
So when this prophet says, "there’s no waiting with God," it is a lie,
and totally contrary to God’s word. When he says, "procrastination is
not in the vocabulary of God. I do not put off," this is also a lie.
Procrastinate means "to put something off to a later time". God put off
Hezekiah’s death for fifteen years (Isaiah 38:5). Jonah preached, "Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown," but when the people
repented (Jonah 3:5-9), God turned away from doing it at that time. Nineveh
was destroyed later. If procrastination had not been in the vocabulary of
God, the prophet could not have even spoken the word.
Example 2: " ... I am God ... in my Son dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and I am here, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the three persons in one. I am here ... I have been risen, and am at the right hand of the Father, to minister on your behalf ... for nothing, nothing, nothing, can separate you from my love, from my care, from my provision. For I am a loving heavenly Father who is good towards you, and will provide for you in the days to come, says the Lord."
There are various things that we could say about this prophecy:
(1) The man is obviously a Trinitarian, when he says, "I am here, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the three persons in one." If you are not a Trinitarian this would be enough to judge him as false.
(2) He switches from speaking as the Father, "in my Son"; to speaking as the Son, "I ... am at the right hand of the Father," and back to speaking as the Father, "For I am a loving heavenly Father". This is most unusual, and there is no true prophet who ever spoke in this manner.
(3) The words, "I have been risen", are extremely bad English. "I have been raised", "I have risen", or even "I am risen" would have been better. Is God’s English really that bad?
(4) We see the smooth words, typical of false prophets, "nothing, nothing, nothing, can separate you from my love, from my care, from my provision." This type of statement has been dealt with earlier (See #3.2 Example 2).
AMOS 3:7
7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he reveals his secret
to his
servants the prophets.
ACTS 11:28
11 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there
should be great famine throughout all the world: which came to pass in
the days of Claudius Caesar.
ACTS 21:10
10 And as we stayed there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he came to us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own
hands and feet, and said, Thus says
the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this
girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
Note: The purpose of warning people in advance about what is going to happen may vary. In the case of Joseph, "God sent me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45:5), shows us the purpose of Pharaoh's dreams. Prior warning allowed life to be preserved by making preparation in advance. In the case of Paul (Acts 21:11), he could have avoided being captured by the Jews by not going to Jerusalem, but he made the choice to go anyway. Especially when God pronounces judgement on someone, it is for the purpose to turn them from their sin (See #5.1). In contrast to this, true prophets also predict future events, but sometimes they do not come to pass (See #3.4).
1 KINGS 20:13-14
13 And, behold, there came a prophet to Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus says the Lord, Have you seen
all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the Lord.
14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said,
Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You.
2 CHRONICLES 20:14-16
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a
Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hear, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat, Thus
says the Lord to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 To morrow go you down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz;
and you shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
JEREMIAH 29:4-6
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have
caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon;
5 Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 Take wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your
sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and
daughters; that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried
away captives, and pray to the Lord for it: for in its peace shall you have peace.
1 KINGS 18:19 (Elijah)
19 Now therefore send, and gather
to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred
and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezebel’s table.
1 KINGS 22:24-25
24 But Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way
went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you?
25 And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see in that day, when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide
yourself.
JEREMIAH 28:15-17
15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord
has not
sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I will cast you from off
the face of the earth: this year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.
28:17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
EZEKIEL 13:1-2
1 And the word of the LORD came to me saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who
prophesy, and say
to those who prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear you the word of the LORD;
Note:
Elijah is well known for his confrontation of the prophets of Baal on mount
Carmel. He challenged them to prove their God by calling down fire from
heaven, to consume a sacrifice, and when they had failed, he proved the LORD
to be God by doing the very thing that they had failed to do. After this he
killed all the false prophets (1 Kings 18:21-40).
Micaiah correctly prophesied the death of Ahab at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:17-23), and resisted the false prophet Zedekiah (1
Kings 22:24-25), who had
prophesied a false victory (1 Kings 22:11).
Jeremiah resisted the false prophet Hananiah, who had prophesied a quick
return from Babylon (Jeremiah 28:2-4), and accurately prophesied his death (Jeremiah
28:15-17), and God told Ezekiel to prophesy against the false prophets of
Israel in his day.
To resist false prophets is one of the functions of true prophets.
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