Prophets----True
and False
I John 4:1 Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Almost 2,000 years ago John
wrote that “many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Things have not changed.
One of the more contentious
subjects within the Church concerns the subject of modern Prophets. Let me
begin by stating the obvious: I am not a Prophet!
One thing we must understand
now. Modern prophecy is not biblical
prophecy, it is not scripture. It will
not contradict biblical prophecy, nor does it supersede biblical prophecy.
Are there prophets in the
land today?
Most Christians cannot answer
that question, because they have little or no understanding concerning prophecy
and Prophets.
But, are there any Prophets
in the Church today?
What does the Bible say?
Eph 4:11-13
11 And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ:
The Bible says that there
will be Prophets---till---we come into unity. That is a fact!
Have we come into unity
within the body of Christ? Hardly!
Therefore, there are still
Prophets in the land!
If there are modern Prophets,
there is modern prophecy!
If you wish to deny the
validity of the Bible, do so at your own peril.
1 Cor 12:28-30
28 And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of
miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
To be sure, there are some
mama-called and church-called officers in the churches today, but there are
also many God anointed and appointed servants within the Church.
A person is not elevated to
the office of Prophet. He/she is lowered
to the servanthood of Prophet!
In 1 Corinthians 12:29, 30,
Paul asks, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all
workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret?
The answer to each and every
question Paul asked is, “No, but some are, and some do!”
Some are Apostles, Prophets,
and Teachers. Some are workers of
miracles, and some do have gifts of heal.
Some do speak in tongues (not other learned tongues).
So, there are true Prophets,
but are there false Prophets?
Absolutely!
Have you ever seen a
counterfeit 15 dollar bill?
Why not? Because, there are no real 15 dollar bills!
Satan does not counterfeit
something that is not real!
God established the real, and
Satan counterfeits the real!
Again, if you wish to deny
the fact of present-day Prophets of God, you must also deny the validity of the
Bible in today’s context. And if you do that you must also deny present-day
Christianity.
Denial of a part of the Bible
causes a downward spiral!
Many suppose that the office
of Prophet was done away with. That
teaching is anti-biblical, and biblically unsupportable!
There is false prophecy, but
the most prominent component of what we call false prophecy is actually
presumptuous prophecy. We can see
presumptuous prophecy at work in many Churches today.
Is a person who prophesies
presumptuously lost?
Let me use Peter as an
example. Peter did some really goofy things! But, he was not lost!
Deut 18:20-22
20 But the prophet, which
shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to
speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall
die.
21 And if thou say in thine
heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 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 of him.
Deut 18:22 may also be
interpreted, don’t respect or stand in awe of him…and I might add her, if
he/she speaks presumptuously, or from a spirit of pride and arrogance.
The person who prophesies
presumptuously is just silly. He/she is
not lost!
Here, I wish to add that one
ingredient that cannot be understated in dealing with prophecy---PATIENCE! I
shall repeat that later.
How can we judge
prophecy? Let’s use Balaam as our
example. While Balaam is thought of as
being a false Prophet, the truth is that he was a Prophet.
Turn to Numbers 22, 23, and
24. Read what he prophesied. Try to find an inaccuracy.
Balaam was perhaps the third
human being to prophesy the coming of the Messiah.
Num 24:17 I
shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come
a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite
the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Let me establish that all
Spirit-filled people have the power, rights, ability, and qualifications to
prophesy.
1 Cor 16:3 For
ye may (Gr. dunasqe-dunasqe) all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all
may be comforted.
Okay, all Spirit-filled
people have the power, rights, ability, and qualifications to prophesy, but do
they prophesy? No!
Back to Balaam: He was a Prophet who is spoken of with great
distain in the Bible. So, how did he prophesy truthfully and still get the
reputation as a false Prophet?
1 Cor 16:32 And
the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Balaam found out that while
the spirits of the prophets may be subject to the Prophets, the mouths of the
Prophets are subject to God!
Num 23:7-8
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me
from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and
come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the
LORD hath not defied?
Balaam could not prophesy contrary
to the will of God. No Prophet can
prophesy contrary to the will of God.
Those who speak presumptuously are not Prophets. They are people driven
by emotion and the desire to be seen and speak.
So, what made Balaam a
“false” Prophet?
Greed! Pure old fashioned
greed!
True prophecy requires that
the love of God be displayed within the prophecy.
1 Cor 13:1 Though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
A prophecy spoken outside of
love shall fall to the ground. Even prophecies that speak of dire consequences
do so to provoke repentance.
Interpreters of biblical
prophecy are not Prophets. They are
interpreters of biblical prophecy.
Prophets prophesy! Interpreters interpret!
Now, how do we judge
prophecy?
Let me repeat, the main
ingredient in responding to prophecy is patience. If the prophecy is true it shall come to
pass. If it is not true, it shall fall
by the wayside.
Again, we look to the
prophecy spoken by Balaam. It did come
to pass over 1600 years after it was given. And, some of his prophecy is still
waiting to come to fruition.
Time is not a major concern
in dealing with prophecy, but patience is!
Do not work to make prophecy
come to pass. True prophecy shall come to pass in due time and not one second
prior to that.
To begin your study of Bible
prophecy, I recommend Prophecy
Central.