Prophets, false

Criteria for recognising true prophets

A true prophet’s word will be fulfilled

Deuteronomy 18:21–22 NKJV

And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

See also Je 28:8–9

A true prophet’s teaching commends righteous behaviour

Deuteronomy 13:1–4 NKJV

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘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; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

See also La 2:14; Eze 13:17–23; Eze 14:4–8

A true prophet’s godly life will reflect his calling

Matthew 7:15–20 NKJV

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

See also Is 28:7; Je 23:10–11; Je 23:14; Zep 3:4

A true prophet will acknowledge Jesus Christ as divine

1 John 4:1–6 NKJV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

The motivations of false prophets

Their messages originate with themselves

Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord.

See also Je 23:36; Eze 13:1–7; Je 14:13–14; Je 23:25–32

Their messages may be occasioned by popular demand

Jeremiah 29:8–9 NKJV

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.

God places a strict requirement upon his prophets that they should proclaim only what is divinely revealed:

Nu 22:35; Nu 22:38; Nu 23:12; Nu 23:26; Nu 24:12–13; 1 Ki 22:13–14

Is 30:10–11; Je 5:30–31; Mic 2:11

Their messages may be given for financial reward

Nehemiah 6:12–13 NKJV

Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

See also 2 Pe 2:1–3; Eze 13:19; Mic 3:11; Je 6:13–14

Their messages may be the result of deception

1 Kings 22:19–23 NKJV

Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

See also Eze 14:9

Their messages may be inspired by divination

Jeremiah 14:14 NKJV

And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.

See also Eze 22:28; Eze 13:6–7; Ac 13:6

Examples of false prophets

In the OT

Nehemiah 6:10–13 NKJV

Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

See also Je 27:9–10; 1 Ki 22:1–28; Je 27:14–18

False prophetesses

Ne 6:14; Eze 13:17

Prophets of other gods

Jeremiah 23:13 NKJV

“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.

See also 1 Ki 18:19–40; 2 Ki 10:19; Je 2:8

In the NT

Matthew 24:24 NKJV

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

See also Mt 24:10–11; Ac 13:6–11

False prophets feature as part of the symbolism of the book of Revelation:

Re 2:20; Re 16:13; Re 19:20; Re 20:10

The punishment of false prophets

Deuteronomy 18:20 NKJV

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

See also Dt 13:5; Zec 13:3; Je 14:15

God sometimes intervened to strike the false prophet down:

Je 28:15–17; Je 29:21–23; Je 29:30–32

Je 23:34–40; Eze 13:8–16; Mic 3:5–6