All About the Prophets in both the Old and New Testaments.

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Does the message promote change even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular?

As we’ve already noted, prophets act as God’s mouthpiece. They deliver messages from God to His people.

However, it’s important to consider what kind of messages God is sending and the prophet is delivering.

In the Bible, prophets are often used when God’s people are breaking their covenant with Him. Prophets say to the people, “Hey, you aren’t honoring your relationship with God, and that needs to change.” And if they listen to God’s message, peace is the natural consequence.

So a true prophet is one that delivers a message of change in order to bring God’s people back into a covenant relationship with Him.

But do people often want to change? Do they want their wrongs to be called out? Not usually…

Let’s check out the story of Hosea as an example.

In his book, the prophet Hosea functions as a living parable for the people of Israel who have turned against God. God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer and bear children with her. Then, when she is unfaithful to him, God tells Hosea to return to her and love her.

This story might come across as strange, but in entering a prophetic partnership with God, Hosea’s life illustrates how Israel is acting towards God, and that even despite their sin and prostituting themselves to other gods, God shows endless love for them: He will always call them back.

What happens next?

The prophet Hosea, fully embodying God’s message since he lived it out himself, pleads with the people of Israel to change. Neither he nor God wants Israel to remain in a state of sinfulness.

“O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).​

Hosea asks that Israel repent and return to God. He knows that God will receive them with unending love, but the people’s hearts must change in order for them to accept Him.

So if a true prophet promotes a change of heart for the people listening, a false prophet might do the opposite.

A false prophet might try to promote a state of comfort in sinfulness rather than ask people to turn back to God. This passage in Ezekiel 13:10 is a good example:

“Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar..."

Ezekiel is saying that false prophets have misled the people of God. They have proclaimed peace, when really, there was no peace. They deceive the people of God.

Ezekiel writes that false prophets “smear with whitewash.” They cover up sinfulness with lies and fake notions of peace rather than promoting a cleansing of the heart and soul like a true prophet would.

However, Ezekiel also writes that rain will wash away the lies and lay bare the sinfulness of the people. Because repentance is what will bring about the change in heart and soul that the people need.

Another example of false prophets promoting comfort and peace over truth is in Isaiah.

The prophet Isaiah tells the people of Judah that they are lovers of deception and of falsehood:

"That this is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:9-11).

Isaiah condemns both the people of Judah and the prophets for prophesying “smooth things.” The people want to believe that they are hearing the voice of God from these false prophets, but they refuse to listen to the truth.

Instead, they only want to hear pleasant messages.

A few lines later, Isaiah, the true prophet who speaks on God’s behalf, tells the people not to listen to the comfort that false prophets promote. Rather, they must repent, for “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not...” (Isaiah 30:15).

But there is a consequence to true prophets delivering messages that make the masses uncomfortable.

A prophet’s message must glorify God above all else, and in doing so, their messages call people out for their sinfulness.

These unpopular messages meant that prophets were often ridiculed or even persecuted:

- Isaiah was purportedly sawn in half (Hebrews 11:37).

- Daniel was put in a den of lions (Daniel 6).

- John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14).

These are just a few examples.

But, there is hope for those persecuted prophets and for all followers of Christ.

Jesus affirms the difficulty of the journey in His Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

So even if the journey is hard and the message unpopular, God rewards true prophets for their work.

Now we know that…

- True prophets will ask the people to repent of their sins and return to God, whether the message is popular or not.

- False prophets will allow sinfulness and deception to thrive, and they will cater their messages to fit the will of the masses, not to honor God.

 

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Does the message mix truth with lies?

It’s easy to tell if someone is a false prophet if their message is obviously filled with lies. Right?

But what if a false prophet’s message is mostly truth with a few tiny lies snuck in? Are they still a false prophet?

Most definitely.

In fact, if there is even one lie mixed with the truth, we can pretty much guarantee the prophet is false.

True prophets receive messages straight from God, and God does not mix truth with lies or inaccurate information.

What does the Bible have to say about this?

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter gives a warning about false prophets who blaspheme the truth:

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”

These false prophets aren’t “accidentally” mixing truth with falsehood. Rather, they are intentionally deceiving audiences because of their own agenda. They “deny the Master,” God, and instead speak to honor themselves, just as the false prophets from Isaiah did in the last point.

But sometimes, it can be hard to parse the truth from the lies. Especially when the lies are small and well hidden.

What do we do then?

Great question!

 

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Search and test the prophesies with Scriptures for yourself.

When we are unsure of a prophecy and feel that its falsehood is not obvious, it is of the utmost importance to prayerfully study the Scriptures and let the Holy Spirit guide us to make decisions.

Timothy makes it clear in his epistles that Scripture is meant to equip God’s followers with the ability to discern truth from lies:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible is our guide for testing prophets, and when we are unsure, we are not to sit around and “be children in our thinking,” as the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:20.

Rather, we should use our God given wisdom, not to fear prophets for being false, but to “test all things; hold fast what is good.” And “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

Lastly, when we feel we do not have the wisdom to make a decision for ourselves, we must realize that God is the giver of wisdom. He does not create chaos or confusion: sin does. We need not fear false testimony. Instead let us follow the counsel of James:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Test the prophets and cling to what is good.

Ask God for wisdom, and He will guide you.

 

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Are true and false prophets still around today?

Yes!

Prophecy is not limited to Bible times.

In fact, much of the prophecy that is in the Bible has relevance for the future.

For example, many Christians believe that John foretold events in the book of Revelation that will happen in the future.

Additionally, many believe that the Word of God continues to speak today.

Ephesians 4, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 tell us that the Holy Spirit will continue to speak as the church embodies the mission of God in the world. The Spirit will speak through spiritual gifts, and will never be in conflict with Scripture. He will apply and expand on what is already there.

These spiritual gifts are essential for the church to flourish in its mission to spread the gospel. One of the spiritual gifts outlined in 1 Corinthians 12 is the gift of speaking prophecy.

The Bible is also very clear that God will continue to reveal Himself through prophets:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18).

However, if true prophets will exist into the last days, false prophets will as well.

Jesus Himself confirms this when He speaks with His disciples about the last days. He warns them against people who claim to be Him, saying:

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

False prophets are around today, and they will be around in the future.

However, by asking these six questions, you can prepare yourself to identify who is a messenger of God and who isn’t.

 

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I know and its obvious that I've copy pasted what I've posted thus far on this subject here, but I am a bad writer and I could never post all of this information with my own words.

Its important we understand this subject from a biblical point of view. We should be able to know who is a true prophet of God and who isn't after we test them as the Bible tells us to. Any true prophet of God will always agree 100 percent with Scripture.

Isaiah 8:20 says, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

 

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The Prophetic Gift.

The Bible tells us that prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God gives people, as explained in 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, Ephesians 4 and Romans 12. A person with this gift receives special insight from the Holy Spirit so they can share these messages from God with others.

The gift of prophecy is given by God for building up His church and the common good of all (1 Corinthians 12:7-10). This gift is given by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4).

In Romans 4, we find that everyone has been given a measure of faith (verse 3), and that we each have a gift different from one another. Some have the gift of prophecy, some are called into other forms of ministry, some teach, and some cheerfully serve and encourage others.

Just like all the spiritual gifts we can be given, the gift of prophecy is relevant and important for this current time too. Having the gift of prophecy means a person receives messages or insight from God. It does not change who a person is.

Having the gift of prophecy doesn’t mean standing on top of a rock, proclaiming vague statements about the future to anyone within earshot. Sometimes people can be used as prophets without even drawing attention to the fact that they are “prophesying.”

The most important thing about any spiritual gift is that it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to work on others hearts.

The prophetic gift can serve many purposes. The Holy Spirit has bestowed this gift upon people so they can:

- Provide profound spiritual encouragement.

- Be a wake-up call to believers caught in a sin or struggle.

- Provide additional insight and understanding to seekers.

- Warn people of how the future either can or will unfold.

Someone being used by the Holy Spirit in this way helps us to consistently live in a state of growth and readiness, especially in preparation for Jesus’ Second Coming.

 

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2 Timothy 4:2-5, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

 

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There are going to be true prophets around until the end of the age. However beloved, due to the critical role that these prophets will play in preparing the church for the second coming of Christ, Satan will seek to counteract their efforts by raising up several false prophets. Christ foresaw this counterfeit work of Satan, and provided early warning to His people who will be living in the last days. From the gospel of Matthew, we read the following clear warning from Christ in respect to false prophets in the last days:

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5).

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:11).

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before" (Matthew 24:24-25).

Beside this clear warning from Christ Himself, we also read the following from two of His apostles:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

"Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

From the passages above, the apostles John and Paul make it clear that in as much as we should not despise all prophesying in our time because some come from the Lord, we should also be careful to prove all things because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 

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Where did Jesus say the main deception and danger would come from? (Matthew 24:4-5,11) WITHIN the professed church. And we also see this same warning come from the apostles Peter and John. Take a look at what they said:

2 Peter 2:1-3, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you."

Many Christian leaders teach the prosperity gospel, which is "another gospel" that draws people away from Christ and causes them to focus on themselves. These false teachers will deceive many into thinking that following Jesus is all about PERSONAL GAIN. They teach that WEALTH is the main goal of being a Christian, and if you don't have wealth or are not successful in your career, then you have not gained the victory.

Whereas 1 John 5:4 says that the victory is OVERCOMING the world through our faith in Christ.

These prosperity preachers are nothing more than con men. Luring their followers with seductive words that satisfy the flesh. They don't preach much about sin and repentance and surrendering ourselves completely to Jesus. Instead, you will hear them preach a lot about 'how to be a better you', 'how to earn more money', 'how to have a successful career', and so on.

There are many, many deceptive leaders and teachers throughout the professed Christian churches.

 

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Too many of our leaders and churches are preaching smooth messages today. Messages about the love of Jesus Christ, without the conviction of sin. Yes, they tell of the 'love of God', but have abandoned the Bible truth concerning victory over sin. The messages given today from the pulpits produce no conviction of sin and appeals to the majority of the world these days.

Isaiah 30:9-10, "That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits."

Many preachers are now saying we cannot get the victory over sin and we will continue to sin until Jesus returns. This is a lie from the devil friends!

Preachers today: "Jesus loves everyone and we should love the world like Jesus did. Love, love, love! The end!"

Full Bible truth: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Ephesians 5:1-5).

The problem is, there are TWO kinds of 'love'. Love of self, that results in sin. And love of God, that results in obedience and righteousness. And the love that is preached in most churches today unfortunately, is love of self, not God. Hence why most people are still living lives of sin. Because sin is the result of loving self.

Many people are at ease today, thinking they need not gain the victory over the sin in their lives. They believe they need not make any effort in the cause of God's kingdom. They sit down in calm expectation, thinking that God will protect them in the last days. And many are going to be shocked when the Lord returns!

"But God will not save us if we make no effort to do the work he has committed to our charge. We must be found faithfully at our posts, watching as valiant soldiers, lest Satan shall gain an advantage which it is our duty to prevent. We should diligently study the Word of God, and pray in faith that God will restrain the powers of darkness; for as yet the message has gone to comparatively few, and the world is to be lightened with its glory. The present truth regarding the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus has not yet been sounded as it must be. There are many almost within the shadow of our own doors for whose salvation no personal effort has been made." (Review and Herald, March 9, 1911)

All the churches of Babylon preach about the 'love' of God, without the conviction of sin, because Satan has deceived the leaders into accepting a false gospel. They reject the 'everlasting gospel' which is found all throughout the scriptures, which God's remnant church is supposed to preach to the world according to Revelation 14:6.

So why are the majority of God's professed remnant churches also preaching the same 'smooth' messages as the churches of Babylon? Enough. This must stop!

Is the Bible not clear in the message it gives that we are to turn away from all sin? That we are to 'perfect' our characters through the indwelling of Jesus Christ ready for the last days? Well, let's confirm the truth.

1 Peter 2:21-22, "For even hereunto ye were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps, WHO DID NO SIN, neither was guile found in His mouth."

1 John 2:3-4, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

John 5:14, "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

John 8:10-11, "When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Important note: Our obedience (keeping the commandments) is NOT of ourselves. Our obedience is a result of walking in the love of Christ and allowing Him, by His Spirit, to dwell in us and change us.

 

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1 John 4:1-6, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."