Christians how do you define a False Prophet according to scripture? Can someone who believes in God be one?

Question

A lot of people say False Prophets are only people who do not believe in God, and pretend that they do for financial gain. What do all of you think about that? Please provide examples?

Answer 1

A false prophet can, like anyone else, believe in God, hell, the devil himself believes in God. A false prophet, though, is someone who claims that they have received words from God or that they have received some sort of knowledge from God or some kind of leading from God or some stuff like that when they really haven't. They can believe in God, they just don't have a proper view of Him and His ways that is properly grounded in Scripture. They basically make up their own things that they then say come from God, and lead thousands and thousands of people astray. These are the "wolves in sheeps clothing" that Jesus Himself warned about in the New Testament. They are to be watched out for and properly extricated and removed from the community of faith because they have knowingly and puropsefully led people astray. That is why there is so much pressure in being a pastor or teacher in a church ministry because you have God and the entire congregation looking at you and seeing if you are the real deal in this regard, whether you are really sent by God to say and do this ministry or whether you are in it for alterior motives that have nothing to do with serving the Lord and furthering His kingdom on this earth. Ministry really is not for the faint of heart in this regard. But these false prophets, some of them likely do believe in God. The problem is they do not have what is called an "orthodox" (right, correct) view of God and His evangelistic message of discipleship for all the nations of this world.

Answer 2

In Matthew, Jesus says that a false prophet can be defined by it's fruit. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and a good tree cannot produce bad. How to interpret this can be a puzzle, but I believe all he's saying is that if someone is a false prophet, he could not be found doing good. I think that a false prophet can be a christian, because, after all, wasn't Satan God's chief angel? Christians that take the poweer of God and use it for themselves I think can be considered 'False Prophets'. But then again, whats the definition for False prophet?

Answer 3

Jesus said there would be many false prophets and false saviors. Paul said they would arise from amongst us.

But worse yet, People like Judas did not even know they were possessed.

What do you think of the 100,000,000 people killed by Christians who thought, as Jesus said: "the time will come when those who kill you will think they are doing God a favor."

God wanted to make things straight, and He had a solution, and it was hidden in a Bible code, "sealed until the end of the days." It will tell you how to find the truth and identify Antichrist.
Access: www.revelado.org/revealed.htm

Blessings and peace, One-Way

Answer 4

In every instance of the Bible where false prophets are mentioned, a false prophet is someone who, intentionally or unintentionally, says that God has told him to deliver His word to someone. In other words, whereas a prophet (true prophet) receives God's word through some means (vision, direct revelation, burning bush, whatever) and is instructed to take that word to the people in God's name, a false prophet does not get his revelation from God, but says he does. The false phophet may prophesy something that is false, or simply be telling a prophesy that does not come from God.

Answer 5

False prophets and teachers have many motives besides money. Primarily for their own Ego, Pride, authority and praise of man. They are all doing the work of their master the devil.

1 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.

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Matthew 24:11 - And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:24 - 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.

Mark 13:22 - For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Luke 6:26 - Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Acts 13:6 - And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:


2 Peter 2:1 - 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.

Revelation 19:20 - And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Answer 6

A"Prophet" will never and could never say anything contrary to God or His word. False "prophets" are all around and if you have understanding they're easy to weed out.

Someone might say they believe in God, but what god? Is it the God that you believe in? If it is then the message would be consistent with the Bible. In addition, even the demons believe....so we have to be faithful and study the word and put our faith entirely in God so we have the discernment that is required.

Answer 7

Here is what the Bible say about False prophets:

Matthew 7:15-21. You could identify them by their fruits. They call Jesus lord, perform miracles ( in the name of Jesus), yet do wicked things. They do not know the will of the Father.

Deuternonomy 13:1-5. Their predictions could come true. They perform miracles. Yet, all of these are intended to fool people into worshipping other gods--beside the true God Jehovah.

Examples: most modern preachers who do it for money and are engaged actually in sexual immorality. Ancient example is Balaam. His deeds are recorded in chapters 22 and 23 of Numbers and Jude 15. Only a miracle from God--that of a talking donkey-prevented him from doing harm to God's people.

Answer 8

A false prophet to me is when one changes the Word of God to fit their agendas.

Answer 9

I am a muslim but being on Q&A i would like to share my thoughts about your question.
One cannot be a prophet by his own choice. Its God's decision. It's Gods choice whom He give this privilege. And whoever were the prophets they conveyed the message of God to make HIM happy not for any materialistic purposes. The last prophet according to holy scriptures was prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and after him whoever claimed to be a prophet is a liar.

Answer 10

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall privately bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, bring swift destruction upon themselves". (2 Peter 2:1),

"For the time will come when they shall not endure sound teaching, but after their own lusts they shal heap to themselves teachers who tell them what they want to hear,, and they will turn away their ears from the truth..." 2 Tim .4:3

"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-Christ, that denies the Father and the Son." (I John 2:22)