Also, if someone set a date for the end of the world which did not come to fruition, are they a false prophet?
2007-10-08 02:05:12 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Generally brother Jonathan I believe that a false prophet is someone who speaks and prophesies things that are not in line with the whole divine revelation revealed in the Holy Word of God. You spoke of some who seek to predict the end of this age and also the coming of the Lord and this too is another indicator that this one is false. Ellen G White is one that I can readily recall.
They also tend to draw persons to themselves rather than directing people to God.
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets who came to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are raveneous wolves.
Throughtout the whole bible there has arisen false prophets and to this day they still rise up
1 John 4:1
Beloved do not believe every spirit but prove the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world
Jeremiah 14:14
Matthew 24:11, 24
Mark 13:22
Luke 6:26
Acts 13:6
2 Peter 2:1
1John 4:1
Revelation 16:13 and 19:20
May we KNOW the word by delving into it ourselves. Putting on the whole armour of God that we will be able to stand in this evil day. To have a sharp and sensitive spirit of discernment that is full of all the truth and words of Christ.
Col 3:16
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God"
May our Lord keep and preserve all the dear brothers and sisters
your sister
sandy
2007-10-08 07:24:04 · answer #1 · answered by Broken Alabaster Flask 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dear Jonathan,
I see that you've already got a few good answers but I would like to speak to what Kiefer says.
God tells us through His Word about FALSE prophets. It wasn't a term made up by the Church to make money.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 shows us that IF somebody or some organization gives a message and claims it is from God then we can know if they were / are telling the TRUTH by whether or not the prophesied message comes about.
Take a look at 1 Kings 18. I call this The Showdown at Mount Carmel. Four hundred fifty prophets of Baal along with four hundred prophets of Asherah offered a sacrifice on an altar and prayed to their gods but nothing, absolutely nothing happened.
Then Elijah offered his sacrifice on another altar and it was accepted, thereby proving that he was a true prophet of the living God.
Since my mother is a Watchtower witness and has given me lots of books, I am very familiar with what they teach. However from an early age I knew her message was not true. It wasn't until I read the Bible from cover-to-cover for myself more than 15 years ago that I was able to discern that the Watchtower is a modern day FALSE prophet.
For His glory,
JOYfilled
2007-10-08 02:33:46 · answer #2 · answered by JOYfilled - Romans 8:28 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It seems that these days, any preacher can come along with
a charismatic personality, claim to have had a vision from
God or a prophecy etc., or do a fake healing or some magic
trick, and they are believed - none of their words are
ever tested against what the Bible says.
The usual Biblical test of a prophet is that what he "sees" comes true, every single time - one mistake and he's out!
However, it is possible that with demonic help even a
false prophet could make predictions that come true
and thereby mislead the people, so very early in the
Bible is a special warning...
Deu 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams,
appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign
or wonder,
Deu 13:2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken
takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods"
(gods you have not known) "and let us worship them,"
Deu 13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet
or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out
whether you love him with all your heart and with all your
soul.
Deu 13:4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him
you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
Deu 13:5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death,
because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God,
who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
So a prophet whose prophecies come true is still a false
prophet if he uses his prophecies/signs/wonders to convince
you to worship a different God or if his message is a different Gospel that contradicts the Gospels in the Bible.
2007-10-08 02:22:35 · answer #3 · answered by jeffd_57 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A false prophet on one hand is someone who teaches doc tines contrary to what the Bible says.
You know them by their fruits, which is why Bible study is so important.
On another hand, someone who sets dates for the end of the world may or may not be a false prophet. Sometimes it is just over zealousness.
Remember that the scriptures seem to indicate that the early church believed that Yeshua would return in their lifetimes.
There is yet another level of teachings or prophecy that have just not yet come to pass.
2007-10-08 02:19:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A false prophet must first stand up and act as a prophet in that he/she/they speak for God or say they are the only people who can understand the writing of the Holy Scriptures and then give a prophetic statement such as setting end of time dates/times. THEN their prophetic statements DO NOT COME TO PASS.
2007-10-08 02:16:13 · answer #5 · answered by Carol D 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The term 'false prophet' was created by the church so they could condemn anyone they thought was going against their belief, such as fortune-tellers simply trying to make a living. They wouldn't have cared about them otherwise if not for the fact that fortune-telling was one of the major things that took attention away from christianity. So yes, in a way, people who predict the second coming and are incorrect could be considered false prophets.
2007-10-08 02:11:58 · answer #6 · answered by Kiefer H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
True prophets of God were 100% accurate all the time. Anyone who makes a spiritual claim they attempt to base on Scripture that doesn't come to pass could and probably should be considered a false prophet, especially if the Bible can be used to prove that they're wrong.
2007-10-08 06:22:40 · answer #7 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Old Testament on false prophets.
"If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NIV).
Yes, if a prophet predicted something that did not occur you can safely say that the prophet is in error. Therefore, they must be a false prophet. No one but God knows this.
New Testament on False Prophets:
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: EVERY spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world" (1 John 4:1-3 NIV).
A false prophet does not recognize that Jesus came from God or does not represent the God that is known to true believers. John says nothing about comparing what a prophet says versus to what the Bible says.
2007-10-08 02:43:10 · answer #8 · answered by Soul Shaper 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mohammad was a false prophet. Joseph Smith was not. A true prophet that is alive today is Gordon B. Hinkley.
2016-05-18 22:58:16 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way to know is to have God's Word in you. You must have on the breast plate if truth that tells you right away if someone is lying. You must also be operating the gift of discernment. It comes with the Holy Spirit Baptism. Ask Jesus to baptise you in the Holy Spirit and then let the Holy Spirit stay at your side constantly. It is about the only way. The devil is good at trickery, but God knows his methods well. They just will no fly in the face of truth.
2007-10-08 02:10:33 · answer #10 · answered by happylife22842 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋