“Them – Lying Prophets!” “Beware of them lying Prophets!” Have you ever heard anyone say any of those words either to themselves or to another person? Were you surprised or shocked by their statement? How did it make you feel? What emotions did it arouse inside you? Do you believe that lying prophets still exist among us in these modern times? What are your thoughts? What do you think?
Perhaps you may be wondering, if Prophets do exist, how can you tell? What is the difference between True Prophets and False Prophets? Well, a person can tell the difference between them because of their misleading nature. You see, True Prophets found in the Bible loved the truth and sought to draw people closer to God by declaring the truth about God and for God. By contrast, false prophets were driven to lead people away from God through deception and lies.
It was all about their motives. Their motives set them apart. False prophets were frequently more interested in gaining popularity than telling the truth. Jeremiah 6:14 and Ezekiel 13:16 point out that to achieve admiration, false prophets told people whatever they wanted to hear, rather than the reality they needed to hear. Similarly, Micah 3:11; Titus 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:5; and 2 Peter 2:3 highlight that, “False prophets were usually motivated by self-interest, greed, and personal or financial gain.”
Do you think false prophets still exist in these modern times? Yes, they do and who dares to argue with a pronouncement from them when their words are preceded by the magic words, “The Lord told me…?” In the Bible, false prophets were people who claimed to speak the Word of God but instead spread false messages and teachings. In other words, those so-called prophets told lies in the name of the Lord. They were the people who spoke on behalf of false gods.
Conversely, biblically, and historically, true prophets did the opposite. They spoke out about injustice and exploitation. They spoke on God’s behalf when his people went astray and forgot the poor. They punched up. Not down. They spoke truth to power as it were, not condemnation to the downtrodden and marginalized. Ironically, this is the very OPPOSITE of what true prophets do. There are a whole lot of people who call themselves “prophets” today. But most of them barely acknowledge poverty, exploitation, or injustice among God’s people.
If you really want a greater insight as to the workings of both the true prophets and false prophets, search the scriptures and see them in operation. God wants us to be able to identify them. The Bible is filled with many prophets, people like the prophet Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Zechariah, and Jonah, just to name a few, and here is a little sampling of what those true Biblical Prophets sounded like in the old days, just to give you an idea.
? The Prophet Amos proclaimed, “Hear this, you who trample the needy and destroy the poor of the land!” (Amos 8:4)
? The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “Seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:17)
? The Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed, “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice.” (Jeremiah 22:13)
? The Prophet Ezekiel proclaimed “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49)
? The Prophet Micah proclaimed, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
? The Prophet Zechariah proclaimed, “Thus says the Lord of hosts… do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the immigrant, or the poor…” (Zechariah 7:9-10)
Prophets were used as God’s messengers. Ephesians 4:11-12 state, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” Their voices resonate the voice of God himself. The things prophets say usually come to pass. God used them mightily. When God spoke to them, there was no doubt in their minds. They even acted sometimes, against their own will or desire. Prophets of God are messengers sent by God to deliver a message of God. Here are some of the things God told them:
In Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah states, “Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusions of their own minds.”
Additionally, in Jeremiah 23:30-32, God spoke to Jeremiah again: “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.
Matthew 7:15-16, instructs us to, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. It further states, you can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. It asked the question, “Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” Prophets had clear authority from God to speak. Do you now see and understand that the work of a Prophet was no joke, it was not a walk in the park?
Remember: Prophets are God’s messengers. Their messages are not a compromise but an ultimatum. The task of the prophet is not to smooth things over but to make things right. Prophets have no other purpose, no other mission except to serve God. So, watch out for lying Prophets.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 3. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
