Beware of False Prophets – The Christian Underground Journal

Those Who Claim to be Prophets Beware!

In opening I would like to use Matt 7:15-16 (ASV)

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”

Ezekiel 13:1–3 “Then this message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all! (NLT)”

For years now I have been burdened with a sense of urgency to warn others concerning false prophets and false teachers. Why, because of what I have heard from various pastors, evangelists, faith healers, prosperity teachers and so forth.

Some Considerations:

What good is it to receive visions and insight if not shared with the body of Christ? What benefit is it to receive words of knowledge that show a direction for the body of Christ and not share it with that body. Many visions today are *NOT* for the body: they are personal, and deal with the sinful areas in an individual’s life.

Regardless of what many of these visions mean, I simply wish to share a few things with you that may dispel some claims to prophetic insight. I’m not attempting to say in any way that God does not use prophecy in our modern age. I am saying that the devil does also, and it is these that I warn your about.

AGAINST FALSE PROPHETS

Matthew Henry: Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that led to sin.

What I would have readers notice here is the references to *FLATTERING DOCTRINES* and the *DRIFT and EFFECT* statements. Our Lord never tells us to remain still, he continually tells us to move ahead and tire not by resting in Him. Our offensive strategy is straight ahead, and our defensive strategy is prayer and unity in purpose. We are not to wait for anything in regard to the gospel or teaching the gospel throughout the earth.

We can learn much from Israel’s trials and snares and especially their dealings with fear and the prophets God sent. There were false prophets then as well and Israel had a unique way of dealing with the problem. In fact, I suspect it got so bad that Israel had a hard time telling the true from the false and this is what caused them to kill the prophets. I realize that the rulers who did not like the

message sought to kill the prophets as well. I submit however, that the religious of those days became fed up with all the confusion. Look at what was said about some of their so-called prophets. Let’s take a brief Philo said during the second temple period.

Philo the Jew

20 B.C to about A.D. 50 He was one of the most important Jewish authors during the second temple period of Judaism and was a contemporary of both Jesus and Paul.

THE SPECIAL LAWS, I

LVIII. (315) And if, indeed, any one assuming the name and appearance of a prophet, forty-seven appearing to be inspired and possessed by the Holy Spirit, were to seek to lead the people to the worship of those who are accounted gods in the different cities, it would not be fitting for the people to attend to him being deceived by the name of a prophet. For such a one is an impostor and not a prophet, since he has been inventing speeches and oracles full of falsehood, (316) even though a brother, or a son, or a daughter, or a wife, or a steward, or a firm friends, or anyone else who seems to be well-intentioned towards one should seek to lead one in a similar course; exhorting one to be cheerful among the multitude, and to approach the same temples and to adopt the same sacrifices; but such an one should be punished as a public and corn man enemy and we should think but little of any relationship, and one should relate his recommendations to all the lovers of piety, who with all speed and without any delay would hasten to indict punishment on the pious man, judging it a virtuous action to be zealous for his execution.

It is plain to see that this problem had special laws established to protect the people from false prophets. Keep in mind that there was a long gap between the last prophets to this statement by Philo.

Jer. 14:14-16 (KJV)

“Then the LORD said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore, thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.”

And again in Lam. 2:14 (KJV):

“Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” There are so many prophecies being thrown about today that most earnest Christian could be deceived into believing something not true. The following Scripture proves my point.

Enticers to idolatry

Deut. 13:1-5 (ASV)

“If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proves you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which Jehovah thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.” As for the office of prophet I close with the following from J. R. Church from the Introduction to “The Ministry of the Prophet.“

The Ministry of the Prophets — J. R. Church:

For a time, during the first century, the Minor Prophets were grouped together into one book–not because their writings were less significant, but perhaps because they were short. It is also thought that the thirty-nine writings of the Old Testament were reduced to twenty-two divisions to correspond to the twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Ruth was attached as an appendix to Judges; Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles had no first and second parts; Ezra and Nehemiah were joined; Lamentations became a part of Jeremiah, and the Minor Prophets were combined into one book.

Flavius Josephus made note of this in his treatise Against Apion:

Twenty-Two Books

“For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing and contradicting one another, but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death … but as to the time from the death of Moses ’til the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life” (Jos. Apion I:8).

Four Hundred Years

Though the twelve Minor Prophets were grouped together, their ministries covered a period of some four hundred years. Hosea is listed first, but Jonah is the earliest of the twelve, written somewhere around 862 BC

Five of the Minor Prophets pre-date the Assyrian Captivity (721 BC). Joel and Micah ministered among the southern two tribes while Hosea, Amos, and Jonah are thought to have lived in the northern part of the divided kingdom.

Prior to the Babylonian invasion in 606 BC, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah challenged the people. Habakkuk may have had his encounter with God during one of the Babylonian sieges of Jerusalem.

During the 70 years of exile, Obadiah penned his prophecy against Edom. Though he was the only Minor Prophet who wrote during this time, his ministry was contemporary with the major works of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Those who wrote after Judah’s return from Babylonian exile were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

The Succession of Prophets Ceased

After the ministry of Malachi, the succession of prophets ceased. Over the next four hundred years there were no prophets. It was not announced that Malachi was to be the last prophet, and no one realized it for many years. But the Old Testament was finished, and the ministry of prophets ceased until the arrival of the promised Messiah.

I Maccabees

Following the revolt of the Maccabees against Antiochus Epiphanes (168-165 BC), the book of I Maccabees mentioned that there was no prophet and that there had not been one for a prolonged period: So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen among them” (I Macc. 9:27).

After the Syrians were defeated (165 B.C.), the Temple was cleansed. However, since swine had been slaughtered upon the altar, no one knew what to do with it. There was no prophet to give direction. Therefore, it was dismantled and stored in a designated place in the Temple compound until a prophet could arise to give them a word from God: “… they pulled it down, “And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them. “Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar …” (I Macc. 4:45-47). The people turned to Simon for leadership until a prophet should appear to give them further guidance: “Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their governor and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet” (I Macc 14:41).

Flavius Josephus

About A.D. 100, Josephus confirmed the general opinion that the succession of prophets had been discontinued: “It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have given credit to these books of our own nation is evident by what we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add anything to them, to take anything from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural to all Jews immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain Divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be, willingly to die for them’ (Jos. Apion I:8).

The Work Complete

Josephus indicated that the many apocryphal writings which followed Malachi were not considered as a part of the divinely inspired Word of God. Why? Because there was no prophet to tell them that those later books were divine. But of those 22 books that were canonized as inspired, the Jews would not add anything to them or take anything from them. This consensus expressed by Josephus was also given in the last book of the New Testament. In Revelation 22:18-19, John heard Christ say: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22: 18-19).

Why were there no more prophets immediately after Malachi? Because the divinely inspired books of the Old Testament were complete. When Christ came, the ministry of the prophets was revived for a brief time until the New Testament was finished. Then the succession of prophets ended.

Two Prophets Yet to Come

But that is not the end of the ministry of the prophets. The book of Revelation predicts a short revival of prophets during the Tribulation Period: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). A king may assume his authority because of family lineage; a priest may be appointed or elected in like manner; but a prophet can only be called by God to be a spokesman for Him.

Foretelling the future is the prominent feature of a prophet’s ministry, but it is not the only feature. The prophet was a spokesman to relay God’s message to people. The message which survived the centuries and still awaits fulfillment is that of Israel’s redemption. It became the focal point of their message. Not one man has been regarded as a prophet during the past 2,000 years. Oh, there have been many great ministers, but no one has taken on the office of prophet, nor has that title been bestowed upon any.

There may have been some who tried to assume the role, but their authority was self-imposed, and historically, was not accepted by any group of theologians or historians.

A Divine Calling

My point is this: the office of prophet was an exalted position related to a Divine calling. No one could assume that role by vote or descent. Only God called the prophets. They were responsible only to Him. Therefore, the messages of these Minor Prophets should be revered as coming directly from God, Himself. We should be concerned with understanding each one of them. For that reason, we have prepared these studies on the Minor Prophets. Truly, they pierced the veil of time and saw the future!

Warning

Teaching has never ended as the prophets did after Malichi. Teachers of Torah and the Gospels continue to this day. Everyone needs to prove teachers of the Gospel’s and the letters of the New Testament that they are not adding something that is not there or add an esoteric teaching that borders on modernism (Gnosticism) that makes Yeshua to be someone other than He is in the Scriptures. We live in a time of deception and wonder. Trust and believe in Yeshua alone, not what anyone starts to say about His return. We will know when He comes!