Scripture has provided an easy fool proof test to identify false prophets. A false prophet is one who is being empowered by demons. Those who follow the teachings of a false prophet are being led by demons. Miracles and signs and wonders being performed by a false prophet or by those who follow the teachings of a false prophet are being empowered by demons.
So here is the beauty of this simple test. You don't have to argue over interpretations if you can demonstrate a person or a movement has originated with a false prophet - if it is a false prophet it is demonic in origin and so is any denomination or movement that either claims that person as their prophet or follows the doctrines of that false prophet.
The greatest Old Testament prophet (Moses) who furnished the first five books of the Old Testament provided two tests to reveal false prophets (Deut. 13:1-5; 18:18-20). Under a theocratic government such as Israel just failing these tests ONCE resulted in death for that prophet. Christians are not under a theocratic government where they can put people to death, but nevertheless, failure of either of these tests still proves that man or woman is a false prophet.
The reason that the death sentence could be imposed for just ONE FAILURE is because God promises to be with the mouth of his prophets so they do not fail even once either of these tests. Even when at times God uses lost persons or false prophets to speak through he overrules their mouth so they cannot speak anything but what he wants them to speak. This is seen clearly in God's use of the High Priest Caiphas who sentenced Christ to death:
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; - John 11:51
This is clearly seen by the use of the false prophet Balaam who ultimately failed the first test of Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-5. However, he realized when God spoke through him he could not control what he said:
Nu 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Nu 22:38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
Nu 24:13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
God controlled the mouth of all true prophets so they could not violate the tests of a true prophet. Like Moses, Jeremiah thought he could not fulfill the role of a prophet as one who could speak for God, but God said unto him:
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. - Jer. 1:9
Deut. 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Jesus told his apostles who would produce inspired scriptures:
Lu 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, where against, all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist.
This is what Peter meant when he spoke of the scriptures provided by the prophets:
2 Pet. 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Prophets did not give forth their "private interpretation" or personal opinions but what they gave forth "came not....by the will of man" but they spake as they were moved or under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is why God's true prophets never fail the tests of a true prophet and this is why false prophets can always be identified because they will ALWAYS fail one or more Biblical tests of a prophet.
OBJECTION: Nobody is perfect, everybody makes mistakes. Not everybody claims to be a prophet or claims to speak in behalf of God. If you claim to be a prophet of God then you are subject to the Biblical tests to determine whether you are a true or a false prophet and God's prophets always pass these tests because God's prophets have their mouth kept by God so they always pass these tests.
A. The First Mosaic test that reveals a false prophet: - The test of true doctrine:
Deut. 13:1 ¶ If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
1. His prophecies come true - "And the sign or the wonder come to pass"
2. His doctrine contradicts what has previously been confirmed and revealed as God's commandments
3. He is to be put to death - "And that prophet, or that dreamer of dream, shall be put to death"
COMMENT: God used miracles signs and wonders to confirm the message of His prophets to be true. Satan uses miracles signs and wonders to deceive the people of God into thinking his false doctrines come from God, therefore, Paul identified miracles signs and wonders coming from Satan and his prophets as "lying" wonders (2 Thes. 2:9) not because they were not authentic or real but because they were designed to deceive people into thinking they were from God.
B. The Second Mosaic Test that reveals a false Prophet - the Test of prophetic accuracy:
Deut. 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
1. Just one failure results in death - no second chances - Because God puts his words into the mouths of his true prophets so they do not fail (Deu. 18:18 "will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.")
2. If anything prophesied does not come to pass as prophesied it is the proof of a false prophet.
C. After Moses God gives at least five more tests to reveal false prophets, and failure just once in any of these tests reveal that person as a false prophet
1. The Test of Divine Origin of all claimed revelation from God - Plagiarization proof of a false prophet:
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied....Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. - Jer. 23:21,30
2. The test of good fruits:
Beware of false prophets.. ye shall know them by their fruits. - Mt.7:15-1,6
The test of fruit of their mouth - doctrinal character, as well as the fruit of their lives or moral character. God's prophets are called "holy men of God" (2 Pet. 1:21) while false prophets are characterized by unholiness (2 Pet. 2; Jude).
(CONTINUED in one more post)
So here is the beauty of this simple test. You don't have to argue over interpretations if you can demonstrate a person or a movement has originated with a false prophet - if it is a false prophet it is demonic in origin and so is any denomination or movement that either claims that person as their prophet or follows the doctrines of that false prophet.
The greatest Old Testament prophet (Moses) who furnished the first five books of the Old Testament provided two tests to reveal false prophets (Deut. 13:1-5; 18:18-20). Under a theocratic government such as Israel just failing these tests ONCE resulted in death for that prophet. Christians are not under a theocratic government where they can put people to death, but nevertheless, failure of either of these tests still proves that man or woman is a false prophet.
The reason that the death sentence could be imposed for just ONE FAILURE is because God promises to be with the mouth of his prophets so they do not fail even once either of these tests. Even when at times God uses lost persons or false prophets to speak through he overrules their mouth so they cannot speak anything but what he wants them to speak. This is seen clearly in God's use of the High Priest Caiphas who sentenced Christ to death:
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; - John 11:51
This is clearly seen by the use of the false prophet Balaam who ultimately failed the first test of Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-5. However, he realized when God spoke through him he could not control what he said:
Nu 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Nu 22:38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
Nu 24:13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
God controlled the mouth of all true prophets so they could not violate the tests of a true prophet. Like Moses, Jeremiah thought he could not fulfill the role of a prophet as one who could speak for God, but God said unto him:
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. - Jer. 1:9
Deut. 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Jesus told his apostles who would produce inspired scriptures:
Lu 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, where against, all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist.
This is what Peter meant when he spoke of the scriptures provided by the prophets:
2 Pet. 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Prophets did not give forth their "private interpretation" or personal opinions but what they gave forth "came not....by the will of man" but they spake as they were moved or under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is why God's true prophets never fail the tests of a true prophet and this is why false prophets can always be identified because they will ALWAYS fail one or more Biblical tests of a prophet.
OBJECTION: Nobody is perfect, everybody makes mistakes. Not everybody claims to be a prophet or claims to speak in behalf of God. If you claim to be a prophet of God then you are subject to the Biblical tests to determine whether you are a true or a false prophet and God's prophets always pass these tests because God's prophets have their mouth kept by God so they always pass these tests.
A. The First Mosaic test that reveals a false prophet: - The test of true doctrine:
Deut. 13:1 ¶ If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
1. His prophecies come true - "And the sign or the wonder come to pass"
2. His doctrine contradicts what has previously been confirmed and revealed as God's commandments
3. He is to be put to death - "And that prophet, or that dreamer of dream, shall be put to death"
COMMENT: God used miracles signs and wonders to confirm the message of His prophets to be true. Satan uses miracles signs and wonders to deceive the people of God into thinking his false doctrines come from God, therefore, Paul identified miracles signs and wonders coming from Satan and his prophets as "lying" wonders (2 Thes. 2:9) not because they were not authentic or real but because they were designed to deceive people into thinking they were from God.
B. The Second Mosaic Test that reveals a false Prophet - the Test of prophetic accuracy:
Deut. 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
1. Just one failure results in death - no second chances - Because God puts his words into the mouths of his true prophets so they do not fail (Deu. 18:18 "will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.")
2. If anything prophesied does not come to pass as prophesied it is the proof of a false prophet.
C. After Moses God gives at least five more tests to reveal false prophets, and failure just once in any of these tests reveal that person as a false prophet
1. The Test of Divine Origin of all claimed revelation from God - Plagiarization proof of a false prophet:
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied....Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. - Jer. 23:21,30
2. The test of good fruits:
Beware of false prophets.. ye shall know them by their fruits. - Mt.7:15-1,6
The test of fruit of their mouth - doctrinal character, as well as the fruit of their lives or moral character. God's prophets are called "holy men of God" (2 Pet. 1:21) while false prophets are characterized by unholiness (2 Pet. 2; Jude).
(CONTINUED in one more post)