False Prophets

             Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

            False prophets. They tell you what you want to hear. They pretend to be on your side and to be there to help you, but in the end, they do you harm. They may even come to you claiming to speak the Word of God, but they mix it with the lies that will achieve their goals. This goes back to yesterday’s post – many may claim to be Christians. They may believe they are. False prophets may not know they are false. They may think themselves righteous and believe they are speaking for God. That doesn’t mean they are.

            In the Old Testament, there were two basic proofs that a prophet was a false prophet. I don’t recall specific proofs that a prophet spoke for God, except the reversal of the proofs of a false prophet. The first was that what the prophet said did not come to pass. The challenge here is that just because something didn’t happen immediately doesn’t mean it won’t eventually happen. But if a prophet announces that on thus and such a date, this will happen, and it doesn’t, the prophet is a false prophet.

            The second test was that the prophet was false if a prophet suggested following or worshipping any other god but God. A third thing that may be considered an auxiliary to this is the idea that if a prophet spoke in violation of the teachings of Scripture. And the rule for what one did with false prophets – even if they were proven wrong even once – was to execute them.

            These are examples of someone being a bad tree and bearing bad fruit. And it is not enough to say, “But I’m not claiming to be a prophet!” If what someone teaches, preaches, advocates, suggests, recommends, encourages, or otherwise tries to influence someone else to do violates Scripture, that person is a false prophet.

            And once again, Jesus is calling us to stand in judgment. If someone’s “fruit” is bad – consistently bad, we must question their Christianity- not to others, but to the person. And we must not follow that person into their ways.