False Prophets
Lately I’ve noticed a rash of so called prophets who are making predictions of catastrophic proportions. Some people sound very convincing, so what are some good references or guidelines we can look to when trying to determine if this person is truly gifted in prophecy, or just seeking attention?
Q. Lately I’ve noticed a rash of so called prophets who are making predictions of catastrophic proportions. The latest I saw was one where a person claimed God showed them that there was to be 3 nuclear explosions in the US along with a terrible earthquake out west. These predictions were made for June 16, 2007. Well, obviously, it came and went without explosions or earthquakes. Fortunately for the person who made this prediction, we no longer stone false prophets.
But this has led me to do some thinking about whether or not there are certain patterns that the prophets from the scriptures followed. What kind of men were they? Why did God choose them in particular? What about the nature of prophecy itself? Some people sound very convincing so what are some good references or guidelines we can look to when trying to determine if this person is truly gifted in prophecy, or just seeking attention?
A. First of all, we have to understand that the Office of Prophet is occupied by the Lord Jesus (Hebr. 1:1-2) That means that 1) No one else can officially speak for God to His people today, and 2) Everything that is said by men claiming to be prophets has to conform with what the Lord has already said.
That said, there are those to whom God has given the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 12:10) This gift is meant to help provide detail in local or personal situations consistent with the revealed plan of God. For example, someone with this gift may tell another person what God has in store for them in terms of ministry. In these cases, it’s always good to seek independent confirmation before acting. If two believers who don’t know each other independently tell you the same thing, then it’s probably legitimate.
But I know of no one alive today who is able to speak specific prophecies about the things of God in our time with the unfailing accuracy required of Old Testament prophets.
As to the kinds of men God chose, there doesn’t seem to b any rhyme or reason. Isaiah was well to do and influential, Amos was an unknown, a poor farmer. Ezekiel and Jeremiah were priests, Daniel was a prince, David was a King, but others were of unknown backgrounds.
They were from all over Israel and from every walk of life. Very few were popular in their time and some were horribly mistreated. But they all had an unflinching resolve to carry out the assignment the Lord had given them. Perhaps God saw that quality and chose them accordingly, or perhaps He instilled it in them. It seems in most cases at least, that God wanted us to remember the message, not the messenger.
