False prophets are nothing new. They have plagued society for thousands of years.They always herald new, fresh insights into God’s word. Or, they have experienced a life-changing dream, or a powerful new word from on high. These people are often sincere and at times compelling, but they are false.
What is a greater mystery than that, false prophets still assail people, is that people continue to heed their voice. While we never want to develop a cynical attitude toward a word from God, neither do we want to be gullible every time someone proclaims they have a new divine word for us. The apostle John urged us to “test the spirits.” There are clear ways to examine whether what is being said comes from God.
First, test the messengers. Are they credible? Have they made false claims previously? Is the righteousness of their lives indicative of people who regularly hear from God? Too many people want their words to be taken seriously while their actions are overlooked. The truth is, if peoples’ conduct is questionable, so are their words.
Second, what is their prophetic track record? Some zealous seers issue dire warnings or explicit prophet utterances and then nothing of the sort ever happens. Scripture clearly indicates that the best way to discern a true prophet is simple: did what they foretell come to pass? If not, don’t heed what they tell you.
Third, is what they are foretelling building up Christ and His church, or dividing it and tearing it down? Some self-proclaimed prophets cause nothing but trouble wherever they go. That is not the heart of God. Prophetic words that exalt the prophet, rather than God, do not originate from heaven.
While we cannot control what prophets come our way. We can be discerning.