TESTS OF A TRUE PROPHET
Here are Biblical tests for a true prophet.
1) A true prophet does not lie. His predictions
will be fulfilled. (Jeremiah 28:9, "The prophet which
prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass,
then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him."
2) A true prophet prophesies in the name of the
Lord, not in his own name. "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."2 Peter 1:21.
3) A true prophet does not give his own private
interpretation of prophecy. "Knowing this first, that
no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." 2 Peter
1:20.
4) A true prophet points out the sins and
transgressions of the people against God. "Cry aloud, spare not,
lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression,
and the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah 58:1
5) A true prophet is to warn the people of God's
coming judgment. Examples of judgment such as portrayed in Isaiah
24:20, "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be
removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon
it; and it shall fall, and not rise again."
and Revelation 14:6, 7: "And I saw another angel
fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to
him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.'").
6) A true prophet edifies the church, counsels and
advises it in religious matters. "But he that prophesieth speaketh
unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in
an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the
church." 1 Corinthians 14:3, 4.
7) A true prophet's words will be in absolute
harmony with the words of the prophets that have preceded him.
"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar
spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people
seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? [We are not to go
to anyone who claims to talk to the dead!]
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this
word, it is because there is no light in them. [If they don't uphold
the Commandments and the whole Bible as truth, we must not listen to
them!]" Isaiah 8:19-20
8) A true prophet recognizes the incarnation of
Jesus Christ and that He was made like unto us. "Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that
spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even
now already is it in the world." 1 John 4:1-3 Note: there are many
spiritual powers in the world today that claim that Jesus was born of a
specially prepared, sinless mother--and different from us. This text says
this is an Antichrist!
9) A true prophet can be recognized by the results
of his work. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good
tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
Matthew 7:16-20 Note: Remember the fruits must be judged by the Bible--not
by our own ideas.
10) A true prophet acts in accordance with the
will and approval of God. [Moses said to his people] "The LORD thy
God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in
the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the
LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have
spoken.
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.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
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." Deuteronomy
18:15-22.
Note: When we have tested the words of a prophet and
seen they agree with the Bible and he passes the tests of a true
prophet--God expects us to listen to and obey that prophet! Here Moses was
prophesying about the coming of Jesus--and warned the people that they
must listen too Him when He should come--or be lost! False prophets, on
the other hand, were sentenced to death!
11. ". . . for as for me, straightway there
remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me." Daniel
10:17
False prophets today are known by many names; psychics,
channelers, fortune-tellers, mediums and so on. Many of them go into a
trance-state and claim that this state is the same as a vision. But there
are some amazing differences between a true Vision from God, and a
‘trance’.
When a person goes into a trance, one of the fallen
angels possesses his mind, and the person does not know about his
surroundings during this time. This unawareness is also true of a real
Vision from God, but everything else is different.
In a trance the person often grimaces (makes strange
faces), may groan or twitch and their eyes are closed. In a true Vision,
the prophet has a bright, radiant expression and their eyes are open.
At the start of a True vision, usually the prophet will
fall gracefully to the ground. Then when the angel strengthens them they
often arise and even walk around. People in a trance usually remain in the
position they were in when they tried to go into the trance. This is a big
difference also: false prophets will go into the trance and seek to have a
vision, while true prophets never do--they are given visions only when God
sees fit, and they never try to have one on their own.
There is one sign that Satan cannot imitate: When in
vision, the true prophet DOES NOT BREATH! Yes that is right--he or she
does not breath the whole time the vision is happening, and yet they often
talk anyway. (try to talk without breathing--you can’t)
Now Satan can make his false prophets breath very
shallow and almost look like they don’t breath, but careful examination
will show some breathing. You see, only the God of Heaven, the source of
all LIFE can keep a human alive while they are not breathing. Satan cannot
do this, as he has no power to give life; he is a fraud and a counterfeit.
Ellen White, whose
life and work you can read about here, often was in vision for hours,
and yet even when doctors carefully examined her, they found she did not
breath while in vision!
Based on these texts, it becomes obvious that not
everyone who prophecies is a prophet of God--for a true prophet is
not a psychic who performs at will with the aid of a mental or
"spiritual" crutch, and can have a trance or whatever when he
chooses; but is someone who has no degree of freedom
either in having a vision or telling one. Also true prophets never
advertise or do things to show off or impress people.
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