There are a lot of comments currently being made by various groups about true and false prophecy. These comments are being made by both true and false prophets. Each group claims exclusivity for uttering true prophecies.
Some in those groups are true prophets, and some in those groups are false prophets. In addition there are the prophet wannabees, and those with the charisma descension Holy Spirit gift of prophecy, who mistakenly assume they are gifted with the doma ascension gift of prophet given by Jesus Christ. Some of the true prophets have been called and gifted as doma ascension gift prophets. However, they have not been prepared by God, nor has He sent them yet. Others have been called and are being, or have been, prepared, but the Father has not sent them yet. And the prophet wannabees and those with the Holy Spirit charisma descension gift of prophecy wrongly identify themselves as somewhere in the process of being called, prepared and sent as a doma ascension gift of prophet.
In this confused prophetic scenario the comments concerning uttering true prophecies and being true prophets are really an indictment of everybody else. A charge that says that all others are uttering false prophecies and are false prophets.
Criteria stated for identifying false prophets and false prophecy are varied and leave many confused.
There are several verses of scripture, however, that are bottom line in content:
Hebrews 1:1-3:
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus Christ is the authoritative prophet in these last days because He made the worlds (i.e., the universe and everything in it), and is God.
Revelation 10:7:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
How many know that John the Revelator wrote that verse sometime in the first century? How many understand that John was speaking of the prophets up until the time he wrote the book of Revelation? That includes Old Testament prophets, mentioned in Hebrews 1 as quoted above, and also includes Jesus Christ Himself.
If you are stupid enough to believe that would include what is called “present day prophets” then I have to leave you to your own devices as you are too far removed from reality to attempt to relate to in a rational, intelligent and logical manner.
Revelation 19:10:
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
In the Amplified Bible the latter part of the verse reads: “... Worship God! For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy—the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose [including both mine and yours].)”
To be clear, the phrase “the testimony of Jesus” does not refer to what Jesus testified. It refers to what is testified about Him. (See Revelation 1:2,9; 12:17 which are printed below).
Revelation 1:2:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:9:
9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17:
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
As one translation reads: “... Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Or to put it another way, the spirit of prophecy is the testimony about Jesus.
In addition to this testimony about Jesus we have to also consider the clear teachings of Jesus Himself. As the Amplified Bible says: “... the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus ...” We could modify that to mean the substance and essence of the truth revealed by and about Jesus.
The Old Testament spoke of the coming of Jesus. The New Testament spoke of Jesus having come and coming again. The New Testament also records the teachings of Jesus.
Now comes the acid test: In the prophetic utterances you hear today, a simple criteria is to ask: where is Jesus in all of this? How does this word reveal things that are stated in scripture about Jesus? How does this word reveal the essence of the truth that Jesus lived and taught?
The book of Colossians concerns false teachings that Paul encountered at Colossae—their attempts at snycretising legalism, Greek philosophy and mysticism. “The Ryrie Study Bible” comments in this extract: “In combating this heresy, Paul emphasizes the cosmic significance of Christ as Lord of creation and Head of the church. Any teaching, practice, or intermediary that detracts from the uniqueness and centrality of Christ, is against the faith.”
“The Ryrie Study Bible” also makes this comment on chapter 3, verse 1: “Here begins the ethical section of the letter. Paul’s appeal is simple: Become in experience what you already are by God’s grace. The Christian is risen with Christ; let him exhibit that new life.”
If you will read and study your Bible and can identify that which speaks about Jesus and can understand what the Bible says concerning Jesus and if you can identify and understand what Jesus taught by His lifestyle and His teachings then you will be able to identify true and false prophecy.
Jesus did not teach about the various “movements” we have seen within the past several or more years. Therefore when you read a word that mentions that “movement” you know it is not of God. Jesus did not teach about prophets being hatched out of golden eggs by angels. Jesus did not promote one man-made movement over another. He did not even faintly suggest that one human being of His ekklesia had authority over and control of another saints’ life and family.
Jesus did not teach that He would take away His gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds as teachers to His ekklesia and restore them in the last days. Jesus did not teach that His functional gifts of those teachers to the body of Christ are “offices” of authority and power. Jesus wants His ekklesia to mature and grow up. Why would He take away the functional gifts needed for that purpose?
I could go on and on and on about what Jesus did not teach and about what was not testified about Him in either the Old Testament or the New Testament. But ... don’t you grown up men and women know that stuff is not of God?
There can be no other standard by which we experience and judge prophecy other than the uniqueness and centrality of Jesus Christ as presented to us in God’s word, the Bible.
