They say, “beware of False Prophets”—-but do you know what that really means? Do you understand the importance of not being deceived by the False Prophets and Teachers [aka ‘wolves in sheep clothing’] in today’s church? According to Matthew 7:15-16, the bible talks about the fact that they appear to be harmless but are dangerous and very deceptive. With that being said, in this article, Beware of False Prophets + Teachers, we’ll delve into the real things to look out for, the deceptive nature of “fruits” that are used, and so much more.
What is a False Prophet or Teacher?
In a gist, false prophets and teachers are those who falsely claim to speak for God or divine inspiration, but instead spread harmful or misleading teaching. Unlike popular belief, there can be a bit of truth present, however, it’s often wrapped with “lies” and the source is outside of God [often divination, their own hearts/minds, etc].
What Does the Bible Say About False Prophets?
When it comes to the bible, false prophets and teachers are mentioned quite a bit, including from Paul and Jesus. As we know, we’re often told to be vigilant, bereans, and beware of them, however, the following scriptures breakdown the importance of this:
Matthew 7: 15-16 — speaks about false prophets + teachers appearing harmless but are truly dangerous and very deceptive!
Ezekiel 13 — speaks about God condemning false prophets who lead His people astray; literally destroying them.
Revelation 20:10 — speaks about how false prophets will be tormented in the lake of burning sulfur [aka fire] for eternity.
2 Timothy 4:3 — speaks about people not wanting sound doctrine, but rather things that “itch” their ears.
In addition, the Bible mentions that we will know them by their “fruit”. This means that you should pay attention to a Prophet or Teacher’s actions, which should correspond to their message [aka true Word of God]. Therefore, it’s so imperative that we fully understand what actual fruit are and not be deceived by thinking that material wealth, worldly things, or success equates to fruit.
What Are Biblical Fruits?
Fruits in the bible are basically attributes that a person exhibits when they live in accordance with the Holy Spirit and is something that all of us as Believers should attain as we continue to walk with Jesus—–hence the process of sanctification and purification. According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruits of the spirit include Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control.
Fruits of the spirit are developed by God’s Grace and cultivated through relationship with Him, reading of His Word, repentance/prayer, tests + trials, etc. In addition, these “fruits” go hand in hand with the law—–which means that they help us carry out the biblical laws + commandments through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
How to Examine a Prophet or Teacher’s Fruit? What to Look For?
When it comes to examining a prophet or teacher’s fruit, it’s so important to look closely at a few things [and in various situations] like their track record and consider the “meat” of their teachings—-both which should point to righteousness and God’s commands.
Evidences of godly teachers/prophets:
- They make disciples by preaching the Word of God and the complete Gospel.
- They use their gifts to benefit others and edify others—-not themselves.
- They love and honor their fellow Believers—–not based on friendship/relationship, status or success, but even those subordinate to them.
- They seek humble ways to do good everywhere—–not to be seen or to prove their righteousness.
- They live a life of repentance/righteousness and aren’t worried about being “of the world”, but rather pleasing God.
Dangers of those who do “Good” to be seen or praised:
- It’s all about them!
- They show godly disciplines to appear ‘righteous” instead of it being shown through the anointing of their gifts. Think about how the Pharisees were and what Jesus made clear in Matthew 6.
- Idolatry is easily formed.
- Causes others to follow suit—knowingly or unknowingly.
What False Prophets + Teachers Dangerously Do:
While we should be looking for godly characteristics and evidences of any prophet or teacher or pastor, there are a few things that the false ones dangerously do in front of us [or behind the scenes] deceptively:
Tricks + Gimmicks: Yes, we do understand the notion of being somewhat “creative” when it comes to giving the Word of God, however, today, we see a ton of prophets and teachers who don’t give the “meaty” Word of God and lean way more into tricks, gimmicks, and “self-help” sermons to keep us engaged and proactive in our Church attendance/giving. This is dangerous because it’s only in the pure Word of God can we be transformed, our minds renewed, and our hearts fertilized to actually bear fruit.
Word Play + Gaslighting: When you hear them say “You need a prophet in your life” or anything to that effect—-run! What we ALL need is Jesus which is why we should never idolize ANY man who is merely a vessel being used by God [if they’re actually godly]. Why? Because for one—-they aren’t God and cannot truly change your life or your heart [only God is God] and secondly, we see instances like with Saul where they can be appointed and have God with them until they walk in disobedience/rebellion which might not be evident to the general public. Also, understand that any prophet, pastor, or teacher who chastises you for questioning or hesitating on anything they’ve said or taught is one to pray about. As long as your concerns are communicated respectively, it shouldn’t be met with rebuke, gaslighting, or anything of that nature because NO MAN is above reproof.
Double Life: Now this one is a bit harder to decipher today because of social media and the “perfectly curated” lifestyle that is often shown. However, being able to see a prophet or teacher’s lifestyle by being a part of the flock or in proximity is key. Are they living according to the Bible [not about perfection but a striving for righteousness]? Are they caring more about “spiritual secrets and higher level spiritual things” than Biblical standards and principles?
Limited Prophecies: Believe it or not, the evidence of a false prophet is more apparent than we think, however, we usually are jaded by the “emotionalism” of it all. Are their prophecies more in depth when it comes to past/present things but very vague about future things? Do they ever include the heart of God in their message [i.e. sin that needs to be repented for, salvation, etc.]? Is it mostly about “vain things” like a house, car, opportunity, etc. or personal needs? These are sure ways to knowing if this is truly someone from God because false prophets can gain access to information [present/past] through things like familiar spirits which are derived from divination.
Cult-like + Secretive: Over time, you may begin to notice that a particular prophet or teacher has created a “cult-like” circle or members of their congregation. In some way, these said people were drawn through the assistance of the prophet or teacher which creates that “die hard loyalty” [aka idolatry]. It’s so important to pay attention to anyone who is called by God to serve and lead who allows for this kind of behavior to develop and/or remain present. This is never something that any Biblical prophet or leader did.
Personally, I have gone through experiences with False Prophets and looking back, I can admit that they were truly deceptive and I wasn’t aware. However, I also understand that my “heart’s desires” drew me to them and there was a level of accountability that I had to hold myself to after realizing that I fell for the trap. It was my own need for material things, help financially, and pride that made me an “easy target” for false teachers and prophets. This is why I often stress the importance of getting rid of desires that aren’t godly or that replace God, because the enemy is constantly seeking ways to trip us up through the workings of deception and other things.
Unfortunately, today we see so many false teachings happening and most of it is through celebrity pastors and preachers who have gained massive popularity. And while we’ve come across “controversial” or “cringe” sermons [or two or three or four], somehow we continue to either indulge, defend, or “put grace on it” because we’re being pulled by our own deceptive hearts without really knowing it. The greater desire to be just as successful, be aligned with a popular church or pastor, or just overall “community” keeps us in places that we shouldn’t be in. That’s the “emotionalism” of the American Church today. It keeps us hooked. This is why we shouldn’t be so quickly impressed or devoted based on talents, signs, wonders, or anything else that creates a kind of “pandemonium”. Instead, as the Bible teaches us—-we should “test every spirit” and pray for real discernment.
Some Things that Make you Vulnerable to False Prophets + Teachers
As I’ve mentioned, there’s a level of accountability that we have to adopt so that we aren’t constantly drawn to False Prophets and Teachers as well as finding ourselves in the worst possible position with God [who holds the listener just as accountable as the teachers by the way]. Therefore, I created a small list of ways that I was vulnerable to them in the past, which I believe are universal for anyone:
- Being lukewarm in my Christian walk [wanting the world AND Jesus].
- Searching for answers and not trusting in the Word of God.
- Desperate for help, change, or support in my circumstance [financially, relationships, health, etc].
- Undealt issues of rejection, abandonment, and need for love/acceptance which caused a searching for “community”.
- Hidden pride which filled me up when I was “fed” with sermons on how God’s desire is to make my life better, bless me with every desire, make me successful, take away hardships, etc.
- Not knowing the Word of God for myself and hardly reading the Bible to understand the context of scriptures and the true character of God.
What we have to understand is that the devil is VERY deceptive. He’s been using the same method of deception since Genesis 3, where he deceived Eve in the Garden. And his tactics are no different today! This is why False Prophets and Teachers create a level of trust and are charming. They also learn about your “needs” which they seemingly offer to meet [i.e. being a father-figure, friend, help financially, “accuracy” in prophecies, reading “directly from the bible”, etc].
Things You Should Know About False Prophets + Teachers
One of the biggest misconceptions that people often have about false prophets and teachers is that they don’t generally preach from or about the bible. Incorrect! They do and CAN! The only difference is in the validity of their teaching/preaching. Here’s a breakdown of what you should know:
Yes! They often do preach/teach from the bible but “twist” or misinterpret scripture to support their false teaching and prophecies. This can come in the way of taking text out of context and applying it to their “agenda” or omitting certain key text to validate their false point.
Absolutely—–they are very skilled at taking bible verses out of context or applying them in a way that contradicts the original meaning. This is why we should not only read our bibles, but gain great UNDERSTANDING of scripture through the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can pinpoint the twisting of scripture or flat out lies when stated.
They may focus on certain verses while ignoring others to fit “the message”. This can also be said when teachers and prophets generally stick to the Old or New Testament solely, rather than BOTH since the full Gospel is the WHOLE BIBLE.
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect”. — Matthew 24:24
The Tactics that They Use:
There are tactics used that are high level to make us feel drawn to false prophets and teachers and even remain in support to them:
- Deception
- Manipulation
- Grooming [the right words and actions shown to create trust/openness + twisting to replace accountability to the victim when confronted]
- Assistance [with circumstances, situations, etc]
- Getting to know you [creates a vulnerability that you share, leads to validation, acceptance, etc]
- Acceptance
- Intimidation [rebuke for not complying, fear-mongering that you’re going against God, letting you know that they “known everything”, etc]
Overall, we must remember that false prophets and teachers only lead to destruction! And if you’ve ever been attached to one, listened to them, or been a part of their congregation——it’s imperative to renounce, denounce, fast, pray/repent, and anything else needed to be “set free”. But do know that with deliverance, it’s so important to fill ourselves up with Jesus and the Word of God. This prevents us from falling into the same traps as before.
Verse of the Day
The Sign of Jonah: Matthew 12:38-45
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
This speaks to the idea that we can’t have Jesus AND the things of this world. We have to choose. And unfortunately, that choosing requires that we sift out the Church in the same way as the world because not every building or leader is “of God”. The dangers in being an adulterous generation according to Jesus is that we’ll be “blinded” to kingdom things + signs. Just like with the Pharisees, we won’t see the truth because God creates a distinct divide amongst the things that are of Him and of the devil. Believe it or not, this is why Jesus started speaking in parables—–as a way to condemn the Pharisees for their unbelief and blasphemy.
All in all, as we can see—–the issues that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees were far deeper than just their legalism and them being judgemental. They were literal “unbelievers” in the Church (which we can see is a more common thing based on the Parable of the “Seed + the Sower”) and they purposefully made it a mission to discredit Jesus even though they knew that He was the Messiah and son of God. Their hearts were the issue which is why they rejected Jesus’ teachings and did all of the things they did!
They weren’t righteous and didn’t care to live righteously. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus states that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”—–emphasizing a higher standard of righteousness than the religious leaders of the time.
So, we should always strive to clearly choose + acknowledge the Lord in ALL our ways and circumstance no matter what. Righteousness is our ONLY protection against everything coming!
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