A TEST OF A TRUE PROPHET
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Prophecy
a) Does it mean that when a prophet prophesies the future and it comes to pass is a true prophet? Many people, even Christians, have believed that any person who predicts the future and it comes to pass is a true prophet.
b) Predicting the future and it coming to pass is not a test of a true prophet. It neither distinguishes a true prophet from a false prophet.
c) There is no where in the Bible it is said so.
d) Instead the Bible says that,
Deuteronomy 13:1-2
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass of which he spoke to you saying, ‘Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them’.
e) Does that prove the person is sent by God? No! God says,
Deuteronomy 13:3
You shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proves you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
2. God's Prophecy Must Come To Pass
a) There are 2 types of prophecy: conditional and unconditional. Both prophecies must come to pass if they are from God.
3. Conditional Prophecy
a) For conditional prophecy, there is an ‘IF’ tag:
i) If people heed to the voice of God, obey and do what God wants, God repents what He was about to do and the prophecy comes to pass.
ii) If people do not heed to God’s voice, disobey not doing what God wants, God does what He has decreed and the prophecy comes to pass.
b) See that conditional prophecy has 2 ends and when one if fulfilled, the prophecy comes to pass.
c) For example, Jonah prophecy
i) Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh but when people heeded to God’s voice and repented, God repented his wrath and the prophecy came to pass. Jonah is considered a true prophet.
ii) If Nineveh never repented and God did nothing or Nineveh repented and God destroyed it, Jonah could be a false prophet because his prophecy could not have come to pass.
3. Unconditional Prophecy
a) Satan and his servants tell only the unconditional prophecy. Satan knows that there are 2 types of prophecy and he cannot use conditional prophecy to deceive people because conditional prophecy strongly strengthens God-man relationship.
b) Instead Satan counteracts all conditional prophecies to lie to people. This is where false prophets come in prophesying peace instead of war, prosperity instead of famine, rain instead of drought, etc.
c) We see them in Jeremiah’s time prophesying prosperity to Israel instead of captivity.
Jeremiah 27:9
Therefore hearken not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, who speak unto you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon.
d) Satan knows the entire Bible and he uses it to tempt and deceive ignorant people who do not understand the Bible. He uses Bible verses to tempt Jesus but Jesus understands the Bible clearly not like many people today.
f) Satan uses Deuteronomy 18:22 to deceive many who do not understand the Bible; the ‘IF’ clause of conditional prophecy. They are the people who believe that if God has decreed destruction in a conditional prophecy, it will happen even if people repent or not.
Deuteronomy 18:22
When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
g) Satan cannot prophesy a conditional prophecy. Like Jonah's case, Satan cannot tell a nation to repent and give out what comes down if they don’t. This is only God’s.
The End ...
1. Prophecy a) Does it mean that when a prophet prophesies the future and it comes to pass is a true prophet? Many people, even Christians, have believed that any person who predicts the future and it comes to pass is a true prophet.
b) Predicting the future and it coming to pass is not a test of a true prophet. It neither distinguishes a true prophet from a false prophet.
c) There is no where in the Bible it is said so.
d) Instead the Bible says that,
Deuteronomy 13:1-2
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass of which he spoke to you saying, ‘Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them’.
e) Does that prove the person is sent by God? No! God says,
Deuteronomy 13:3
You shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proves you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
2. God's Prophecy Must Come To Pass
a) There are 2 types of prophecy: conditional and unconditional. Both prophecies must come to pass if they are from God.
3. Conditional Prophecy
a) For conditional prophecy, there is an ‘IF’ tag:
i) If people heed to the voice of God, obey and do what God wants, God repents what He was about to do and the prophecy comes to pass.
ii) If people do not heed to God’s voice, disobey not doing what God wants, God does what He has decreed and the prophecy comes to pass.
b) See that conditional prophecy has 2 ends and when one if fulfilled, the prophecy comes to pass.
c) For example, Jonah prophecy
i) Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh but when people heeded to God’s voice and repented, God repented his wrath and the prophecy came to pass. Jonah is considered a true prophet.
ii) If Nineveh never repented and God did nothing or Nineveh repented and God destroyed it, Jonah could be a false prophet because his prophecy could not have come to pass.
3. Unconditional Prophecy
a) Satan and his servants tell only the unconditional prophecy. Satan knows that there are 2 types of prophecy and he cannot use conditional prophecy to deceive people because conditional prophecy strongly strengthens God-man relationship.
b) Instead Satan counteracts all conditional prophecies to lie to people. This is where false prophets come in prophesying peace instead of war, prosperity instead of famine, rain instead of drought, etc.
c) We see them in Jeremiah’s time prophesying prosperity to Israel instead of captivity.
Jeremiah 27:9
Therefore hearken not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, who speak unto you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon.
d) Satan knows the entire Bible and he uses it to tempt and deceive ignorant people who do not understand the Bible. He uses Bible verses to tempt Jesus but Jesus understands the Bible clearly not like many people today.
f) Satan uses Deuteronomy 18:22 to deceive many who do not understand the Bible; the ‘IF’ clause of conditional prophecy. They are the people who believe that if God has decreed destruction in a conditional prophecy, it will happen even if people repent or not.
Deuteronomy 18:22
When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
g) Satan cannot prophesy a conditional prophecy. Like Jonah's case, Satan cannot tell a nation to repent and give out what comes down if they don’t. This is only God’s.
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