False Prophets

Deuteronomy 13:1-5

13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other elohim, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for יהוה‎ YHWH your Elohim proveth you, to know whether ye love יהוה‎ YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.

13:4 Ye shall walk after יהוה‎ YHWH your Elohim, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from יהוה‎ YHWH your Elohim, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which יהוה‎ YHWH thy Elohim commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

This passage begins with the assumption that the prophet does foretell the future accurately or perform some other, humanly impossible work. Nevertheless, if that prophet's central message is to follow after a different g-d (elohim) or to take a spiritual path that the true Elohim has not said to take, that person is a false prophet. יהוה‎ YHWH states unequivocally that misrepresenting Him incurs the death penalty, and Revelation 19:20 says that this is exactly what happens to the False Prophet: He is thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The message of the false prophet is contrasted in Deuteronomy 13:3-4 with loving the true Elohim with all of our heart and soul (life), walking after Him, fearing Him, keeping His commandments, obeying His voice, serving Him, and holding fast to Him. These elements indicate what יהוה‎ YHWH wants His people to be focused ..ing to define whether a man claiming to speak for יהוה‎ YHWH is truly doing so or not.

Verse 4 mentions obeying יהוה‎ YHWH 's voice and keeping His commandments. This is a regular theme with יהוה‎ YHWH 's true prophets: They always have יהוה‎ YHWH 's law undergirding their messages. When the Old Testament prophets were sent to warn or inform Israel and Judah, they always pointed out the grievous ways in which the people had transgressed יהוה‎ YHWH 's law.

False prophets, on the other hand, will not hold the moral line that Elohim requires. Lamentations 2:14 says that the false prophets "have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions." False prophets will not connect the dots between the sinfulness of a nation and national calamity. They instead focus on something other than Elohim's standard of righteousness.

This same principle appears in Isaiah 8:19-20. Both houses of Israel were guilty of seeking out mediums and wizards for spiritual guidance, and יהוה‎ YHWH 's response is very telling:

And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their elohim? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

יהוה‎ YHWH gives us a standard by which to measure the words of a prophet: the law and testimony—His Word. If the prophet's message contradicts what is already established as יהוה‎ YHWH 's Word, it is evidence that he lacks spiritual understanding. If his words do not line up with יהוה‎ YHWH 's law and testimony, he is not speaking the truth.

In summary, the hallmark of a true prophet is his upholding of the law of יהוה‎ YHWH , while false prophets dodge moral teaching and instead preach a message that appeals to the masses. יהוה‎ YHWH 's truth—and His law in particular—is abhorrent to the natural mind (Romans 8:7), and thus it is quite common for יהוה‎ YHWH 's prophets to be killed, while the false prophets enjoy widespread popularity and support.

The current trend of outcome-based churches serves as a good example. Their leaders preach a widely popular message, and thousands of people follow them. Yet, (Yahushua) יְהוֹשֻׁעַ says in Luke 6:26, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Popularity is not a good measurement of יהוה‎ YHWH 's pleasure with a leader!

(Yahushua) יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Ha Masiach, the most perfect Spokesman for יהוה‎ YHWH who has ever lived, only had about 120 true followers when His ministry ended (Acts 1:15). This was not due to failure on His part, but because His Father's message could be wholeheartedly believed only by those whose minds Elohim had already prepared to accept it.

"Purpose-Driven" 'church' leaders will not preach the unadulterated Word of יהוה‎ YHWH because they know it is divisive. It would also thwart their goals of a large following and a large income. Thus, their messages do not involve repentance, sound doctrine, or יהוה‎ YHWH 's law, except where it may serve to further whatever purpose is driving them. Their messages do not remind people of their moral responsibilities to Elohim and brother, and thus if they claim to speak for יהוה‎ YHWH or say that יהוה‎ YHWH sent them, we can know from biblical patterns that they are, in fact, false prophets. Their large churches, as amazing as they might seem, are not accurate indicators of יהוה‎ YHWH 's involvement or blessing.