TESTING AND RECOGNIZING TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS
Theme: Discerning the True Voice of God in an Age of Deception
- The Biblical Command to Test All Prophecy
God never asks His people to accept every prophetic message without discernment. Scripture commands believers to test, prove, and judge prophetic utterances by the Word of God and by the fruit of the messenger’s life.
1 Thessalonians 5:20–21 “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Prophecy must not be despised — yet it must be proven. Every word must be tested against Scripture, the Spirit’s witness, and the nature of Christ.
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
The command is clear: believers are responsible for discerning what is truly from God.
II. Characteristics of True Prophets
A true prophet reflects the nature and character of God. Their words, conduct, and lifestyle align with Scripture, humility, and holiness.
(1) A True Prophet Speaks According to the Word of God
Deuteronomy 13:1–4 “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the L o r d y o u r G o d , a n d f e a r h i m , a n d k e e p h i s commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”
Even if a sign or wonder comes to pass, a true prophet will never lead people away from obedience to the Word of God.
(2) A True Prophet Glorifies Christ, Not Self
Revelation 19:10 “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.”
All true prophecy exalts Jesus Christ and draws people into deeper fellowship with Him — not with the prophet.
(3) A True Prophet’s Words Come to Pass Consistently
Deuteronomy 18:21–22 “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? 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.”
A true prophet speaks from divine revelation — not personal imagination. God confirms His word in His time.
(4) A True Prophet Lives in Holiness and Humility
Matthew 7:15–20 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 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.”
The fruit of a prophet’s life — humility, truthfulness, purity, love, and obedience — confirms whether they are truly sent of God.
III. Characteristics of False Prophets
(1) They Speak from Their Own Hearts, Not from God
Jeremiah 23:16 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.”
False prophets often speak their own imaginations, motivated by ambition, pride, or gain.
(2) They Preach Peace When There Is No Peace
Jeremiah 6:13–14 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no False prophets avoid confronting sin. They offer comfort without repentance and promise blessings without holiness.
(3) They Love Money and Exploit People
Micah 3:11 “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.”
The true prophet ministers freely, depending on God for provision. False prophets commercialize the anointing.
(4) They Seek Popularity and Flatter Kings or Crowds
1 Kings 22:6–8 “Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”
Micaiah stood alone for truth, while hundreds of false prophets spoke to please men.
(5) They Perform Signs to Deceive
Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Not all miracles confirm divine origin. True prophecy aligns with truth, not simply power.
IV. Five Biblical Principles to Test Your Own Prophecy
Every believer, especially prophetic ministers, must test what they believe God has spoken to them before publicly delivering it.
(1) Does It Agree with the Word of God?
God never contradicts Himself. Any prophecy that conflicts with Scripture is false.
Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
(2) Does It Exalt Jesus Christ?
A prophecy that glorifies a person, ministry, or movement rather than Christ is not from God. John 16:13–14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth… He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
(3) Does It Produce Peace, Righteousness, and Fruit of the Spirit?
James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
(4) Does It Align with the Witness of the Holy Spirit in Mature Believers?
2 Corinthians 13:1 “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
(5) Does It Come to Pass in God’s Timing?
Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
If the word truly comes from God, it will be fulfilled — not through human manipulation but divine timing.
V. The Need for Humility and Wisdom in Delivering Prophecy
Prophets must deliver God’s message with reverence, humility, and discretion – never using prophecy to control, embarrass, or exalt themselves.
Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Prophets must learn to speak only when led by the Spirit and in the spirit of love, ensuring that the Word builds up and restores.
VI. The Danger of False Confidence and Unchecked Zeal
Many fall into error by speaking prematurely or interpreting revelation based on personal feelings instead of the Spirit.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”
James 1:19–20 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
True prophets strengthen faith in God, not dependence on themselves. False prophets exploit that dependence. Therefore, the people of God must be mature, discerning, and grounded in the Word.
Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Galatians 1:8–9 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Conclusion:
- All prophecy must be tested by the Word of
- True prophets exalt Christ and walk in
- False prophets seek gain, glory, or
- Prophets must test their own words before
- The Spirit of prophecy always glorifies Jesus and leads to repentance.
