God’s standards for His prophets are strict. The Bible states if the word a self-proclaimed prophet speaks “does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken” (Deut. 18:22; see also Jer. 14:14; 23:21, 32; 28:15; Ezek. 13:6). The punishment for speaking falsely in God’s name was death (Deut. 18:20). Nothing has changed during the New Testament era.
First, we must define our terms with a disclaimer that the precise definitions are of a secondary nature and have been subject to slight variations throughout church history. What does prophecy mean? The orthodox definition has been differentiated in the Old and New Testaments.
Traditionally, in the Old Testament, God spoke through his chosen prophets to warn and admonish the nation of Israel about the consequences of their disobedience, and also gave assurances of the redemption made available through faith in Christ.
In the New Testament, that kind of prophecy was no longer needed to address Israel, which was now a scattered, indigent nation. The forewarned judgment had been meted out, and God did not need further revelation to them through human prophets.
In the New Testament, the term was reintroduced, and the Apostles ( a distinct number of men limited by Scripture to those specifically chosen and named in the book of Acts) were given the ability to prophesy much the way the Old Testament prophets did, though much more focused on the gospel message. After the Apostle age, the canon of Scripture closed, and strong warnings were issued repeatedly to never add to God’s word with false prophesy. (Revelation 22:18-19)
The prophecy gift of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the church, was described as an edifying word for those in immediate proximity, i.e. a church meeting. It was not to be an authoritative word from God and certainly not a prediction of human events. See this article by Desiring God for a more in-depth explanation.
There is one book in the New Testament dedicated to prophecy, the book of Revelation, which is so allegorical and symbolic that scholars for centuries have labored to decipher exact details. Any scholar who claims to have discerned any authoritatively and definitively names/dates/modern nations is exceeding orthodox boundaries for interpretation.
Any type of prophecy that attempts to predict human interactions with names and dates is false. This is called divination and it is demonic in nature and forbidden by God (Lev 19:26 Rev 21:8)
Why is this dangerous? Because most false prophets deceive people into thinking they speak for God for wrong motives. They may want popularity, fame, money or attention so they will make up stories or tell of a vision and interpret in a way that suggests they are sure God spoke directly to them. This creates confusion and casts doubt upon the true Word of God. It makes a mockery of God and that never ends well. It leads people away from the true gospel, chasing visions that really don’t have any truth or relevance. Most of the time, one who falsely prophecies is also believing and teaching a false gospel, and the appearance of having a special divine insight or anointing will convince the unlearned and naive that their false gospel doctrine must be true.
Exhibit #1
This video by Chris Roseborough from Fighting for the Faith. In it he contends that the modern charismatic heresies centered on false prophecy and specifically that false prophecy is not a sin, maybe just a mistake. He posits that false prophecy is tantamount to violating Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the Lord thy God’s name in vain” It is attaching God’s name to a lie.
Exhibit #2
Donnie, from the channel Idiot with a Bible, made this video. He has a friendly and non pretentious skill for explaining theological concepts. He always has contextually sound Biblical teaching.
More about false prophecy
Video of the Day- Asking Michael Brown- Do False Prophets Exist?
Michael Brown is a brilliant scholar, especially in Hebrew studies and the Old Testament.. But his good teaching in some areas tends to lend unwarranted credibility to his opinions on other matters.
✨God Told You?✨
Today’s video is by Reformed Wiki.
✨Phony Visits to Hell✨
Today’s video by iThink Biblically, is an examination of the authenticity of claims of visits to hell.
✨Stop Saying God Told Me- by Reformed Wiki2.0✨
Learn why it’s not ok for false teachers, or anyone to say “God told me”. This has become very common in churches today.
✨False Prophets Using Children-Marcus Rogers✨
Keith Thompson explains that this is what you see when there is no fear of God