lesson 2
Lesson No. 2 : Lying Prophets in our midst
Having taught you on the basic principles of prophecy, I now take you to our Lesson No.2 which gives you an insight into the functioning of "lying prophets". There are many servants of God in our midst who have accepted Jesus as their savior and are now serving God in His vineyard. But they prophesy on their own, according to their own imaginations. I have given an exercise at the bottom. It is a word of prophecy that emanted from a prophetic minister in the USA. I will not disclose the name of this minister. I exhort you to examine the same carefully and prayerfully. I am giving you this practical exercise which you have to do. You may take your own time. Paul exhorted Corinthians to examine everything as a spiritual man (I Cor.2:15). "He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man". If you are a spiritual man, you have to judge all things. If the apostasy has entered the Church, we are responsible for this because we have allowed the same to enter the Church. We have failed to judge all things. The book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible Prophecy which was specially revealed to John the apostle of Christ. We are not supposed to "add unto these things" and to "take away from the words of the book of this prophecy" (Rev.22:18-19).
In the 13th chapter of Ezekiel, the Spirit commanded the prophet to prophesy against the prophets of Israel and against the daughters of the people of Israel because –
(i) they prophesy out of their own hearts by following their own spirit;
(ii) they have seen nothing;
(iii) they have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel;
(iv) they have seen and spoken vanity and lying divination, saying The Lord saith;
(v) the Lord has not sent them but they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word
(vi) they have seduced the people of God saying, "Peace" and there was no peace
"Thus saith the Lord thy God"
These days, we see multitudes of God's ministers prophesy, saying, "Thus saith the Lord". I have heard and read many messages, beginning with the words addressed to a congregation or to individuals i.e. "Oh My people" or "Oh My son" or "Oh my daughter". Then the speaker keeps talking to the audience and then ends with the words, "thus saith the Lord thy God". We can clearly see here that the speakers are speaking here as the mouthpieces of God the Father under the Old Covenant. We are told that these are words of prophecy. If we listen to such messages, we will find many aberrations which are contrary to the written Word of God, especially the gospel of grace and truth under the New Covenant.
Many such people prophesy under the Old Covenant saying, "thus saith the Lord". Secondly, we should note that God the Father has spoken to us through His Son only, and does not speak to the world through any person ( Heb.1:1-2).
Only the Old Testament prophets prophesied under the Old Covenant, saying, "thus saith the Lord"
No prophecy under the New Testament would reveal a new way of salvation. All the prophets prophesied until John. . "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John" ( Matt.11:13).
The Holy Spirit led me to examine many messages given by certain servants of God who said at the end of such messages, "thus saith the Lord". The following litmus tests can be applied to such messages to discern whether such messages are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit or not.
(i) The message purported to be from Jesus does not conform to the words of Jesus in the gospels and the apostolic doctrines.
(ii) The message purported to be from God the Father reveals a message which is contrary to the gospel of the New Testament.
(iii) The message purported to be in the Name of God the Father conveys a message in future tense about the salvation through Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus for our sins is a fait accompli and Jesus will not again go to the Cross for our salvation.
(iv) The message purported to be either in the Name of God the Father or in the Name of the Son of God conveys a way of salvation through works and not through grace.
Prophecy on behalf of God the Father?
Any word of prophecy saying "Thus saith the Lord thy God" which is on behalf of God the Father is supposed to be in continuation of the Old Testament prophecies. It is absolutely false because all the prophets prophesied until John. The Holy Spirit works in us and on behalf of Jesus, and not on behalf of the Father. Jesus said very clearly that the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell us things to come. "He will glory Me (Jesus) for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13).
Prophesies made by the early apostles and prophets
The early apostles of Christ Jesus had never prophesied saying, "Thus saith the Lord thy God". Agabus, a prophet during the New Testament days did prophesy of a future event of great dearth throughout all the world" which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar (Acts 11:28). He also prophesied of persecution of Paul. Agabus took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this gird, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles " (Acts 21:11). Agabus did not prophesy in the Name of God the Father saying, "thus saith the Lord thy God".
In the church at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:1-3). The prophets and teachers laid their hands on them and sent them away. It is seen here that through the word of prophecy, the ministers are ordained for God's ministry. The prophets did prophesy, not in the Name of God the Father but conveyed the words of the Holy Ghost, which were in other words the words of the Lord Jesus to whom they ministered.
Under the New Covenant, we can prophesy future events as led by the Spirit. We can give words of comfort and of edification to edify the Church. We can also give words of warning proclaiming the imminent judgment of God. At the same time, we should be very careful to see that no words are uttered which are contrary to the written Word of God, and which go against the spirit of the New Covenant. If you have a word of prophecy or a word of exhortation, you can simply convey the message to the people without ending such message with the words, "thus saith the Lord thy God". A prophet under the New Covenant can convey a word of prophecy in his own words by saying that this is what the Lord or the Holy Spirit wants him/her to convey. He need not prophesy like an Old Testament prophet.
Prophesying out of their own hearts
These people prophesy out of their own hearts and not according to the revealed Word of God under the New Covenant. We can find that such prophecies are made only by the pastors or the elders and that too, only during church services. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit does not operate the gift of prophecy during other times? No.
They give their own messages to the congregations. Most of their messages are based on certain dos' and don'ts. They condemn people from the pulpits and create fear, hopelessness in the hearts of the audience. They present a Christ who is jealous of a young girl wearing a golden necklace or wearing a jean pant. They present a message based on the Law and say that the Lord has given such messages.
In big conventions, one or two people appear on the dais and prophesy, "Oh my people, I am pleased with thee and love thee eternally. I have an abundance of blessings for thee. Gold and silver are Mine. You should inherit the same. I do not want thee to live in poverty which is My curse……thus saith the Lord thy God". There may be many people living in sin who attend such conventions. When the speaker says on behalf of God, "I am pleased with thee…." this message condones the sin. John the Baptist cried in the wilderness with a very simple message, "Repent".
They have seen nothing
They have seen nothing. God has not shown any thing new to them apart for what is revealed in His Word. But they claim to have seen visions and revelations. Some time back, I read a message that one lady saw a vision of Saddam Hussein as a lizard writhing in pain in a pot of hot water and said that Saddam Hussein was a demon to be destroyed by the American army.
They have not gone up into the gaps (Vs 5). A minister of God is supposed to go into the gaps for protecting the sheep under his care. The gaps are those areas in the lives of the sheep through which the Devil attacks them. There may be false doctrines by which the Devil takes hold of the Lord's flock. The minister should find such gaps – grey areas in the lives of the sheep under his care. He has to me up the hedge for the house of Israel. Many sheep are attacked by the false prophets and teachers because there is no hedge around them. The thief comes to steal the sheep and to destroy them because he has access to such sheep in the absence of a hedge.
Speaking vanity and lying divinations
They have spoken vanity and lying divinations (Vs.7 – 9). I came across messages purported to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said very clearly about the Holy Spirit that He "shall testify of Me" (John 15:27). The Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority. Whatever He hears from Jesus, He conveys. (John 16:13). These days, we find many people prophesy things which are contrary to the words of Jesus Christ. If a minister of God gives a message which is not based on the doctrines of the New Covenant, he speaks lying divinations even if he quotes verbatim from the New Testament. The spirit of his message should revolve only on the New Testament doctrines.
Seducing the people saying "Peace"
They have seduced the people saying, "Peace" (Vs-10). They always preach a message palatable to those who have itching ears. They do not speak about divine wrath and judgment. Neither do they speak of sin and of righteousness. They do not want to displease the rich members of their congregations who live in sin with the message of repentance. They covet their tithes and offerings but do not warn them against divine judgment.
These preachers condone marriages of divorced spouses and give God's approval on such marriages. I came across a dear sister in USA who was divorced 6 times and remarried 6 times. Many pastors on the pulpit support marriage of divorced spouses. Their messages are not of God.
Building a wall with untempered mortar
The prophet says in verse 10, "one built up a wall, and, lo others daubed it with untempered mortar". On minister builds a wall through his individual ministry but the other ministers daub it with untempered mortar. We find here that there is no coordination between the one who has built up the wall and the others who have daubed it with untempered mortar. There are many ministers who daub the wall with untempered mortar. Mortar has to be made by the mixture of sand and cement in suitable proportions. For completing the work of building a wall, tempered mortar has to be applied on the bricks placed on the foundation.
Those ministers engaged in the work of edifying the people of God should put in strenuous labor for making mortar according to the specifications laid down in the drawing made by the architect concerned. An evangelist has preached the gospel to the lost and souls have been saved. He thus builds a wall. Now the other ministers come there to daub it with mortar. They have to lead the saved people to the right doctrines of the Word and to feed the babes with milk. They have to tend the babes with utmost care and love. They have to daub the wall with tempered mortar. What happens today is that the souls that have been added to the local churches are not edified in their spiritual lives by the ministers concerned.
The evangelist concerned who has built the wall should ensure that untempered mortar is not used for daubing the wall built by him. He should not go away after building the wall. It is a team work. A civil engineering work made without coordination and cooperation between the architect, the civil engineer and the masons concerned will be in vain. It will fall when an overflowing shower falls on it or when a stormy wind rends it ( Vs.11). It is the Lord who causes the showers or the stormy wind to hit such a wall made with untempered mortar.
Prophets sewing pillows and making kerchiefs upon every stature
The prophet says, "Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! …."
The ministers of God want to keep their congregations in good humor and in comfortable positions. The congregations are not convicted of their sins and iniquities. The prophet calls these ministers as women that sew pillows to all armholes. Women are known for their tender heart. However, a minister of God has to be tough with a heart filled with zeal for the living God. His heart should glow in the fire of God. The heart of Jesus was set on the fire of God when He saw the Temple in Jerusalem desecrated by the traders. A minister of God is not supposed to prophesy, "The Lord is pleased with you. The Lord blesses you abundantly" when he knows that some of his congregations live in sin.
These days, the ministers give messages palatable to their congregations who do not live according to the Word of God. The ministers preach on an easy life which does not lead their congregations to a narrow way, but to a broad way. The ministers lead the congregations to idols by making kerchiefs upon the head of every stature. Idols are set before them. Material prosperity, ways to amass wealth by faith, etc., are some of the idols. Such idols are eulogized and worshipped. Every stature is covered with a kerchief.
God saves His people from lying prophets
According to Ezekiel, such lying prophets hunt the souls of His people, and the Lord vows to save His people from their hands. These lying prophets pollute God "among His people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread" ( Vs.19). They want their congregations to believe such false prophecies so that they continue to be flattered and praised by their congregations. They expect handfuls of barley and pieces of bread from their congregations. These ministers do not want to lose tithes and offerings from their congregations and want to please them for the sake of handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. Such prophecies which the Lord has not commanded to convey to His people do pollute the holy God.
A servant of God or a prophet who visits such churches should unearth such statures. In some churches, the ministers treat their doctrines as idols. If a prophet or a servant of God goes to that church and points to them about such doctrinal errors, the prophet or the servant of God is not accepted.
The Lord took me to a church in Delhi sometime ago where I found the pastor of the Church prophesy, "Thus saith the Lord thy God". When my time came to give the message, I told the congregation that we should not prophesy under the Old Covenant. This message was not accepted by the pastor.
"…Ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord" (Vs.23).
God assures that He will not allow any more vanity, or diving divinations in the House of Israel because He has appointed His apostles and prophets to the Body of Christ to expose such lying prophets in His House. He will deliver His people out of their hands.
Evil spirits using human bodies as medium
We normally find certain occult practices by which the people possessed by evil spirits prophesy in the names of such evil spirits.
The ministers who prophesy, "I am God thy Lord" or "I am Jesus" make the audience believe that God or the Son of God is speaking to them by making use of their bodies. Such statements are tantamount to nothing but blasphemy. Though Jesus as the Son of God was the express image of the Father, during His Earthly ministry, He never called Himself as God.
Prophecy against two kinds of people
God commanded the prophet to prophesy against two kinds of people in this chapter. One of them is the category of prophets who are the ministers of the gospel under the New Covenant. The other is the category of the daughters of the people of Israel who are the members of the Body of Christ who are not the full-time servants of God or who want to call themselves as believers.
Judgment on the lying prophets and the daughters of the people
Against the lying prophets and the daughters of the people of Israel, God pronounces His judgment in the following words:
"….They shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel…" ( Vs.9)
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Exercise No.1:
A servant of God prophesied as follows. You are requested to apply the four litmus tests mentioned in this lesson, and to discern this word of prophecy carefully and prayerfully. I have divided this word of prophecy in 3 parts for the sake of convenience. Just quote the particular litmus test to discern it.
Part-I
"In 2006, the Lord will shake those things that can be shaken. Jesus will manifest as a purifier of His Body . The book of Malachi will be key for believers in 2006. The Lord will deal with weaknesses and sin in His people that are holding them back from fullness. He will come to cleanse and purify. The fire and the blood will be significant.
Part-II
The visitation of the Angel Purity
In December 2005, our producer X was visited by an angel called "Purity". Purity is a white eagle with piercing fiery eyes and yet soft, gentle, and dove-like in nature. She also saw a golden ring that Purity carried. It was a ring of power and protection and it was placed around individuals and groups who chose the virtue of purity. I was present during the visitation and also felt the presence of Purity at that time although I did not see it. I heard three words in my spirit: Expose, Sift, Analyze. I felt the Lord say that He will expose things that need to be exposed in His children's hearts and lives. Nothing will be left unexposed. For those that submit to His convictions and dealings, there will be new levels of authority and grace that follow. He will sift so that only the pure will remain and He will analyze. Every man's ways is right in his own eyes but the Lord weighs the hearts. Prov 21:2.
The angel Purity returned the next day and the day after. I saw the vision of this being during the two days and also felt the softness of its breast feathers on one occasion. We met with our team artist, and commissioned her to paint the vision of this angel.
Part-III
Heavier weights of conviction
Jesus is known in Malachi as the Purifier. He is calling His people to higher levels of purity in 2006. Things that individuals were not convicted of in 2005 will carry conviction in 2006. This will come by the Spirit and not by legalistic rules.
As this call to purity rises, there will also be increased measures of toleration for sin and worldly-mindedness within other parts of the church. Good will be called evil and evil will be called good. The deceitfulness of sin will attempt to fill the minds of some believers and thus producing unaddressed compromises.
The nature of deception is that when you are in it, you do not know it. Strong relational accountability will be needed to help avoid the pitfalls that come with deceptive doctrines and mindsets.
Revelation 2:20 "I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."
1 John 2:15-16 "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."
Part-IV
Defined Apostolic Movement
True apostles will be more defined in 2006. They will be marked by their humility, faith, kingdom authority, power, and signs and wonders. There will be a further settling as to apostolic structures as theological adjustments move into place concerning the multi-faceted definition of this gift and calling.
Greater numbers of individuals in the Body of Christ will become "apostolic" according to the pattern in Matthew 10.