Tag Archives: prophecy

Recognizing true and false prophecy

Teaching on Prophecy – week 2

Continuing on in our mini-series on prophecy, I want to pick up on some of the themes in Pastor Dan Wallace’s sermon on prophecy at Harmony Community Church on May 9, 2021.  To listen to his message, click here.

False prophets in Judah in the time of Jeremiah

Jeremiah prophesied during the closing years of the Kingdom of Judah and continued his ministry during the first few years of exile in Babylon (587 BC).  During the final few years of the kingdom, he warned of coming judgement but was often contradicted by the court prophets.

The kings of Israel and Judah maintained a company of prophets whose job assignment was to consult the Lord on behalf of the king. An example of a court prophet who did his job faithfully and well was Nathan, who prophesied during the reign of King David four centuries before Jeremiah’s time.  Nathan gave David prophetic words of great promise ( 2 Samuel 7:1-16 )  but when David sinned, Nathan stepped out and brought a bold word of correction ( 2 Samuel 12:1-15) .

By Jeremiah’s time, however, the court prophets had become corrupt. They claimed to hear from God but typically told the king and his people what they wanted to hear.

Jeremiah 23:14, 16-17

Jeremiah accused them of prophesying lies.

Jeremiah 23:26

He was vindicated when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians a few years later.

Factors that can lead to false prophecy
  • Fear of man; desire to please people rather than God ( Proverbs 29:25 )
  • Confusing our own desires with the promise of God ( Jeremiah 23:26-27 ).
    This can dull the spirit of the prophet to the point where he can no longer recognize that what he is prophesying is not the true word of the Lord
  • One’s theological assumptions can get in the way of discerning the word of God for today
    (Matthew 16:15-23) . Prophecy sometimes requires that we take the risk of saying something that may seem wrong but is actually right and proves to be the true word of God for that time and place.
  • Self-promotion and self-protection.
Factors that make for good prophecy
  • Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37). Cultivate love for God and make it your aim to please him.
  • Be a student of the Scriptures. Get to know the Word of God well. (Psalm 119:72)
  • Spend much time in the presence of the Lord and become familiar with His voice. (John 10:27)
  • Don’t make an industry out of prophecy. Prophesy only what the Lord tells you.
  • Be more concerned about serving people than pleasing them.
  • Be accountable. Prophecy is to be weighed and tested.  ( 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 )

 

 

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Why Prophecy?

Introduction

These notes are a summary of the main points in a sermon preached on May 2, 2021 by Pastor Daniel Wallace of Harmony Community Church in Ormond, Ontario (near Winchester).

Priority of Love

If we are going to operate properly in any spiritual gift we need to build on a foundation of love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

Prophetic powers that are not governed by love are of no value and may even do significant harm.

We are to pursue love. 1 Corinthians 14:1

Spiritual gifts are good and should be sought and desired

Eagerly desire spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 14:1

Prophecy is a higher gift

Prophecy is especially valuable because it has the capacity to build up, encourage and comfort our fellow believers. This is a practical expression of the love of God. 1 Corinthians 14:3-4

Potential Impact of Prophecy

Prophecy has the potential to call people to account, reveal the secrets of their hearts and thus bring unbelieving people to repentance as they recognize the power and presence of God in His people. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25

Prophecy must be weighed

Prophecy is subordinate to the written Word of God in authority. A valid prophetic word is a word from God, and therefore carries genuine authority to address the human heart with lifegiving truth, but it is never equal to the written Scriptures in authority.

Paul says that all prophecies spoken in the the assembly of believers are to be weighed. 1 Corinthians 14:29, see also 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Summing up

A good safeguard which will ensure safe and effective prophecy is to fix our hearts on everything that is good.  Philippians 4:8-9.  Jesus said if we make the tree good, its fruit will be good. He said this in reference to the human heart.  Matthew 12:33, see also Luke 6:43.

 

 

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1 Peter 1:10-12

1 Peter 1:1-9 Recap

Verses 1-2
  • Peter greets his readers and tells them that they are chosen by God.
  • They are strangers and exiles on the earth, set apart for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.
Verses 3-9
  • Peter thanks God for His great mercy by which believers have been born again into a living hope.
  • He reminds them of their heavenly inheritance which can never perish, spoil or fade.
  • He encourages them to look beyond their present trials and reminds them that they have cause for great joy because of the salvation that they will receive when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Verse 10
Concerning this salvation

Peter is continuing to draw their attention to the greatness and wonder of the salvation that they will receive on the Day of the Lord.

  • Why is this important?
  • Why do we so easily undervalue God’s greatest gifts?
the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you

The Old Testament contains many prophecies that point to Jesus, His gift of salvation and His coming Kingdom.

searched intently and with the greatest care

The prophet Daniel is one example of this. See Daniel 9:1-3,20-23.

  • Why did Daniel search out God’s mysteries with such intensity and perseverance?
    (Hint : Daniel 9:16-19 )
Verse 11
trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing

Again, the prophet Daniel is our clearest example of this. See Daniel 10:10-14.

when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow

See Daniel 9:24-27, Daniel 12:1-4

  • What events are being spoken of here?
  • Note on the “sevens” (weeks of years)

Many regard the letter of Artaterxes I (Ezra 7:11) as the beginning point of Daniel’s first 69 “sevens” (Daniel 9:24-27). Others regard the commission of Nehemiah by the same king as the starting point of this prophecy (Nehemiah 1:1,11, 2:1-8). By using either a solar calendar with the former date (458 BC) or a lunar calendar with the latter date (445 BC), one can arrive remarkably close to the date of Jesus’ public ministry (NIV1984 Study Bible note on Ezra 7:11)

Verse 12
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you

See Hebrews 11:32-40

Even angels long to look into these things.

See 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Reflection

In this section the Apostle Peter is clearly seeking to motivate his readers to focus their thoughts on the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)

  • Is your hope focussed more on your life in this age, the age to come, or both?
  • If you answered “both” – which is more prominent in your thinking?
  • Which is more important?
  • How does our hope of eternity impact the way we live now?

 

 

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True and false prophecy : insights from Balaam

Balak and Balaam (Numbers 22)

Father, what about this story?  What do I make of it?

Balaam knew My power but his will was not surrendered to Me. He acknowledged My power but he still tried to thwart My will. Many believers try to get me to do what they want and in so doing they pollute their own testimony. 

Are there people today who talk to you, and to whom You speak, but whose wills are not (yet) surrendered to You?

Many. Otherwise how could anyone come to faith?

But can one be a prophet and still not be surrendered to You?

Of course. Otherwise how could you make sense of My words of warning about false prophets?

Thank you Lord. Then you can use even a false prophet to speak truth?

Of course. It is the condition of his heart that determines whether he is true or false. Balaam was willing to be used by Balak to do evil but I did not allow him to. 

Thank you Lord. Then why did you allow him to trick them using sexual perversion?

Because this was a test of the hearts of the people. Their own obedience or disobedience would determine the result. I protect my people from curses of which they are innocent, but not from their own sin. Only if they humble themselves can I protect them from this. So every prophet must be very careful to guard his heart, for My people are easily influenced by those who are spiritually gifted.

Thank you Lord.

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