In the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament provide severe warnings regarding the appearance of false prophets.
Not only in biblical times, but in the modern era today, there are also many false prophets who even have their own churches.
So that you are not deceived by a false prophet, you need to know the primary characteristics of a false prophet based on Bible verses:
1. A Bad Fruit of Life
Jesus taught that the easiest way to recognize a false prophet is not by their words, but rather by their character and the impact of their life.
Matthew 7:15-16 (NET) - “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit.”
If there is someone who claims to be a prophet but their current behavior (not who they were in the past before repenting) is depraved or full of sin, it means they are a false prophet.
2. Teaching Deceptive Heresies (Denying Christ or Promoting Another Christ)
False prophets often distort the truth about who Jesus Christ actually is.
2 Peter 2:1 (NET) - “...they will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.”
1 John 4:1-3 (NET) - “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.”
False prophets do not confess that Jesus Christ has come as a man (denying His humanity and His divinity).
3. Satisfying the Desires of the Ears (Pleasing Human Hearts)
Instead of rebuking sin, false prophets tend to say only the things people want to hear so that they can be popular or well-liked.
2 Timothy 4:3 (NET) - “For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, desiring to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate teachers for themselves because of their own desires,”
Jeremiah 6:14 (NET) - “They offer only superficial help for the harm my people have suffered. They say, ‘Everything will be fine!’ but everything is not fine.”
If there is a servant of God who claims to have the prophetic gift who always provides comfort, motivation, and inspiration without harsh rebukes and without hard teachings, it means that in all likelihood they are a false prophet.
4. Motives of Greed and Personal Gain
Often, their main focus is material wealth or money, using religion as a cover to enrich themselves.
2 Peter 2:3 (NET) - “And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
Jude 1:11 (NET) - “Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, and because of greed have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.”
They abandon themselves in error for the sake of wages / profit.
5. Their Prophecies Do Not Come to Pass
In the Old Testament, the standard for a prophet was extremely strict: if their prophecy spoken in the name of the Lord did not happen or come to pass, then they were a false prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:22 (NET) - “as when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the word which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”
6. Leading Astray Through Miraculous Signs
Do not be deceived by miracles, because the ability to perform supernatural things is no guarantee that someone comes from God.
Matthew 24:24 (NET) - “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Conclusion: The Bible emphasizes the importance of testing the spirits and spiritual maturity so that we are not easily tossed to and fro by teachings that look beautiful on the outside but are deadly on the inside.
TESTING THE SPIRITS
Testing the spirits is a biblical command so that believers are not easily deceived by teachings or spiritual phenomena that seem to come from God, when they do not.
This term is drawn from 1 John 4:1:
1 John 4:1 (NET) - “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Here are practical steps to test the spirits according to the Bible:
1. Confession of Jesus Christ
The first and most foremost test is the doctrine concerning Christ. The Bible asserts that a true spirit must confess the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
Criterion: Does the teaching confess that Jesus is Lord who has come as a human being, died, and rose again?
1 John 4:2 (NET) - “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God,”
2. Alignment with the Word of God (The Bible)
The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word that He Himself inspired. If a prophecy or teaching contradicts the contents of the Bible, then it is not from God.
Criterion: Compare every teaching with the entire contents of the Bible.
Example: The people in Berea were praised because they "examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so" (Acts 17:11).
Acts 17:11 (NET) - “These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.”
3. Glorifying God, Not Man
The spirit that comes from the Lord always aims to glorify Jesus Christ, not to seek a stage for the prophet or the teacher themselves.
Criterion: Is the ministry centered on self-exaltation, the prophet's wealth, or human popularity?
John 16:14 (NET) - “He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”
4. Fruit of the Spirit vs. Works of the Flesh
The nature or character of the person carrying the "message" is highly decisive. Spiritual gifts can be counterfeited, but character (fruit) is difficult to hide in the long run.
Criterion: Does the person's life demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, etc.? Or is it instead full of carnal desires, greed, and dissension?
Matthew 7:20 (NET) - “So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.”
5. Obedience to Authority and Apostolic Teaching
False prophets often feel they possess an "exclusive" revelation that makes them unwilling to submit to church authority or the sound teaching that has existed since the time of the apostles.
Criterion: Are they willing to be corrected and submit to the truth of the Bible, or do they feel superior to everyone else?
1 John 4:6 (NET) - “We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.”
Testing the spirits requires the gift of distinguishing between different kinds of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10) combined with a deep understanding of the Bible. How about your understanding of the Bible?
Awan (Andreas Hermawan)