Jer. 23:18,25 - Do we have false prophets?

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Do you doubt that we have false prophets in the world? We have been warned by Jesus Himself about an era filled with signs and wonders, and to be aware of false prophets. Jer. 23:18 “For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? 19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. 21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings. 23 “Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD. 25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, 27 who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. 28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD.” Matt. 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” The prevailing sentiment around the end of time will be a false revival and a counterfeit image of the real second coming. There will be very clear signs of the coming of Jesus, the true God: John 13: 19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.” Jesus tells us clearly what to expect in order that you may be able to clearly distinguish between false and true. Isa. 44:24 “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; 25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness; 26 Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places; 27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; 28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’ Here we see evidence of the manner in which God predicts the future. He even confirms the role that Cyrus will play in the future to help Israel’s return to Jerusalem from Babylon. Hosea confirms why this may happen: Hos. 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Isaiah gave us the gist of what we need to know if true or false, not to believe signs and wonders and not to believe the one who claims to be a prophet. Do you recall the OT story of the old prophet who falsely caused the true prophet to stay and to eat, and his disobedience was met by the lion that killed him? When we cling to the Word for God in all things we will safely be able to discern between truth and falsehood. Isa. 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.” We need to know the Bible and the Writer of it. In the wilderness, an “angel of light” quoted the Bible but Jesus immediately recognised him for what he was. Matt. 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” This would be a good time for us to prepare to know the truth. John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. We are living at the end of the earth’s history, and we should not believe our senses. Satan will try to, and is certainly out to deceive all! We need to follow in Jesus’ footsteps where we will find safety. 1 Pet.2:21 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”