Our world today is filled with voices claiming to speak for God. Do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have is from God (1 Jn. 4:1-3).
This means that we shouldn’t believe everything we hear just because someone says it is a message from God.
Today, we want to explore some practical principles for judging prophecy. Just as a doctor uses multiple tests to diagnose a problem, the same pertains to judging prophecy.
1 John 4:1-3 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many FALSE PROPHETS in the world.
Paul and Peter writing to the Church in their day warned against false prophets, false apostles, and false prophecies (2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Pet. 2:1).
1. The first step to judging prophecy is: 1. Check out the life of the one prophesying. Is the life of the one prophesying in line with the Word of God? if you cannot be trusted, your prophecies also cannot be trusted! If someone lies habitually, we can’t believe his prophecies because he lacks integrity.
If someone is not faithful in paying his tithes, we can’t believe his prophecies because God will not speak through a thief.
2. Does it edify, exhort and comfort? A prophetic word should speak edification, exhortation, and comfort to believers. It should not be negative, destructive, or condemnatory (1 Cor. 14:3).
3. Does the prophecy agree with the Scriptures? It is very essential that we are full of the Word of God, because you cannot judge prophecywithout a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures (Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:15; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3; Prov. 4:20-22).
If the words of the one that claims to be a prophet contradict the Word of God in any way or by any measure, it is not from God.
If it is a true prophecy, it will be in line with the Word of God, because the Spirit and the Word agree (Eph. 6:17).
Why must true prophecy agree with the word? The Holy Spirit was the One that inspired holy men of God to put down on paper the inspired Word of God – the thoughts of God (1 Pet. 1:21).
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is never going to tell you one thing in the Word and another through prophecy.
The Holy Spirit never contradicts Himself. So, if the prophecy does not agree with the Word of God, it is false.
For instance, a certain fellow prophesied saying, “The Lord would have me tell you merry Christmas.” This is false prophecy because it is contrary to Hebrews 9:26, 28.
Another one prophesied saying, “The Lord said that except you divorce your aged wife and marry that sweet sixteen, your ministry will never prosper.” This is false prophecy because it is contrary to Malachi 2:16.
4. Does the prophecy glorify Christ? We can judge prophecies and prophets according to their attitude toward Jesus. If they lead us away from Him, or if they create division in the Body of Christ, they are false.
Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit, said, “He shall glorify Me” (Jn. 16:14). If the prophecy is right and the prophet is right, they will testify of Jesus. If either attracts attention to man, however, it is wrong, because “He shall glorify Me.”
Paul is saying here that when spiritual gifts including prophecy, are in operation, they will make Jesus Lord. If the prophecy is of God, it MUST point to Jesus.
1 John 4:1-2 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.”
So, whenever anybody comes to you with any kind of revelation or new doctrine or prophecy, check to see what attitude it reflects toward the Lord Jesus. Does the message exalt Him? Does it glorify Him? Does it afford Jesus the preeminence which is due to Him alone?
5. Does the prophecy lead people away from Christ? If the prophecy leads people away from Christ, or if it creates division in the Body of Christ (Rom. 16:17), it is false.
6. Does it bear good fruit? The sixth test of prophecy is the fruit it produces – whether good or evil (Rom. 14:17).
Please notice that righteousness comes first. Any representation of joy and peace which bypasses righteousness is a deception. God’s order is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
7. Does the prophecy attract attention to man? If the prophecy attracts attention to man, it is false prophecy, because “true prophecy ought to glorify Jesus and not man” (1 Cor. 12:3). The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
8. Do the prophecies come to pass? If a prophecy contains predictions concerning the future which are not fulfilled, the prophecy did not come from God.
There are some who are presumptuous and prophesy out of their own minds. Their prophecies are not fulfilled (Deut. 18:20-22). If it is God that has spoken, that Word must come to pass. Nothing can stop it from being fulfilled (Isa. 55:11; Matt. 5:18). Realize that not all prophecies are from God even though they may come to pass (Deut. 13:1-5).
9. Does this prophecy draw you closer to God or away from God? Does this prophecy try to turn you away from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to follow or does it keep you on that very way the Lord has commanded you to follow? If the prophecy is from God, it will draw you closer to God. If the prophecy is from God, it will not turn you away from the path God has commanded you to follow.
10. Does the prophecy bring a sense of freedom, peace, and confidence? The Holy Spirit never brings us into bondage.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17).
Scripture attests that there are three conditions which are not the products of the Holy Spirit. “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear” (Rom. 8:15).
Bondage, confusion and fear are not the products of the Holy Spirit. “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33).
11. Does the prophecy produce liberty or bondage in your life? 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…” (NIV).
If something is done in the same spirit of faith that we are in, it will produce liberty. If it’s not, it will produce bondage. God does not want to bind people or hold them in bondage. God is concerned about liberating people – setting the captives free. If people are of the same spirit, they will know it. The “same spirit” is what is important (Rom. 8:15). Therefore, this same “spirit” that we have is not the spirit of bondage.
Some prophecies bring bondage instead of liberty. If prophecy produces bondage like fear, it is false. Don’t allow anybody to bring you into bondage through his prophecy (2 Cor. 11:20).
A certain fellow prophesied saying, “Thus saith the Lord, “That so much fear is coming that He himself the Lord is afraid.”
This prophecy is certainly false because it produces bondage of fear.
Another fellow who claimed to be a prophet said, “I’m a prophet of God. If you want to get to heaven, you’ve got to do what I tell you to do.” He added, “You women have got to dress the way I tell you to. Even if you already dress that way, you won’t make it to heaven, unless you do it because I tell you to. And I am telling you not to wear any silk dress. Wear only cotton dresses.”
A passage in Acts 20 shows us that what happened in the Early Church is still happening today (Acts 20:28-30).
Paul warns by the Spirit that such men would rise up from within the flock, creating division and “...speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
12. Does your spirit bear witness? You must remember that you have something inside you which was put there by God to warn you.
1 John 2:20, 27 says, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things……27 But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”
“The anointing” referred to in this verse is not exactly the same as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This anointing operates in us as we are walking in the Spirit.
When you walk in the Spirit, there is an awareness inside you that bears witness to the truth and rejects that which is false.
When things are not right, something on the inside of you – an unction of the Lord, the anointing that abideth in you – tells you so.
Conclusion: In this teaching, I have provided twelve objective tests and one subjective test. If you are warned subjectively by the Spirit within you that something is wrong, start operating the other eleven tests. If the person prophesying is wrong, the other tests will show it. Added to that, this last test will warn you personally.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)
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