“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing
but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15 (NASB)
Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the eastern side of the Temple in Jerusalem. Soon His disciples would witness His crucifixion and three days later His resurrection, and the completion of numerous prophesies from the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible).
The disciples used the remaining time with their Rabbi to ask for details about something that had been weighing on their minds and hearts, longing to know more of “the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus was very generous in His reply, detailing events that would kick start His second coming as Judge and King.
We can now look back, almost two thousand years later, and realize that Jesus was really giving us instruction on how to discern the times of the end. And one of His first warnings is to beware of deception.
- “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will mislead many.'” Matthew 24:4-5
- “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:11
- “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” Matthew 24:24-25
False Christs and false prophets are a prerequisite to Jesus coming on the clouds at His second coming. So how do we prepare, standing ready to test the spirits and discern the truth?
Guided by Scripture
“But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit,
and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2b
In times of apostasy the culture goes from bad to worse. Such a time happened in the prophet Jeremiah’s day.
Leading up to the exile in 586 BC, Israel had numerous false prophets telling the people what they wanted to hear — that God would overlook their idol worship, child sacrifice, and wicked hearts. God called the false prophecies appalling and horrible. He warned, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:31)
Jeremiah had his work cut out for him, faithfully proclaiming the truth that the Lord told him to proclaim, amongst so many false prophets. We read in Jeremiah 14:13-15:
But, “Ah, Lord God!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, and the deception of their own minds. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! Jeremiah 14:13-15
God declared that the very thing the false prophets said would not happen would be how they meet their own end, “for I will pour out their own wickedness on them” (Jeremiah 14:16).
Those who faithfully studied God’s Word in Jeremiah’s time knew sound doctrine and how God defines apostasy, and could therefore discern right from wrong. But we are told the majority had abandoned God’s Word. “To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; they have no delight in it” (Jeremiah 6:10).
The majority had also forsaken the God of their forefathers to the point that they no longer knew the Lord Almighty. Out of His great love, God would send judgment in an attempt to bring them back into relationship with Him.
- “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:16
- “Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” Jeremiah 4:14
- “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” Jeremiah 4:4
The progression of falling away from God started with forsaking His Word, then turning to other gods. Ultimately, the apostasy led to the destruction of the nation.
Detect the Counterfeit
The best prevention for spiritual deception is a pure and devoted relationship with the Lord. When we walk close with Jesus, we know His character, His love, and His commands. So the next time you come across a new teaching or “authority figure” that says something that sends your spirit a warning, be like the Bereans who “…received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). If it doesn’t line up with God’s Word, then it’s a false teaching, no matter how much it tickles the ears!
By strengthening our faith muscles now, we’ll stand ready to discern the truth as the days get darker. Now more than ever we must be living in close fellowship with the Lord and taking in His Word daily.
All Scripture taken from New American Standard Bible, 1995 version. Photo credit: Kevin Carden, Lightstock.com.
