Thursday: False Prophets
Daily Lesson for Thursday 15th of October 2026
No matter what God does, Satan has his counterfeits. It’s the same with prophets. Israel faced true and false prophets. The key was to know the difference.
Read Jeremiah 14:1-15. What was happening here, and how did the Lord regard those who spoke falsely as “prophets” in His name?
In Jeremiah 14:1-22, God gave Jeremiah a message of judgment for Judah, a judgment that would come in the form of a sword (war), famine, and pestilence. False prophets at the time contradicted Jeremiah’s message. Jeremiah describes them in very clear terms: “And the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart’ ” (Jeremiah 14:14, NKJV).
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
False prophets are corrupt because their source of prophetic claims is often the false “gods” whom they worship (Jeremiah 23:13-14). God warns, “ ‘I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them’ ” (Jeremiah 14:14, NKJV). They are “ ‘prophets of the deceit of their own heart’ ” (Jeremiah 23:26, NKJV). Ezekiel was instructed to prophesy against “ ‘the prophets . . . who prophesy out of their own heart’ ” (Ezekiel 13:2, NKJV).
False prophets often follow popular views. This was the case in 1 Kings 22:1-53, when a group of 400 “prophets” gathered at the command of King Ahab (1 Kings 22:6). With one voice they advised the king to fight against Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab counseled with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, after they heard the prophetic counsel from the prophets of Asherah. Jehoshaphat urged Ahab to consult the prophet Micaiah as to whether they should go to battle or not. “Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, ‘Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement’ ” (1 Kings 22:13, NKJV).
The pressure Micaiah experienced to lie was likely the same pressure felt by the false prophets of Asherah, but Micaiah did not follow this popular view; instead, he waited for God to tell him what to say (1 Kings 22:14).
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Whether or not you are a prophet, it’s always easy to follow the popular thing. Considering how corrupt culture can be, why is this never a good idea? |
If you have not worked it out already, Artificial Intelligence, loves to tell you what you want to hear. I did some research on an invoice my great grandfather sent to Bossall Hall in England in 1901. AI came back with a glowing report of how skilled my great grandfather must have been to have secured the contract. The work done was a major renovation and had been done under the supervision of Penty and Penty an architectural firm in York. The conversation continued and involved both my grandfather and my father and the work they had done and it commented on them in glowing terms. Then the AI entity got personal and asked me what I had done, I told them about my work in computer science. AI’s response was glowing. I had carried on the fine tradition of the family etc etc.
The interesting thing was that most of the factual evidence was true but it was written in such a way to make me feel important and good about myself. In other words it was stroking my ego.
That is the problem with false prophets, They typically say what you want them to say. It is the algorithm they use to keep you coming back for more. Their skill lies not in telling the truth but in reinforcing the idea that you have got it right.
The courts of the kings in biblical times were filled with wisemen and soothsayers who stroked the egos of their monarchs. The prophets who were critical did nothing for their popularity, and as we noted a couple of days ago, many of them were killed as a result.
Ellen White in her role as messenger to a growing church coming to terms with itself delivered critical messages to church leaders. Here is an example:
There is a caveat to this. Being critical of the church does not make you a prophet, Just because a person has a critical message to the church and gathers thousands of viewers of their podcasts on YouTube, does not make them right. The true value of criticism comes when we work together hand in hand with the Holy Spirit towards a solution. That leaves no room for stroked egos.
I am just making a little observation. Can a pastor become spiritually dangerous (like false prophets), not only by teaching what is false, but also by withholding what is true? The scripture clearly says that those entrusted with the spiritual care of God’s people have a solemn responsibility not merely to comfort, encourage and inspire, but also to warn, correct, rebuke and teach even when the message causes some kind of uneasiness in the church. When spiritual leaders (pastors) knowingly withhold necessary truth to preserve popularity, protect personal interests or maintain an artificial sense of tranquillity, they participate in the role of a false prophet who prophesy peace when there is no peace.
“They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14, NLT).
In Jeremiah Chapter 6, God condemned false prophets who were proving false comfort to God’s people. The situation was grievous and yet they were providing false assurances and hence misleading God’s people. God appointed prophets as watchmen to warn the people so that they would come to repentance. But false prophets came about telling the people that they were spiritual fine and hence denied them an opportunity for repentance. Our spiritual leaders (pastors) are the watchmen of our time. Yes, let them preach about God’s blessings, favour, breakthrough, prosperity and love, but if they consistently avoid repentance, holiness, accountability, judgment and the consequences of persistent disobedience, they play an active role of a false prophet.
A spiritual leader who knows what should be said but deliberately withholds it may be committing a form of false prophecy because the resulting silence gives people false comfort and false hope.
Yes, is not a preacher a teacher of the Bible? Yes. Therefore more is expected out of you.
From the Clear Word.
James 3:1, 2.
1 Another thing I want to mention to you, my brothers, is this. Don’t suppose that everyone who thinks he can lead or teach should be put into office. God expects more of leaders and teachers and will judge them more strictly than others. 2. All of us make mistakes and say things we shouldn’t. If someone can control his tongue and never make a mistake in what he says or how he says it, he’s a perfect man and able to keep his whole body in check.
Throughout history, false and counterfeit prophets often stood before kings, proclaiming messages that pleased the rulers rather than faithfully declaring God’s will. In the days of King Ahab, 400 prophets assured him of victory, but Micaiah, the true prophet of God, courageously warned him of utter defeat (1 Kings 22:6–28). Similarly, during the reign of King Zedekiah, Hananiah falsely promised that Babylon’s oppression would soon end, contradicting Jeremiah’s message of judgment (Jeremiah 28:1–17). These examples show that whenever God raised a true messenger, satan also raises counterfeit voices often that offer reassuring messages that appeal to human pride, political interests, and national security rather than calling people to repentance.
The same false and counterfeit pattern continues today. With some religious leaders proclaiming messages of guaranteed prosperity, success, and divine protection while neglecting sin, repentance, obedience, and the sacrifice of Christ. Like the false prophets who surrounded Israel’s kings, they told people what they wanted to hear rather than what they need to hear. Paul warned that people would gather teachers according to their own desires (2 Timothy 4:3–4), while Jesus cautioned, “Beware of false prophets” (Matthew 7:15). The presence of many voices does not guarantee the presence of God’s truth. As Micaiah stood firm before Ahab, we must test every message by Scripture (1 John 4:1), choosing God’s truth over popular opinion, national pride, or promises that offer comfort without true transformation.
I’m one who has never believed that God has been silent with His people in any generation, not even during the times between Malachi and Mathew. In every generation God has someone speaking to His people on His behalf. The blueprint is out for us to know who they are. Jehoshaphat looked and listened to the 400+ prophets then asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord?”
Before we criticize or accept, we need time to learn and know how to identify them.
Micaiah stood for what Doug Batchelor echoes in his book, “Standing for the truth even if you are standing alone.”
The stories of the Bible are for our admonition. They reveal that the majority are rarely right. If we aren’t consulting the scriptures as the Bereans did when they heard a message, then we are setting ourselves up for deception.
There is much deception in the world today, both religious and secular. If we don’t do our own study and research then we will follow the herd to our own destruction.
In a world full of sheep be a sheepdog!
I read Jeremiah 14:1-15 and I could not stop reading. I do not wish to deceive you. I am not the kindest of persons and at times I can be quite insensitive. But I was touched with compassion for the children of Israel.
From Jeremiah chapter 14 , I read every chapter { with the exception of chapter 17:19-27, that dealt with Sabbath keeping, which I skimmed through} to chapter 18, where I finally stopped. These are the words that stopped me in my tracks.
“Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” Jeremiah 18:5-8 NIV
I am comforted by the fact that some of God’s promises are conditional and the above episode is an example of such.
As we study the lesson on false prophets, we often think about those who claim to speak for God but whom God has not called. Yet Ellen White gives us another warning that deserves our attention. She wrote:
“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God.” — Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 48.
This is sobering because Satan does not necessarily have to persuade God’s people that the Spirit of Prophecy is completely false. It may be enough to undermine confidence in it—to regard its counsels as outdated, or applicable to everyone except ourselves.
The irony is that while the lesson warns us to beware of false prophets, we should also beware of the opposite deception: becoming so skeptical of the prophetic gift that we reject or neutralize the genuine prophetic voice God has given His church.
If we believe that God genuinely bestowed the prophetic gift upon His remnant church, we should take seriously the counsel that comes through that gift and test it by Scripture rather than dismissing it simply because it challenges contemporary thinking.
Perhaps one question we should ask ourselves as we study this lesson is: Are we only concerned about being deceived by false prophets, or could we also be deceived into disregarding a true prophet?
I am pleased to note of the true prophets during king Josiah’s reign, of Judah, there was Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Huldah, as mentioned yesterday. Also mentioned, Huldah was in close proximity and very capable of providing the duties that king Josiah requested, of getting message from the Lord substantiating his decision to turn the people of Judah back to worshiping the true God as outlined in the Book of the Law(Deuteronomy 5:7-21, 6:5-6). He gathered all the elders of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, and made a covenant before the Lord. Look what happened.
2 Kings 23:3.
God speaks through His prophets. Amos 3:7. In the case of 2 Kings 22:15-20 the message was not pleasant, in the condition that they were in, rather instruction of the what the Lord requires of them and us for that matter. To do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with the Lord. Micah 6:8. As for me and my house we choose to walk humbly with the Lord. Blessings come with that choice. 2 Kings 22:19-20.
Sometimes, Christian attitudes go against popular culture. That reveals that Christians are not from here, but are to inherit a place beyond—a place specially made for those who trust in God!
I will not go so far as to say that it’s never a good idea to follow the popular thing. Lots of things that are popular are neither here nor there. For example, styles of clothing for the most part are morally neutral (I realize there is inappropriate clothing). It doesn’t make you superior to dress differently than everyone else.
And I suspect there are at least a few more morally oriented issues that the majority were right about.
Many popular things are wrong, but it can also be easy to be at odds with everything that is “popular” and I’m not sure that’s any better.
Better is to check everything against God’s Word.