If a prophet puts their voice and their word above the voice of God and Word of God, don’t listen to that prophet. This is not my idea, it’s God’s. God hates idolatry, and false prophets, immature and presumptuous prophets are overflowing with it.
Deuteronomy 13:3 reads, “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
And Jeremiah 23:6 confirms, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.”
Don’t Listen to These Prophets
No matter how spectacular the prophecy is, or how deep the supposed encounter in which the revelation came, if the prophet puts their voice, their supernatural experience, their track record, or anything else above the Word of God, don’t listen to that prophet.
Please remember, New Testament prophets don’t have exclusivity on hearing God’s voice or knowing His secrets. In the Old Testament, few heard directly from the Lord besides the prophets. But in the new covenant, we can all hear from God. Hebrews 1:1-2 reads, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
What did the Son say to the church? Well, He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Jesus also said, “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5).
Yes, You Can Tap Into God’s Secrets
Sure, you might say, but I can’t tap into God’s secrets. You might think, “That’s just for prophets.” No, that’s not accurate. It’s true the Bible says God reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets (see Amos 3:7). But the Bible also says God reveals His secrets to those who walk in the fear of the Lord (see Psalm 25:14). If a prophet tells you God’s secrets and mysteries are reserved for an elite five-fold office, don’t listen to that prophet.
Jesus also said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14-15). Jesus shares His heart with His friends.
Remember, a key function of modern prophets according to Eph. 4:11 is to equip you to hear accurately, not to force you to align with what they hear without question. A prophet who cannot be questioned or whose prophecy cannot be judged does not have the mind of Christ. 1 John 4:1 tells us to test the spirits because false prophets are rising. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Let’s not follow the voice of the wrong shepherd.
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