Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

A Profile of the Ancient Hebrew Prophet

been God's servants, but their messages were so misguided by satanic influ ence, personal ambition, greed, false prognostications, wrong impressions or wild imaginations that their messages were, for all intents and purposes, no better than that of the heathen false prophets. Such people sometimes spoke by what they perceived to be the Spirit of God, but their impressions were not from God at all; rather, they were self-induced or demonically inspired. Such pseudo-prophets were not always easy to discern. The false prophet was guilty of: • Going without being sent; speaking without hearing a divine word (Jeremiah 14:15; 23:21; 29:31). These prophets were not commis sioned, nor had they come out of the Lord's presence. • Listening to seducing spirits (1 Kings 22:23; 2 Chronicles 18:22; Zechariah 13:2; 1 Timothy 4:1), which involved divination (Jere miah 14:14; Ezekiel 12:24, "flattering divination"). Some were "being inspired by Baal the no-god, and by such prophesying led the people into error" 10 (Jeremiah 2:8; 23:13). Incredible as it sounds, the deceptive spirit of Baal worship actually made the Israelites for get the Lord (Judges 3:7; 8:33-34; Jeremiah 23:27). • Responding to the people's wishes (who wanted nice, satisfying words, Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 5:30-31; Amos 2:12). Micah 2:11 (Phillips) says: "The sort of prophet this people wants is a windbag and a liar, prophesying a future of 'wines and spirits."' • Seeking evil wages ("her prophets divine for money," Micah 3:11). Like Balaam they "loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15); "for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam" (Jude 11). • Proclaiming lies (Jeremiah 14:13-16; 23:14; 29:23) and false visions (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 12:24; 22:28; Zechariah 10:2), and doing so in the name of the Lord (Jeremiah 29:21). • Yielding to sensual appetites (Isaiah 28:7; see the fourteen charac teristics in the previous list). • Following false dreams (Jeremiah 23:32; 29:8). • Declaring their own imaginations (Jeremiah 23:16); having deceived hearts (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:26; Ezekiel 13:2). "They give out the thoughts of their own hearts to be divine revelation, and promise peace and prosperity to all stiff-necked sinners." 11 These pseudo-prophets were the tragic result of seduction. They were (and are) the results of misguided minds choosing a course of action that, ■ 120