What is a False Prophet?

Jeremiah 5:30–31 (ESV):

An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

 31  the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction;

  my people love to have it so,

but what will you do when the end comes?

The book of Jeremiah gives a vivid picture of a rather strange phenomenon- the false prophet. The people of God had been warned repeatedly. They had ignored Jehovah’s law and refused to listen to His voice.

Jeremiah 6:19 (ESV):

Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,

the fruit of their devices,

  because they have not paid attention to my words;

and as for my law, they have rejected it.

The prophet Jeremiah had a hard assignment. To preach repentance to a stiff necked and stubborn people.  No one listened. The message was clear. If they did not repent Jerusalem would be destroyed and it’s inhabitants would be carried off to Babylon. At the opportune time a new group of prophets arose to comfort Judah- the false prophet.

Jeremiah 6:14 (ESV):

14  They have healed the wound of my people lightly,

saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

when there is no peace.

What is a false prophet?

1. Someone who cares more about about pleasing people than pleasing God.

In Jeremiah’s day the false prophets were far more popular among the people. Their messages of peace and comfort were far easier to swallow than those of judgement and deportation.  They even took extreme measures to stop the true prophet-Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 26:11 (ESV):

Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

Of course brave Jeremiah defends himself and his message.

Jeremiah 26:14–15 (ESV):

But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Obviously Jeremiah's main concern was to please God with his message. Not so with the false prophets. Anyone who preaches or teaches God's Word, the Bible, needs to give special care to this issue of communicating the truth, loud and clear.  We should constantly resist the urge to say things that people WANT TO HEAR if it deviates from the plain truth of Scripture.

What is a false prophet?

2. Someone more concerned with material security than eternal security.

Jeremiah 6:13 (ESV):

      13       “For from the least to the greatest of them,

      everyone is greedy for unjust gain;

                  and from prophet to priest,

      everyone deals falsely.

The false prophets of Jeremiah's day were more worried about their position than the condition of their flock.  They would not preach or teach an unpopular message for fear of losing their jobs.  Personal security was their top priority.  Little did they know the future ahead. Not only were their jobs in jeopardy, but their very lives!

Any time we are more focused on our income or career opportunities than the call of God we are following in the footsteps of the false prophets.  As a servant of God our primary concern should be discerning God's will and following His call.  He may lead to where there will be greater fruit with a smaller paycheck.  He may lead to vibrant ministries where we have less notoriety.  This can be a great test for the man or woman sincerely desiring to please and serve their Heavenly Father.

What is a false prophet?

3. Someone who cannot discern truth from error.

At the time of the fall of Jerusalem the false prophets could not hear the voice of God.  They relied on their personal visions and the devises of their own minds.

Jeremiah 14:14 (ESV):

14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

Obviously these wayward prophets would not know truth if it hit them in the face.  They cooked up their own  version of truth, which had no truth in it!

I wonder in our day if our churches and Christian organizations sometime do the same thing.  We better be extremely careful when we cook up a new "vision statement" that we ask our people to follow.  We better double check it again and again and ask is it TRULY BIBLICAL?  Catchy phrases and Madison Avenue marketing techniques may sound good, but where do they take us in the end?

Bottom line- anyone preaching or teaching God's Word on a regular basis should be commended.  What you are doing is a noble profession.  But grave concerns and cautions go with it.  Let's all re-double our commitment to be more like our friend Jeremiah and less like the false prophets of old.

A final word for the rest of us.  Jeremiah's message was not all doom and gloom.  For those willing to hear the Word of God, willing to repent, willing to follow in His ways, there was a message of great comfort and hope:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (ESV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. 

AMEN