I have been thinking over this topic for some time. Some say that if a man prophesies and it does not come to pass even once then they are false prophets. I once was fully convinced of this and am now looking more into it. I believe the passage comes out of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 18:22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
The first thing I noticed when presently reading over this cited text is that it does not say the man is a false prophet it merely says he spoke presumptiously and the word he spoke is false.
There is another passage in Deuteronomy that damns a prophet, but that is in context to whether a prophet tries to turn them away from the ways of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
One of the main reasons that I previously strongly held to the position that if ever a man prophesies falsely he is false is this. I figured if God shows up to you and speaks to you then how can you be wrong. However something else has come into play. That something else is the still small voice doctrine.
I do not really hold to the title of still small voice since that text is actually in context speaking of something else then prophesy. The idea of the still small voice I believe though to have legitimacy. What I mean is that God is spirit and he deals with us in our spirit. So often our flesh is loud and our spirit small and soft to the ear. To him who has an ear let him hear.
So I would think that if someone were prophesying from the place of spiritual perception that he may at times be wrong. I mean often our emotions can get in the way and also out hearts can deceive us even as Christians.
Therefore if one of us even says I believe God is leading me this way or that that is a form of prophesy and which one of us has not been wrong in thinking God was telling us something when he was not. So are we all false prophets to be stoned and damned and labeled and stamped permanently and never heeded?
One man stated that he believed that we are not always accurate because we are not always mature and we are not yet ready for such accountability if we were given such grace to be a 100% authoritative prophet.
Plus, I would also add are not some of the things spoken in Deuteronomy of being under the law. So is not there grace to certain extents in this realm?
Also, if one says one is false for one error then are we also damned fully false for ever sinning in one area. Or if an Apostle ever erred as an Apostle is he then no longer an Apostle like Peter who was found at a time a hypocrite? Certainly not Peter was still an Apostle though ailed. So therefore can one not say that is a prophet prophesies falsely once then he can still be a prophet?
If one holds to this 100% will it not also hinder us from ever trying to step out in faith and speak a word?
Another interesting thing that came to me when reading was this.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, '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.
First, is that one can do a sign and be false. Second, is that the word is still what you need to heed and a standard. Third, it was not merely the false prophet testing you but the Lord. So, as it is told in the end times lying wonders will be done and this will be the Lord testing us allowing this power into false hands so we ought to take note and be ready by the truth.
Some of the reason I am bring this up is in light of the conservative Christian movement vs. the prophet Christian movement.
