Does God really speak through false prophets?
A pastor used teaching in a sermon from a seminar he attended given by an apostate. When questioned about it he said he liked what he had to say about a certain topic and claimed all truth is God’s truth no matter…… even given by a false teacher because….after all God spoke through a donkey didn’t he.
How would you have responded?
Genesis 3v4, '...ye shall not surely die,
vs5, 'For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
In this scripture, we see the serpent mixing truth and lies, and causing confusion and questioning what God said.
And they listened. And here we are today.
Again, in Matthew 4, we see satan quoting and mis-quoting scripture. He said, 'for it is written'. This is what Jesus had said to him, and he in turn returned the saying.
We have an account in 1 Kings 13v14-24, about a man of God, who listened to a man who said he was a prophet. He lied to the man of God. Yet, God used this man to pronounce His judgment on the man of God, and it came to pass.
There is more I want to say. But I hate long posts, and this one is getting a bit long.
God bless.
Undoubtably God does and has spoken through false prophets. Consider Balaam in Numbers ch. 22,23,24. He was definitely a false prophet as confirmed by Peter and Jude in their NT epistles, but he was even used to prophecy about the comming of Jesus (Numbers 24:17).
I have often considered this fact and that we should fear and realise that just because someone may be used to speak a word of God, does not neccesarily mean they are 'of God' or even saved and certainly does not mean they are walking in truth.
Did not Jesus say " Many will say we prohesied in your name..." and I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlssness" (Matt.7:22-23).
However what you ask is a different issue, in that I think it is dangerous and unwise to quote known false teachers to back up a point of teaching. It could give the impression to some that this person is OK, which could lead to receiving the other 'poisen' mixed in with the small amount of truth.. Surely we have the scriptures which should be enough to confirm our teaching, without having to resort to false teachers for reference.
I heard someone say recently in respone to the fact that there is some truth spoken by false teachers, "even a broken clock is right twice a day!"
This is the danger with a lot of false teachers. They mix the error in with a measure of truth to make in easier to swallow.
Quoting Heydave: "we have the scriptures which should be enough"
Amen Brother. Well said. This was my first thought when I read the original question.
Why, when we have God's Word, do we need to hear it paraphrased by non-believers? Could it be our "itching ears?"
These are trying times, turn to the Lord for your source. Depend not on man for your salvation. It is very easy to become inflamed with Patriotism for our Country but it is only the place where I am living, it is NOT MY HOME. My eyes are on Heaven, looking for the return of my Lord Jesus.
Personally, I see all the political news as distraction from the important subject - sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ - the Son of God.
white stone
Concerning God using a donkey to speak...
Wasn't it a false prophet, Balaam, to whom God spoke to using the donkey?
Just a thought.
Yes, He does.
Read 1 Kings 13:11-34 for an example of this very thing.
I guess God can speak through whomever He wishes, nonetheless, I wouldn't go sit under Unitarian or Mormon or Jehovah's Witness teaching in spite of them possibly proclaiming certain truths now and then.
Yes giggles, great points.
I think there is a difference between a false prophet or false teacher speaking something that is true... and God actually speaking through them. If they are a false prophet/teacher then I believe they are devoid of God. I dont think God "uses" them to speak His truth, I just think sometimes they accidently speak things that are true.
There is a difference.
Krispy
Krispy,
The difference is only a technical difference. Either way, both are false. Additionally, Jesus said that on the last day that many would rise up and say, "But Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?" yet the Lord will tell them, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
I've yet to find a Scripture that says God cannot use such men. Indeed, there are quite a few that show the contrary.
excerpt from another thread on this subject:
One more thing worth noting with all of the talk of God speaking through donkies & false prophets. Can He? Yes. But it is WHAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY SAYING that is from God or Satan. Not the vessell, but the message. In fact, Satan can speak through a disciple of Christ. What, you say? Peter one minute is saying, "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," as he is enlightened from the Father. Next breath, He is opposing the cross & Jesus is telling Satan (through Peter) to get behind him!!! So, can a false prophet (or even a donkey) speak for God? Yes, the fruit of their message tells us the source of the tree. So, God tells the donkey to speak up and shock the prophet who refuses to see the Lord preventing him. If the donkey would have spoken up and told him to bow down and worship Baal, it would have been demonic, not the Lord.What tells us how to discern the source? The Message!! We will know them by their fruit. The fruit of their lips tells us alot.
God spoke through the high priest, saying "It is needful for one man to die for the needs of many." The high priest was not what we would call a "true believer."
Jason
The man of God being thouroughly equipt, has already proven what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God BEFORE we ourselves proclaim it.
No matter who it came from, talking about what someone else said is just plain foolish if it is not in conjunction with our own growth experience.
How dare i declare anything that is not in some fashion lived through by this relationship in Jesus Christ!
How do i know if it's true if i have not walked it out myself.
False prophets do not emphasis a life that is growing deeper into the True Vine, Jesus Christ. Everything that is not relative to this very message is wood, hay, or stubble.
Ultimately, all that is not pointing us to Jesus will burn.
Sure it may have substance; but so does a hippopotamus.
Anything not tested through trial in the life by whoever is ministering does not come from an approved workman, and can be accounted as nothing more than hearsay, whether true or not.
Love, Hope, and Faith,
gregg
...I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
Acts 20:31-32
That word of God's grace is in Jesus Christ alone, the master builder, and the only very priceless inheritance unto us from God our Father.
In our identification with His crucifixion, entombment, and resurrection is our growth into His salvation, be that His work in us towards our santification or to manifest His glory.
Balaam actually started off pretty good, enid. He prophesied the coming of Christ! There was no doubt he was in touch with God, and the Lord gave him revelation. But the day he decided to go after money and the allurement of riches was the day he signed his own death warrant with God. At the end of his life, he was no longer called a prophet of God, but "Balaam the Sorcerer".
It's amazing that all it takes is a dollar sign to change prophecy into sorcery.
Brother Paul
Re:
by utilizer001 on 2010/9/2 13:35:39
God spoke through the high priest, saying "It is needful for one man to die for the needs of many." The high priest was not what we would call a "true believer."
That was truly a "prophetic" statement in it's nature. A little different is one "prophetic" statement God used a non-believer to make, than an entire message and focus of a man who seeks to unify all the religions of the world to pray and seek "god together", wouldn't you agree?
Jeffmar:
You are correct, but the question of this thread was not about an entire message and focusing on a man. There are several Glenn Beck threads already dealing with that.
So, the answer is that God has, in the past, spoken through false prophets. When the church is so far gone, that He can't work through her, He will use whatever means He chooses to get His message through. Sometimes, by using a person not of the faith, to shame His children, and to make them jealous for Him. Just as the church is used to make Israel jealous.
Jason
I don't recall of a time in scripture (correct me if I am wrong) when God tells the godly to listen to the false prophet and take the truth and leave the error. In the example of Balaam, God used him to bless His people and speak before an ungodly nation, He did not use Balaam to speak to Israel. I caution against inviting false prophets into our home (TV, radio, books) and bidding them God speed (2 John 1:9-11)just because they preach a measure of truth. If God wants to use someone that has not the doctrine of Jesus Christ to proclaim a truth or provoke a nation, that is His business, but scripturally I cannot bid them God speed. God give us the wisdom to discern the spirits. (1 John 4:1-3)
Amen Thess!!!!
Total agreement here!!
God spoke through the high priest, saying "It is needful for one man to die for the needs of many." The high priest was not what we would call a "true believer."
Yes and No.
If you read further it says, John 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation.
He truly wasn't a believer in Jesus, but here we see that he was certainly a prophet who foretold of the Lord's death.
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